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We've been training for this moment not just the past few hours or days, but for the past few years," Monica Russo declares emphatically, her voice tinged with a southern drawl. "And now the moment has arrived." She paces, lips pursed, pausing for a Haitian man to translate her words into Creole, and then for a Peruvian woman to put everything into Spanish. The 31-year-old Russo -- stylishly dressed, bespectacled, no makeup, simply done shoulder-length brown hair A doesn't remotely resemble the popular image of a labor union boss. Yet that's what she is: the southern regional director of organizing for the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).
At this moment, on a chilly morning in early January, Russo is standing in front of about 50 people in a conference room at the Howard Johnson Hotel on NW 163rd Street in North Miami. She's kicking off a massive campaign to unionize nursing home employees throughout South Florida, where the booming health-care industry employs increasing numbers of immigrants in low-paying, nonunion jobs. Nearly half of those jobs belong to certified nursing assistants (CNAs), also called nurses' aides, who earn an average of $6.03 per hour while performing one of the most dangerous jobs for women in the U.S., at least according to a study done last year by the Washington, D.C.-based Service Employees International Union.
Russo has spent her ten-year adult professional career as a labor organizer in the Southeast. And even though she herself has never worked in a nursing home, for this campaign she has corralled dozens of organizers and union members with experience as factory and/or nursing home workers.
The translations completed, Russo resumes. "What are we gonna talk about?" she asks. "Conditions for nursing home workers in South Florida have never been worse. It's so bad that women who've been working as CNAs up to twenty years are still making $5.25 an hour. How can you afford to pay $300 a month for medical insurance when you're making $5.25 an hour!" Russo shouts. Her audience responds with the nodding of heads, the clapping of hands, and calls of affirmation. "Not only are the workers makin' no money," she continues, "but they're suffering from back injuries, injuries to their legs, arms, shoulders -- injuries they suffer for life."
Cassandra Davis, standing at the back of the room, knows all this and every other pitfall of the profession. Davis, a tall woman with a determined gaze, worked as a CNA for fourteen years in her home state of Indiana. The Teamsters had organized health-care workers there, and Davis was an early and active union member. Although she loved her work, she loved union business even more, and now her job as a UNITE organizer in the South keeps her on the road three weeks out of each month, away from her home and husband back in Gary. Along with about ten other itinerant organizers, she has come to Miami to work alongside local UNITE staffers and a contingent of rank-and-file members.
"We think it's bad now -- we ain't seen nothin' yet!" Russo tells the crowd. "With the cuts coming down from Washington, the entire bottom is gonna fall out. There's not gonna be nothing for workers. So there's never been a better time in history for nursing home workers to organize than right now. Today. Not just one nursing home. Unless we organize hundreds and hundreds of workers all over South Florida, we won't have the power to defend ourselves against the cuts coming down now. The workers are ready, and all they're waiting on is us to back 'em up. Our job now is to go and talk to people wherever we find 'em -- at home, at their second job, on the radio, on the job. We need to let 'em know what their rights are. And we need to make sure they know this ain't no freebie. This is gonna be a fight. We need to prepare our people for the bosses' campaign of intimidation that we all know because we've been through it many times. How many of you been threatened for getting a union?"
Among those waving their hands in the air is Jean-Claude Demosthene, the personable young Creole translator. He immigrated to Miami seven years ago from Port-de-Paix, Haiti, and is a single father of a two-year-old girl. Until last fall, Demosthene worked in a warehouse at Parts Depot, Inc. and was among several active UNITE members. He was also one of about a dozen union members who were told they were being laid off from the company for economic reasons; however, they're certain they were let go in retaliation for their union activity, and UNITE lawyers have asked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to order their reinstatement. Demosthene has become a valued rank-and-file organizer for UNITE and is considered an instrumental liaison with the city's Haitian community in this campaign. "Talking to my people," he says often, placing a hand over his heart and tilting his angular, vaguely feline face.
Winding up her pep talk, Russo prepares to hand out manila folders bearing lists of names, addresses, positions, shifts, and whatever other information organizers have been able to glean about workers at several area nursing homes. Two- and three-person teams will fan out from Homestead to Fort Lauderdale to announce the start of what is generally called "the blitz." For the next two weeks, union campaigners will work around the clock to make their presence and intent inescapably clear, both to employees and to management.
"When we're out there, we have no time to waste," Russo concludes. "Remember, our vision is to change the way nursing homes operate in South Florida."
When UNITE organizer Gihan Perera and Lionel Laurat, a union member on leave from his factory job as a sewing machine mechanic, drive to northwest Dade late on a Saturday morning, they know the 63-year-old Haitian CNA they are looking for wants to introduce a union into the Villa Maria Nursing Center where she works. And they know from talking to other CNAs that she is respected not just for her age and her fifteen years at the North Miami nursing home, but also for her great influence among her Haitian co-workers. Perera and Laurat's mission is to persuade her to bring others into the union.
By now the UNITE organizers have some idea of the floor plans and working conditions in a dozen area nursing homes, as well as who the best-known employees are and what shifts they work, and how sympathetic or unsympathetic their supervisors may be to the possibility of a union. This information, garnered from conversations with workers and through other channels the union doesn't want to make public, is the starting point for the blitz. (While organizers obviously want to avoid tipping their hand to nursing home operators, they also fear the clout business interests have with the state legislature, which periodically entertains proposals to limit access to public records.)
As the campaign progresses, computer-generated lists will be compiled and posted at UNITE's Allapattah headquarters. The lists, which contain the names and addresses of workers, show who has been visited at home. They also contain a numerical ranking characterizing a worker's estimated level of support for the union, and, most important, a notation indicating whether she (or occasionally he -- there are some male nurses' aides) has signed a yellow card declaring her intention to join UNITE. Depending on the reception UNITE gets at the homes initially targeted, Russo may decide to concentrate more on one or pay less attention to another. "We just cast a wide net to see what jumped," she notes about the initial few weeks. "We really didn't know what to expect."
Once 30 percent of the employees at any nursing home have signed the cards, the union can petition the NLRB -- the federal agency created in 1935 to protect workers' rights to organize unions -- to hold a vote. If the union wins a majority of that vote, it becomes the official bargaining agent for all employees. (In Florida, a right-to-work state, no employee is required to join a union, but any contract negotiated by the union applies to members and nonmembers alike.)
Perera and Laurat find Yolaine (not her real name) standing in the driveway of her brown brick house. She wears an ankle-length ruffled white nightgown covered with a long pajama top, white socks, and brown sandals. Perera, tall and thin with short, neatly barbered black hair, strides up and hugs the woman. "Hey, how you doin'?" he asks. Yolaine smiles wearily, and the trio files into her living room.
"What's going to happen if we sign the cards and after that the management doesn't want the union coming in, then they fire people?" Yolaine wants to know. It's illegal to do that, replies Perera. By law the workers have the right to organize. In any case, he adds, the union never shows the cards to other workers or to anyone connected with the employer. Yolaine listens dispassionately, appearing almost convinced.
Even before the blitz started, Villa Maria's management held what it called an informational meeting -- what the union called a brainwash meeting. Workers said they were told they'd lose their homes, cars, and jobs if they joined a union. The 272-bed Villa Maria, which the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami bought two years ago from an order of nuns, is one of three nursing homes the archdiocese owns in Dade County. Archdiocese spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta denies that Villa Maria administrators would threaten employees. Tensions escalated at the nursing home when union teams showed up to hand out leaflets and talk to workers between shifts, and North Miami police were called in to disperse them. One morning a security guard threatened to turn a hose on the union advocates. (At St. John's, another home owned by the archdiocese, police were also called in, and that nursing home's administrator came out to shoo away the union people.) Still, Yolaine insists she's so tired of the long hours and poor pay that she isn't fazed by the Villa Maria administration's tactics.
"I've been there fifteen years," she says. "And how much you think I get?"
"Ten, eleven dollars an hour," Perera suggests, knowing full well the real answer will be far less.
"Six-ninety. Last week they gave me a thirteen-cents raise. They give us insurance, but we pay $35 every fifteen days. It would be $378 per month for my family; that's why I don't put my kids in. But I got insurance because I'm old." Yolaine looks sideways at the 25-year-old Perera, who's sitting beside her on a cushiony brown sofa. A teenage boy and girl drift in and out of the adjacent kitchen, nodding politely at the visitors. Yolaine smiles and smoothes her uncombed hair. This is her only weekend off all month.
She wakes up at 5:00 a.m. to arrive at Villa Maria by 7:00, where she works until 3:00 helping residents -- some of whom are senile or mentally disturbed -- do the things they can't do for themselves: dress, walk, negotiate a bathtub or toilet, eat, sit, get into or out of bed. She isn't allowed to administer medicine, but owing to staff cutbacks she sometimes must perform duties that are normally the responsibilities of licensed practical nurses. At any given time she may be responsible for as few as eight or as many as twenty patients, depending on how many workers are on duty or, sometimes, on the whims of her supervisors. When her shift at Villa Maria ends, Yolaine hurries to her second job as a CNA at Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, another nursing home in North Miami. She's supposed to be there by 3:00 p.m., but her bosses at Plaza give her a break because of her schedule and allow her to arrive by 3:30. After getting off work at 11:00 p.m., she makes it to bed by about 1:00 a.m.
Before he leaves, Perera firmly places a half-dozen yellow union cards (written in Creole) in Yolaine's hands. He wants her to pass them out at Villa Maria and return them to him, signed. She shakes her head. "You know I can't give it," she tells him. "You don't trust nobody. I don't want to do that." She confers in Creole with Laurat, who then explains to Perera that the Haitian CNAs are worried they'll be reported to management and are afraid even to discuss the union among themselves.
"What if we had a meeting they could all come to?" Perera asks.
"I don't know," Yolaine says doubtfully.
Perera protests gently, with no hint of annoyance: "Unless you use your rights, you're not going to get any more rights. The only way you're gonna get a union there is if all the people sign each other up. Somebody has to stand up, and that's you." Yolaine shakes her head. The men leave some cards with her anyway. She may change her mind in the coming days.
"She can sign everyone up in that place if she wants to," Perera remarks to Laurat as they climb into his UNITE company car, a light green Pontiac. "You can't be easy, not now. If you're easy, you won't get a union. It's difficult and not comfortable to push people like that, but if you don't, it's not going to happen."
After a fruitless few stops (no one's home), Laurat offers to make lunch at his North Miami apartment -- a room in the back of a house, actually -- since they're already in the neighborhood. "Not much food here," he announces, slipping off his black Calvin Klein baseball cap and ducking behind a white curtain into his kitchen. He returns with a large glass jar of confiture a friend brought him from Haiti. He ladles the thick, sweet brown jam A the product of grapefruits and sugar that have been cooked for hours A into Styrofoam cups, then pushes a cassette into an ancient tape player. The infectious, buoyant music of the Haitian superstar Sweet Mickey immediately brightens the dim room. On a tabletop is an envelope addressed in flowery handwriting to "Mon Amour Lionel Laurat." It's from his fiancee in Port-au-Prince, whom he left behind in 1994. Laurat fled the country, he says with little expression, a few days after armed men burst into his family's home and shot to death his brother and his mother. He hid under a bed. He assumes the attack was in retaliation for his family's support of Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return to power.
Once in Miami the 35-year-old Laurat landed a job operating a sewing machine at Bag Specialists in Opa-Locka, one of seven local plants whose work force is represented by UNITE. A few months ago he was promoted to mechanic after receiving additional training. He plans to study English and possibly resume his pursuit of a law degree, which he began in Haiti. Soon, he hopes, his fiancee can join him here.
Monica Russo's small corner office is located on the second floor of a nondescript gray building in working-class Allapattah. The room is adorned with scores of snapshots of union members and union rallies and victory celebrations. Hanging on the wall are two maps of Haiti A gifts from workers A whimsical assemblages of colored gravel and shells glued onto paper to represent palm trees, boats, and Haiti's different provinces. There's a poster of the late labor organizer Cesar Chavez, and one of Emiliano Zapata, emblazoned with the Mexican revolutionary's famous quote: "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees."
Russo was born in Oxford, Pennsylvania, to activist parents, both of whom taught at nearby Lincoln University, the nation's oldest black university. According to Russo, her father, a history professor, was fired for starting a union at the school. After graduating from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 1986 with a B.A. in history, she searched for a union-related job while working as a secretary. "The Bakery, Confectionary and Tobacco Workers Union [BCTWU] called and said they were conducting some campaigns in the South and was I interested," recalls Russo. "I packed up my stuff and drove to Georgia and never went back."
Actually, she did go back north for a few months, to Patterson, New Jersey, where she helped unionize a Bagel Crisps factory. It was her first time running a campaign, and she credits helpful rank-and-file organizers from a neighboring English muffin factory for its successful outcome. After a few years Russo moved on to work for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU), one of the few unions at the time committed to organizing in the South. Like most organizers, she traveled constantly, and yet she still was able to start putting down some roots in Miami. She picked up Creole from the Haitian garment and factory workers she was organizing, and Spanish from Latin American and Caribbean workers.
When UNITE was created last year through the merger of two venerable institutions -- ACTWU and the 95-year-old International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU, originator of the "Look for the Union Label" advertising campaign) -- Russo was named director of organizing for its nine-state southern region headquartered in Atlanta. Currently she's keeping tabs on five other campaigns besides the nursing home project.
She owns a two-bedroom A-frame in North Miami, which she has decorated with Caribbean art, mostly Haitian paintings and carvings. Union colleagues frequently drop by to strategize or socialize, and there's usually a house guest. Russo seems always to be working, but her deceptively informal, lightsome manner makes it appear as if she's putting on a play at a small-town community center rather than supervising a multipronged organizing offensive.
Despite her young age, Russo is regarded in union circles as one of the top organizers in the nation. Those who have worked with her credit her close association with workers as a major factor in her success. "You have the danger of a really charismatic person becoming the union," cautions Allison Porter, assistant director of the organizing department of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of International Organizations (AFL-CIO, the powerful national umbrella organization of labor unions, with which UNITE is affiliated). "Monica makes sure she has a lot of workers around her all the time. She makes sure they're the leadership. It takes an incredibly unusual person to succeed as an organizer, and it's unusual to have really strong leadership qualities and to be empathetic at the same time."
Russo is emblematic of a new direction in the labor movement nationwide. Last month at the AFL-CIO's annual executive committee meeting held in Miami Beach, she received an award citing her "achievements in organizing which provide a model to American labor and a beacon of hope to working people." In a closed session before the executive committee, Russo and two rank-and-file members described their organizing efforts in the South, the region traditionally neglected by most unions and only recently singled out for special attention by the AFL-CIO.
Many saw last year's election of John J. Sweeney to the presidency of the AFL-CIO as confirmation of organized labor's determination to break with long-standing inertia and to change its old image as a corruption-prone old-boy network. At the executive committee meeting, federation leaders announced an unprecedented commitment to pour $20 million into organizing over the next five years with an emphasis on heretofore largely untargeted groups such as women, immigrants, and workers in the South.
Union membership has been declining over the last 30 years, from 28 percent of the U.S. work force in 1966 to less than 15 percent in 1995, according to the federal government's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The current union-dues-paying proportion of the work force drops to 10.4 percent when government employees are excluded. Under Sweeney, a white-haired, pink-faced man who made his name organizing health care workers in New York City, the AFL-CIO's Organizing Institute has a new lease on life: The six-year-old training school for organizers now has a $3.3 million annual budget, up from $350,000 in 1990. These days the emphasis is on aggressive and innovative organizing -- personal contact and recruitment, broadening the membership base -- as opposed to concentrating on protecting gains made by workers in traditional industrial occupations.
"In my opinion the whole ability of unions to organize nursing homes and other kinds of service jobs is really their future," says Ed Lawler, a professor at the University of Southern California's business school who specializes in the organization and economics of labor unions. "If they can't succeed in organizing this kind of workplace, they're basically history."
Bruce Raynor, executive vice president of New York City-based UNITE, agrees with Lawler in principle, and underscores the significance of the current effort to organize area nursing homes: "This is a big and important effort." The newly merged union, with a combined $46 million in net assets, employs about 750 people and claims 350,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. "[Nursing home workers] need to be organized and want to be organized," Raynor adds.
As of last month there were 678 nursing homes in Florida -- 94 in Dade and Broward alone -- employing more than 180,000 certified nursing assistants, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, which licenses CNAs. The nursing home industry in general -- and in Florida in particular -- is growing steadily, with net revenues in the state rising from about $1.5 billion in 1990 to $2.5 billion in 1994. Yet in contrast to other urban areas, South Florida's health care workers, for the most part, remain un-unionized. They have become a priority for many unions not only because they represent a relatively untapped and expanding field, but also because federal and corporate cutbacks, among other factors, have made workers more nervous about job security.
"With the changes taking place in health care, everything seems to be going to bigger and bigger conglomerates, and that creates uncertainty," points out labor attorney Dan Kunkel of Kunkel, Miller & Hament, a Tampa law firm that has counseled the owners of three different Miami nursing homes on how to counter UNITE's efforts. After a lull in union activity in the health care industry, Kunkel and other observers say, unions are attempting a comeback. (Union-busting has become a specialty of many law firms, who are called in by savvy employers at the first sign of union activity. Though UNITE took pains to keep its campaign under wraps until January, it didn't take long for word to leak out. Monica Russo has a copy of an undated memo faxed late last year to South Florida nursing homes by Kunkel, Miller & Hament: "This newly formed union has begun to target Florida nursing homes. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough the importance of ensuring that you are prepared for a possible union organizing attempt at your facility.")
According to UNITE's Raynor, who oversees the union's operations in nine southeastern states, the situation for workers in area nursing homes is critical. "Workers in South Florida are mostly immigrants, some African Americans, who are being exploited by an industry that's growing," he explains. "Not only growing, but budget cuts are putting more and more pressure on companies who are not going to sacrifice profits and so will sacrifice their workers' rights and welfare instead. More so than in the past, employers feel they can get away with violating workers' rights and pay low wages, somehow in the name of competition."
UNITE's broad campaign isn't particularly unusual, but it does represent something of a departure for this regional office, whose major successes to date have been at textile, manufacturing, and laundry operations. Russo says the nursing home campaign developed over the past few years, after her staff received complaints from workers and their relatives, many of whom were referred by friends or family already employed at a UNITE shop. One CNA had been injured on the job, and her employers were denying worker's compensation. Another, a supervisor for fifteen years who was the only black maintenance staffer where he worked, came to UNITE, having been fired after training the man who eventually took his job. A CNA with a history of commendations was fired after an argument with a relative of a patient; the CNA claimed that she had never been allowed to speak in her own defense and had been forced to sign a paper that later was altered to state that she could not work in any other nursing home. When UNITE organizers followed up on these and other complaints, they met long-time employees who were earning less than subsistence wages. They also heard of homes that failed to pay overtime, of racial discrimination and favoritism, and of staff cutbacks resulting in increasingly heavy workloads. It was no coincidence, they concluded, that local nursing home workers were mostly women of color -- immigrants from Caribbean and Latin American countries as well as African Americans.
It's this heterogeneous, largely immigrant, and marginalized work force that makes South Florida as formidable as any challenge confronted by organized labor -- a challenge to union people such as Russo to think creatively, to try different ways to coax ethnic groups who don't necessarily speak the same language to act as a unified force. "My experience until about four years ago has been organizing in the South, in more rural, small-town settings," admits Russo, who nonetheless is fluent in Creole, Spanish, and Portuguese. "And organizing immigrant workers in the city is a totally different ball game. I love it. To me this isn't about helping the helpless but about empowering workers. And it's very, very exciting, especially with immigrants who've been so dogged out, so trounced. The other side'd better watch out, because immigrant workers are gonna get power and things are gonna change."
Despite the widespread reluctance -- fear is the word UNITE's organizers use -- of Villa Maria employees to attempt to unionize, UNITE teams assigned to the Hebrew Home for the Aged and Palm Garden Nursing Home, both in North Miami Beach, have been welcomed with enthusiasm. Their reception has been particularly encouraging at the Hebrew Home, where the firing in November of the CNA who had exchanged harsh words with a patient's family member galvanized her colleagues. There, UNITE workers are signing up almost everyone they show a card to.
At the same time, UNITE is bringing its campaign to the general public, notably the area's Haitian and African-American communities. Russo and other union members appear on several Haitian radio shows, including Haitian-American Democratic Club president Jacques Despinosse's Saturday talk show on WKAT-AM (1360), where they discuss UNITE's position on various workers' and union issues. Russo and rank-and-file leader JoAinne Jocelyn are invited to address the congregation of a Haitian Baptist church. And some 50 union members and supporters march in the Martin Luther King Day parade. Then on March 4, at a UNITE press conference called to officially introduce the nursing home campaign, an emotional U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek puts the first signature on a "Nursing Home Workers' Bill of Rights" petition. "I may be a congresswoman, but I came from the trenches," Meek declares, her voice breaking as she mentions her mother's back-breaking labor as a domestic, earning poverty wages. "I will do all I can to help people know what's going on here." CNAs from the three nursing homes with the most active current campaigns -- Hebrew Home, Palm Garden, and Villa Maria -- are present, and some of them speak. UNITE has already petitioned the NLRB for elections at Hebrew Home and Palm Garden and is waiting for the board to set dates.
According to Russo, the press conference is an important symbolic gesture toward the workers, a show of support for their first steps in a new and untested direction. It's important for the union's public image, too, as UNITE works to establish itself not only as a viable union but as a nursing home workers' union. "It's all about imagery," Russo insists. In addition to the unfamiliarity of UNITE's name among workers, its previous successes in South Florida have been in fields other than health care. Competing unions and nursing home administrators have been quick to jump on this point. "We have so little access to the workers, and the employers have eight hours a day," Russo laments. "We have to show we're a union actively fighting for the workers. We have to define UNITE as the union for nursing home workers."
That will be expensive. Salaries for more than a dozen organizers (not all working at the same time) and union staffers (Russo earns about $41,000 per year). Compensation for rank-and-file volunteers' lost wages. Travel. Meals. Rental cars. Conference rooms and motel rooms. Printing expenses for the reams of leaflets, cards, and posters. UNITE executive vice president Bruce Raynor says it's impossible to tell how much money the union will spend on the entire campaign because it has no annual budget per se, with funds allotted as needed. It spends what it has to when it has to. And the union can afford to foot the bills. "The merged union has ample resources to go up against any corporation in society," asserts Raynor. "No company is too big for us. These unions have been around for a long time, they're frugal organizations, they don't pay people a lot of money, don't waste money, they made some smart investments, and have a lot of assets."
All that, he suggests, runs counter to the widely held assumption that the U.S. labor movement is dying. "I think there's a revival," he contends. Others concur. "When everyone said unions are dead or declining rapidly, it was all totally true, but something has happened," explains Stanley Aronowitz, professor of sociology at the City University of New York and author of several books on labor unions. "It finally got to the point where unions and union members were beaten down so hard they finally said, 'We've got nothing more to lose, let's try to turn it around.' When you have no protection, a voice telling you your job is down the drain, your sense of despair and powerlessness is acute. If you have the option to join a union during a period of change, you're going to do it. The workers will fight eventually, because at a certain point they say, 'This is undignified' A not just in an economic sense, but in the sense of who they are."
Francena Sheffield doesn't express it exactly that way, but she will tell you that her low wages aren't the only reason she's working so hard to bring the union into Villa Maria Nursing Center. A large woman with downturned eyes and black curls that sweep up to the top of her head, Sheffield has been a CNA at Villa Maria for 31 years. She refuses to talk about her wage, saying it makes her too angry. "Years back I could work for less money and be happy," she allows. "But now you're harassed. It don't seem like you do enough. [The former management] would always call us together and talk to us to get our opinion before they did something, but now these people send out a memo. You don't see them. It's gotten to the point where they call a patient a customer."
Sheffield, who has lived in the same tree-shaded yellow-brick house in Liberty City since she and her late husband bought it in 1960, heard about UNITE from a co-worker several months before the blitz began. "I said, 'Oh boy, we need it here,'" Sheffield recalls. Since then she has accompanied organizers on house calls to fellow Villa Maria CNAs and handed out union cards on her 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. shift. "When you talk to people, right away they say the union's no good," she explains, the black pen she uses at work still lodged in her curls. "They are really frightened, because the administration told them, 'If you sign you're gonna lose your job, you're gonna lose your house and car.' I say, 'That's not right A it's against the law for them to say that,' but still they're afraid. I say, 'I'm 60 years old, I'm ready to walk out the door, but I want you to make a good living and get some respect.' I say, 'If it was not good, I would not take it.' A lot of them say, 'Okay, Sheffield, if you think so. Let me think about it.'"
But archdiocese spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta says that Villa Maria's administration would never indulge in such tactics. "Never, ever would that be the church's approach," asserts Agosta. "We're a pastoral organization and we support their rights to join a union. However, we're concerned about what it means to be unionized. We have people who need their paycheck, and they have to understand that if they're in a union, they may have to walk off the job because of something happening somewhere else to support what their union brothers and sisters are doing. We're trying to keep the lines of communication open so that if anybody has any questions, the supervisors and administrators are available to answer them."
From the beginning of the campaign, UNITE has taken a somewhat different tack with the archdiocese's homes, a conciliatory strategy that includes a meeting scheduled for earlier this week between a committee of workers and union leaders and top church officials. UNITE seeks Wenski's counsel and encouragement concerning its campaign. And while he's not directly concerned with the church's nursing home operations, he can influence policymaking at the homes. UNITE's ultimate goal is simply to build support within the archdiocese for what the union contends has always been the church's pro-union position. Enough support, in fact, that the archdiocese would agree to voluntarily recognize UNITE as bargaining agent for the nursing home employees, instead of the union taking the more direct, antagonistic approach of petitioning for an election. Russo and her staff have opted for this tactic even after having signed up 65 percent of Villa Maria's workers by early March.
"The Catholic Church has some responsibility to the community, unlike private corporations where there are no such expectations," explains Russo. "The archdiocese is a nonprofit institution, and we need to make them accountable to the community. We feel optimistic they would respect workers' rights to organize."
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However, in recent weeks it became evident that the archdiocese would not be as receptive as the union had hoped. After some workers and organizers expressed impatience at the slow pace of the campaign, and after the archdiocese hired Kunkel, Miller & Hament, the Tampa-based union-busting law firm, the union stepped up its activity. In a letter and a video distributed to Villa Maria employees, past and present statements by Catholic leaders, including Pope John Paul II, endorse the worthiness of unions and the right of workers to form them. Additionally, UNITE has distributed to parishes a petition that quotes the same pronouncements and concludes, "We join with the U.S. Bishops who believe these teachings of our Church also apply to workers in Catholic institutions such as [name of the home] owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami."
But UNITE still has not petitioned the NLRB for a vote. Cassandra Davis, lead organizer at Villa Maria, admits to being somewhat apprehensive when she learns that two ex-labor organizers who now consult for Kunkel, Miller & Hament have begun meeting with workers at the home; not only that, but she's concerned about steps management has taken to pacify long-standing employee grievances, such as removing an unpopular supervisor. Both are classic moves companies use to derail unions. "I've never run a campaign lasting this long," Davis worries. "These guys are getting ready to knock us out of the box if we don't take some kind of action. Some of the women [workers] say, 'I don't want to go against the archdiocese like that.' I say, 'Listen, the archdiocese is not Jesus Christ and they don't walk on water.'"
Even as Davis, Russo, and Villa Maria CNAs were preparing to meet with church officials, UNITE organizing teams were gearing up for elections at Hebrew Home and Palm Garden, and making plans to organize other area nursing homes. The NLRB has set a March 21 election date for Hebrew Home, and workers from other homes, including Villa Maria, are volunteering to help with the campaign there. Meanwhile, no one expects either an election or voluntary recognition of UNITE at Villa Maria in the immediate future. "The momentum takes us a different way each day," Russo enthuses. "We have different time lines, a different rhythm for each home we're concentrating on, but it's all part of the bigger picture, which includes the whole [nursing home] industry.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Kidney Diseases
Bun/Creat Ratio
My bun/creat ratio is 34.3. I just want to know why would it be high and also why my hgb is low 10.6, platelet count is 482 high, and in my urinanalyis my wbc in urine is high 5-10. Also my small ldl-p is high 728. Please help me and tell me what can be wrong with me. I am 69 years old. Thank you in advance.
I would say that what you need is a primary-care physician -- or, if you already have one, you should sit down with them and go over these results. Without knowing more about you, such as your gender, medical history, family history, and what meds you take, I cannot be of much specific help, but here are some comments that may be useful:
1) Your BUN/creat ratio should be of no concern as long as both the BUN and creatinine levels themselves fall into the normal range. The ratio can be affected by such things as whether or not you were fasting at the time of the blood test, how much meat you eat, whether you are a man or a woman, and how much muscle mass you have.
2) A small number of white blood cells in the urine is not necessarily abnormal, especially if you are a woman (because vaginal secretions may contaminate the urine). In order to minimize such contamination, a urine sample should be collected as a "clean-catch" -- you need to urinate a small amount in the toilet first, then into the cup. If you have symptoms of burning on urination, or if blood or protein or bacteria showed up on the urinalysis, the test should be repeated and further evaluation may be needed.
3) Your small LDL-P level is slightly elevated and may indicate a moderate risk for cardiovascular disease. Remember that there are other blood lipid tests that are important too, such as the amount of HDL ("good") cholesterol and triglycerides. Your primary doctor and/or cardiologist should be able to work with you to optimize your blood lipid levels and other factors (weight, blood pressure, smoking) to minimize your cardiovascular disease risk.
4) The low hemoglobin and high platelet levels are of some concern. They may indicate bleeding somewhere (possibly in your stomach or intestines), or some problem with your bone marrow. These need to be repeated and followed up.
Best of luck to you, and please get yourself a primary physician soon -- and if you already have one, don't hesitate to ask about these results: it is your physician's job to address these.
Mildred Lam, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University

subset: commoncrawl


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Louis Armstrong: The Complete Okeh Columbia & RCA Victor Recordings 1925-1933 (Okeh/Columbia/RCA/Legacy 8869794565 2)
Box Set with 10 CDs
Liner notes by Ricky Riccardi, archivist at the Louis Armstrong House & Museum, author of What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years (Pantheon, 2011).
Nearly nine decades after his first Okeh recordings in Chicago as a leader, the Hot Five and Hot Seven sides of 1925 through 1928 by Louis Armstrong (1900-1971) retain their place as western pop music's Holy Grail, Rosetta Stone, and Big Bang all rolled into one. His vocalizing and solo improvising on cornet showed the world how to swing on the seminal Hot Five recordings of "Heebie Jeebies," "Cornet Chop Suey," and "Muskrat Ramble," and his Hot Seven takes of "Potato Head Blues," "Twelfth Street Rag," "S.O.L. Blues," "That's When I'll Come Back To You," "Struttin With Some Barbecue," "Savoy Blues" and so many others. CD Four is devoted to his work alongside pianist Earl Hines in Louis Armstrong & His Stompers ("Chicago Breakdown"), Carroll Dickerson's Stompers (the lost Argentine sides "Symphonic Raps" and "Savoyagers Stomp"), the Hot Five ("West End Blues," "Basin Street Blues," more) and of course the Savoy Ballroom Five with Don Redman ("No One Else But You," "Beau Koo Jack," "Weather Bird," "Muggles," "St. James Infirmary," "Tight Like This" and more).
In 1929, the newly formed Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra began recording in New York, his new home (CD Five and Six's "Knockin' A Jug," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue," "Some Of These Days," "When You're Smiling," "After You've Gone," "I Ain't Got Nobody," "St. Louis Blues," "Rockin' Chair," "Tiger Rag," "I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas," "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)," "Body And Soul," and more). Lionel Hampton (on drums!) enters the picture on Louis' first Los Angeles recordings in 1930 ("You're Drivin' Me Crazy," "Just a Gigolo," "Shine," and more), and the Orchestra keeps turning out the hits back in Chicago for OKeh in 1931 and '32 (CD Seven and Eight): "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," "When It's Sleepy Time Down South," "Them There Eyes," "Stardust," "Georgia On My Mind," "Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea," "Kickin' the Gong Around," and more.
Finally, for the first time in any Legacy package, Louis' Okeh years share the spotlight with his move to Victor in late-1932, as heard on CD Nine and Ten's three dozen tracks. This litany of Nipper sides includes ""That's My Home," "I've Got the World On a String," "High Society," "Swing, You Cats," "Laughin' Louie," "Sweet Sue, Just You," "St. Louis Blues," "You'll Wish You'd Never Been Born," and much more. The ten-CD package ends with Louis (and wife Lil on piano) backing Victor giant Jimmie Rodgers on his "Blue Yodel #9," recorded in Los Angeles, July 1930.
For jazz purists, it is important to note that this box set does not include the various sides that Armstrong recorded as a sideman, i.e. not under his own name, with such blues/pop singers as Maggie Jones on Columbia in 1924 ("Good Times Flat Blues," "Poor House Blues," and so on); and Lillie Delk Christian on OKeh in 1928 ( "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and so on).
(Note: CDs One through Seven reprise the first out-of-print seven volumes on Louis Armstrong from the Columbia Jazz Masterpieces series, released 1988 to 1993.)
- Louis Armstrong & The Hot Fives Volume 1 (1925-1926)
- Louis Armstrong: The Hot Fives & Sevens Volume 2 (1926-1927)
- Louis Armstrong: The Hot Fives & Sevens Volume 3 (1927-1928)
- Louis Armstrong & Earl Hines (1927-1928)
- Louis in New York (1929)
- St Louis Blues (1929-1930)
- You're Driving Me Crazy (1930-1931)
- Stardust (1931-1932)
- Swing, You Cats (1932-1933)
- Laughin' Louie (1933, 1932, 1930)


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When attempting to enroll a Symantec Encryption Desktop (previously PGP Desktop) client with a Symantec Encryption Management Server (previously PGP Universal Server) the Enrollment Assistant fails or does not continue. This article provides some areas to troubleshoot client enrollment with a Symantec Encryption Management Server.
General Troubleshooting
Symantec Encryption Management Server Logs
Client logs display messages about connections made from Symantec Encryption Desktop clients. For example, Symantec Drive Encryption (previously PGP Whole Disk Encryption) event notices include device detection, disk encryption or decryption, device status changes, errors during events, and WDRT use or creation.
To troubleshoot client enrollment, search the Symantec Encryption Management Server logs for the email address, username, or IP address of the user unable to enroll with the server.
To view the client logs:
- Access the Symantec Encryption Management Server administrative interface.
- Click the Reporting card and select the logs tab.
- In the Systems Logs, click the drop down arrow and select Client. The client logs are displayed.
Invalid Credentials
When receiving an error regarding Invalid credentials, it generally due to the user account with a incorrect password. Check the user account password in Active Directory and the password of the Bind DN user specified on the Symantec Encryption Management Server.
You can verify your Directory Synchronization by testing the connection to your LDAP server. For an article on testing LDAP connections, click here.
User not found in directory
If the user is rejected due to not being found in the directory, check the following areas:
- Confirm the Base DN in the Directory Synchronization settings is correct.
- Confirm the username and passphrase for the Bind DN and re-enter if necessary. Click Test Connection to confirm your configuration is correct.
Note: Directory Synchronization is configured selecting the Internal User Policy tab on the Policy card in the Symantec Encryption Management Server administrative interface.
- Confirm your LDAP server is configured correctly for LDAP referrals. If LDAP Referrals are enabled for Directory Synchronization, but your LDAP server does not support LDAP referrals or is not being used, enrollment may fail. See the following article for more information.
- Check Global Directory settings. Currently Symantec Encryption Management Server supports the usage of Global Directory on a single domain only.
When LDAP Directory Synchronization fails, client enrollment may fail with an error message regarding failure to import a license number. Click here for additional information when your receive the error Failed to import License Number, error -11933.
If you are not using Global Directory, check the following settings on the Symantec Encryption Management Server:
- Managed Domain - confirm the email domain matches the Managed Domain on the Symantec Encryption Management Server.
- Mail Queue - Check if messages are stuck in the Mail Queue. See the following article for more information.
- Mail Route configuration. Click here for an article on Managing Mail Routes.
Connection Issues
If enrollment of the Symantec Encryption Desktop client fails immediately, examine the following areas:
- Check for any proxy server or firewall settings which may cause connection issues. Click here for additional information.
- Confirm the PGPSTAMP for Symantec Encryption Desktop in the Windows Registry is correct. See the Symantec Encryption Desktop Registry Entries section in the following article.
- Check network connectivity to the Symantec Encryption Management Server.
- Check network DNS (forward and reverse lookups) settings.
- Try to connect to the server via Telnet over port 443.
- Use the PING utility to confirm you can contact the Symantec Encryption Management Sever.
If connectivity issues persist, try restarting the Symantec Encryption Management Server.
Email Enrollment
Missing registry entries, third-party software, and other conflicts may cause the Next button to remain grayed out. Thereby not allowing you to continue enrollment. See the following articles for additional troubleshooting :
Lotus Notes: Enrollment Fails if the Enrollment Message is Relayed Through an Exchange Connector.
PGP Email Proxy Fails or Next Button Grayed out during Enrollment.
PGP Enrollment Assistant Next button remains grayed out after receiving enrollment messenger.
User Certificates
Some environments require the use of User and Machine certificates for authentication and some IT Helpdesk Personnel will have multiple certificates generated for them automatically for each system they log in to.
This can cause timeouts when the Symantec Encryption Management Server is querying the Domain Controller to pull the Users Profile.
To resolve this issue do one of the following:
- Delete any unnecessary certificates from the users directory profile.
- Contact Technical Support if certificate enrollment and/or SMIME encryption is not being used and have the certificates ignored by the Symantec Encryption Management Server using LDAP customizations.
Legacy ID
Imported Document Id
Terms of use for this information are found in Legal Notices.
Terms of use for this information are found in Legal Notices.


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The Olive Reader
"I have known boredom, regret, and occasionally remorse, but never sorrow."
Francoise Sagan said that
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Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly slopeside fun with a full-service spa
Popular property highlights
Located in the mountains, this Big Sky hotel offers ski-in/ski-out access within 3 mi (5 km) of Big Sky Resort and Moonlight Basin Ski Area and close to winter sports such as cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Big Sky Town Center and Historic Crail Ranch are also within 9 mi (15 km).
Hotel Features
With direct access to the slopes, Summit at Big Sky makes guests feel at home with amenities like a full-service spa and an outdoor pool.
Room Amenities
All 213 rooms offer free WiFi, room service, and flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Other amenities available to guests include coffee makers, free weekday newspapers, and video-game consoles.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Summit at Big Sky
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Have fun with onsite winter activities, including downhill skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing. After a day on the slopes, indulge in a treatment at the full-service spa or soothe your muscles in the spa tub. For a free ride to the slopes, hop on the mountain hotel's complimentary ski shuttle. Conveniences like ski storage, skiing lessons, and ski equipment rentals allow you to spend less time with logistics and more time on the slopes.
Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. This ski hotel also offers an outdoor pool, a complimentary children's club, and a steam room. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
Summit at Big Sky is a smoke-free property.
- Ski passes available
- Ski-in/ski-out access
- Outdoor pool
- Spa tub
- Fitness facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Children's club (free)
- Supervised childcare/activities (surcharge)
- Conference space
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- 24-hour front desk
- Porter/bellhop
- Total number of rooms - 213
- Number of floors - 10
- ATM/banking
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Shopping on site
- Laundry facilities
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Fireplace in lobby
- Ski storage
- Elevator/lift
- Business center
- Smoke-free property
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Free breakfast
- Full-service spa
- Free ski shuttle
- Hair salon
- Grocery/convenience store
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Children's club
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Spa treatment room(s)
- One meeting room
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Terrace
- Picnic area
- Conference center
- Free area shuttle
- Free self parking
- Steam room
- Supervised childcare/activities
- Wedding services
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Children's club (free)
- Area shuttle (complimentary)
- Grocery/convenience store
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Playground on site
- Miniature golf on site
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Free self parking, Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Free WiFi
- Video-game console
- Pay movies
- Room service (limited hours)
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free weekday newspaper
- Phone
- Coffee/tea maker
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- In-room massage available
- Shower only
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Iron/ironing board
- Daily housekeeping
- Cable TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Where to Eat
A complimentary breakfast is offered.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Nearby Things to Do
An outdoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include ski-in/ski-out access, a steam room, and a fitness center.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Ski equipment rentals on site
- Golfing nearby
- Cross-country skiing nearby
- Snowmobiling nearby
- Rafting nearby
- Kayaking nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Golf lessons available nearby
- Snow tubing on site
- Ski lessons on site
- Downhill skiing on site
- Snowboarding on site
- Snowshoeing on site
- Volleyball on site
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Fitness classes on site
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Miniature golf on site
- Mountain biking on site
- Pilates classes on site
- Playground on site
- Rock climbing nearby
- Ziplining on site
Spa Services
Solace Spa has 8 treatment rooms including rooms for couples. Services include deep-tissue massages, hot stone massages, sports massages, and Swedish massages.
- Hot stone massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Swedish massage
- Sports massage
- Number of treatment rooms 8
- Couples treatment rooms
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body scrubs
- Massages
- Body treatments
- Facial treatments
Hotel Policies
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 10.0 per night.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Optional extras
- Valet parking fee: USD 15 per day
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10.0 per night
Hotel Name
- Big Sky Summit
- Summit Big Sky
- Summit Condo Big Sky
- Summit Hotel Big Sky
- The Summit At Big Sky Hotel Big Sky
- The Summit At Big Sky Montana
- Summit Big Sky Condo
- Summit Big Sky Hotel
- The Summit At Big Sky Hotel
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the airport. Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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As lunchtime rolls around, think about how tasty stir fry is when the proceeds go toward a good cause.
If you're in Fort Worth today or feel like taking a long lunch, head over to the Genghis Grill at 4469 Bryant Irvin Road in Cowtown.
Orders for dine-in and take out from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. will have 20 percent of the proceeds donated to AIDS Outreach Center.
Just mention AOC when you check out and the percentage will be donated to the organization. You can also order online.


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Explosion-proof light provides high output and paint booth certification
Magnalight.com has announced the introduction of a low profile explosion proof light featuring high output and paint booth certification. Designed to provide compatibility with low profile mounting applications, the EPL-48-216 Explosion Proof Light Fixture from Larson Electronics provides high output in a less obtrusive form factor and is suitable for areas where flammable or explosive gases and vapors may be present.
The EPL-48-216 explosion proof light fixture from Larsonelectronics.com is an ideal low profile fluorescent fixture for operations where high output and even light coverage is required. This fixture features four high output fluorescent lamps housed within a low profile fixture constructed of light weight yet durable copper free aluminum. T6 temperature rated, Class 1 Division 1 & 2 compliant, and certified for paint spray booth use, these explosion proof lights offer a low profile design that fits in well with locations where mounting space is at a premium. The four bulb design produces a high 20,000 lumen output that provides even coverage and good color rendering qualities, making the EPL-48-216 well suited to paint booth applications where these qualities are a must. The fluorescent lamps have a long 20,000 hour operational life rating for reliable operation, and the heavy duty ballast assemblies are sealed within integral housings for safety. The reflector assemblies are also constructed of copper free aluminum and have a durable high gloss finish to provide high reflectivity with even light distribution.
The fluorescent bulbs are protected by heat and impact resistant Pyrex tubes, and the lamp assemblies feature screw on end caps for easy servicing and secure lamp installation. The EPL-48-216 operates with universal 120-277 VAC current and is available in standard surface bracket or optional pendant mount bracket configurations, making installation simple and straightforward. These explosion proof fixtures also carry UL 595 Outdoor Marine Type and UL 1598 Marine Type approvals, making them well suited to offshore applications such as drilling and ship based operations. These explosion proof fluorescent lights offer operators who need high output illumination from a low profile fixture capable of meeting stringent hazardous location electrical requirements an ideal lighting solution that can withstand the rigors of industrial operations.


text: OverviewBack to top Starwest Botanicals - Bulk Tea C/S Organic Rooibos - 1 lb. Item# :68771UPC# :767963076793 Brand:Starwest Botanicals Size/Form:1 lb. Ship Weight:1 Flavor:Rooibos Starwest Botanicals Bulk Rooibos Tea C/S Organic - 1 lb. Starwest Botanicals Bulk Rooibos Tea C/S Organic is certified Kosher and organic. Available in a one pound bag, for the avid tea drinker. About Starwest BotanicalsStarwest Botanicals started as a small retail herb shop in 1975 in Sacramento, California. When they made the decision to begin selling herbs wholesale, they were faced with competition from more-established herb companies. They felt that their best chance to compete was to focus on selling a higher quality of herbs at good prices. Saying that you sell quality herbs sounds rather quaint, as most companies say they sell quality - they knew better. As I hit the road with my sample bag, I could demonstrate to the store buyers that their quality really was better, at equal or just slightly higher prices. Most stores I visited "got it." They knew that their business would prosper if they carried herbs that were fresh, potent, and worked for the purpose intended. They grew rapidly on the strength of their commitment to provide value through a combination of quality products, excellent customer service, and fair prices. In 1979, they built their first herb mill to have better control over the processing of their herbs. In 1980, they began importing herbs from several different countries and supplying manufacturers and wholesalers. They also began supporting the fledgling organic herb industry in 1980. In 1983, Starwest was named to Inc. magazines list of top 500 fastest-growing private companies. Today, Starwest is one of the largest suppliers of organic herbs in the United States, with 85,000 sq. ft. of modern warehouse and production space and over one million pounds of herbs and spices in stock. They are proud of their accomplishments, but the thing of which they are most proud is that they have many customers and suppliers that are still doing business with them over 30 years later. Starwest believe in offering the best value to their customers for their herbal purchases and, because they directly source their products from around the world and process them in-house, they can deliver on that belief. They also stand behind their products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. I know it's easy to make a claim that you're committed to something; but, just like I showed those herbal stores years ago, they deliver on their commitments. Today you have a choice – you can buy mediocre herbs and spices from the many storefronts that have sprung up on the internet, or you can buy higher quality herbs and spices from a company that you can trust. they're sure you'll see the same superior quality in their products that store owners saw more than 30 years ago. Statement of Quality Superior quality has always been the goal at Starwest Botanicals. To fulfill customers' expectations for high quality products, Starwest continues to upgrade its quality control facilities and processes. With their modern equipment and professional personnel, they have made a commitment to continued excellence in product quality. CommitmentStarwest is dedicated to providing the freshest and purest botanicals. They strive to offer only those herbs and spices with verified quality. All of their products emerge from the combined efforts of everyone at Starwest - from their expert purchasers, to experienced lab technicians and machine operators, to their service-oriented, knowledgeable sales staff. Purchasing ExpertiseStarwest quality begins with the knowledge and experience of their raw material suppliers from around the world. They purchase herbs and spices from domestic growers and import them from over 20 countries. Direct purchasing ensures that the integrity of their products is consistent and the finest quality available. Their buyers are botanical and herb experts who work closely with their quality control staff, before and after the products arrive, to continually monitor their raw materials. They audit all suppliers yearly to assure they meet their GMP requirements. Controlled ProcessingStarwest's integrated, modern milling, blending, and packaging facilities give them total control in providing the correct particle size for cut and powdered herbs (see below for a description of plant parts and product forms). Thorough inspection and cleaning during the milling process insures that the finished product will meet their stringent specifications for quality and cleanliness. At each stage of production, their quality control staff inspects and approves each product before it is allowed to proceed to the next process. Laboratory AnalysisTheir professional staff continuously monitors product quality to ensure customer safety and satisfaction. Retained samples from all shipments are thoroughly tested and compared to their extensive reference library of dried herbs and botanicals to verify authenticity. All lot samples are kept for five years and can be traced for verification. Starwest utilizes not only their in-house laboratory, but also independent labs and consultants to guarantee their analyses are complete. Testing includes organoleptic analysis for aroma, color, flavor and texture. Physical testing involves moisture, volatile oil content, heavy metals, microbiology, thin layer chromatography, and other tests specific to each herb. Independent AuditingStarwest's facility is inspected annually for good manufacturing practices by the American Institute of Baking (AIB), from whom they recently received a score of "Superior." Starwest Botanicals Quality Control At Starwest their first priority is quality. To support their customers' expectations for high quality products, Starwest continues to expand its quality control laboratory and processes. With their high-tech laboratory equipment and experienced Quality Assurance team, Starwest has made a commitment to continued excellence in product quality. They believe that quality begins with the knowledge and experience of their raw material suppliers and continues through the production process to the shipment of the finished goods to the customer. In-House Quality Control Laboratory Starwest maintains a modern, in-house laboratory staffed by experienced professionals. They provide a complete product analysis, quickly and efficiently, with validated analytical procedures and state of the art equipment. Starwest's validated quality assurance testing includes: Organoleptic testing to ensure proper appearance, color, aroma and flavor. • Microscopic and Macroscopic inspection for foreign matter. HPTLC for identification, to verify purity and authenticity. ICP-MS heavy metal analysis. Microbiology testing for pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. Chemical analyses for moisture content, volatile oil, ash and acid insoluble ash. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) In compliance with cGMPs, Starwest currently uses HPTLC testing to accurately determine product identity and purity. By quantifying or comparing the distribution patterns of marker compounds in different solvent systems (unique to each plant and class of actives) against their proprietary Botanical Reference library, their laboratory personnel can confidently and accurately verify product identity and identify known adulterates. Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) ICP-MS offers a very sensitive, specific and reproducible way to determine heavy metal concentration in a wide variety of products. It can identify and quantify each metallic impurity with high sensitivity; and, can be used to test for the entire Periodic Table in one analysis. ICP detection limits for most elements are in the part-per-billion (ppb) range. cGMP CompliantStarwest complies with current Good Manufacturing Practices, with protocols firmly in place for the documentation and validation of their quality control system to ensure compliance with all relevant food safety regulations. They thoroughly document every aspect of their operations, including receiving, processing, packaging and shipping. Their Quality Assurance team includes individuals dedicated to equipment and process validation, document control, training, and product testing. They insure that FDA-compliant manufacturing protocols are followed, and their products meet their strict requirements for identity, strength, quality and purity. AllergensStarwest has a full allergen prevention program and have implemented tight controls in their manufacturing processes to prevent cross-contamination of their products with allergens. Starwest's Environmental Dedication Ecological & Social ResponsibilityStarwest is committed to selling high quality natural products while preserving the environment. They conduct their business in a way that allows them to maintain their standard of environmental dedication, with commitments to sustainable organic farming and caring for the environment. They make every effort to select ingredients from natural renewable sources and are dedicated to the conservation of plants and the preservation of their natural habitat. They support sustainable wild collection practices to protect species from becoming endangered. They are members of United Plant Savers, an organization that helps spread the word on endangered and at risk plant species. Supporting Organic & Sustainable AgricultureCertified Organic products are grown and harvested without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or chemicals, and offer a more sustainable option for feeding ourselves and our communities. Organic farming practices have many environmental, health, and social benefits. Sustainable organic farming can produce crops without depleting our earth's resources or polluting the environment. Organic farms can even support higher levels of wildlife; and entire ecosystems and ground water are improved by following organic farming methods. By using organic products which are cultivated in a more sustainable way they can also help maintain biodiversity. Environmental Practices at StarwestRenewable EnergyStarwest is committed to reducing their energy consumption levels. They have replaced all of their lighting with new low energy units and support their local utilities Greenergy™ program. The Greenergy™ program allows them to purchase power from renewable sources like wind, water and sun. The goal of this program is to build new, cleaner energy resources, reducing the need to build additional high-polluting power plants. RecyclingStarwest has taken the initiative to: Reduce daily company-wide paper usage , and only print their wholesale catalog annually. Use non-toxic inks and recycle all of their printer ink cartridges. Use packaging materials made from recycled material, that are recyclable, and most are bio-degradable. Recycle all cardboard, paper, glass, metal and recyclable plastic in their facility.


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Master's degrees granted at graduate commencement, with address by Kim Gage Rothermel '71, M.D.
Muskingum University granted master's degrees at its graduate commencement exercises, held May 6 in Brown Chapel on the campus. The address was delivered by 1971 alumna Dr. Kim Gage Rothermel, who is chief of general pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus and who has a private practice with the Ohio Center for Pediatrics in Dublin, Ohio.
Degrees conferred at the commencement exercises were the master of arts in teaching (MAT), the master of arts in education (MAE) and master of information strategy, systems and technology degree (MISST).
Muskingum University President Anne C. Steele congratulated the assembled graduates and said, "You have worked hard, and we are very proud of you. What you have done here will have an impact on thousands of individuals, your communities and the world."
In her address, Dr. Rothermel told the graduates, "Your work here is a ticket to the wonders of life and a passport to the world. Be forever curious, persistent and determined, and share your enthusiasm for life and learning. You have added a beautiful brush stroke to the portrait of your lives."
In recognition of her lifetime of achievement, the university bestowed upon Dr. Rothermel an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. It was presented by Dr. Steele and Muskingum University Trustee and alumnus Gordon E. Spillman.
Dr. Rothermel is a leading member of the medical staff at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric hospitals and research institutes in the United States. At the hospital, she is chief of general pediatrics and has also served as president of the medical staff. Board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hematology/oncology, she is in private practice with the Ohio Center for Pediatrics in Dublin, Ohio.
In addition to her demanding professional life, Dr. Rothermel shares her expertise with new generations of physicians as clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, one of the top medical schools in the country. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the "Best Doctors in America."
A member of Muskingum's Board of Trustees since 1997, Dr. Rothermel chairs the Academic Affairs Committee, which is responsible for the Board's commitment to ensuring excellence in all academic program offerings.
In addition to her professional commitments, Dr. Rothermel gives her expertise and time to church and community organizations that serve the needs of children and youth, including the Physicians Free Clinic and the House of Hope Central Ohio.
Dr. Rothermel graduated summa cum laude from Muskingum with a bachelor of science in biology degree. She earned her M.D. from the Medical College of Rush University in Chicago, and trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She is a recipient of the Muskingum University Distinguished Service Award, its highest honor for alumni.
She is married to Dr. William Rothermel, a general surgeon who also practices in Columbus. Their family includes their four sons – Peter and his wife Sarah, Aaron, Luke, and Adam – and three grandsons – Adin, Noah, and Liam.
Candidates for master's degrees were presented by Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Paul Reichardt. The degrees were conferred by President Steele, Muskingum University Trustee and alumnus Gordon Spillman, Vice President of Graduate and Continuing Studies Dr. Ruthann Fagan, Dave Longaberger Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning Dr. Barbara Hansen and Dr. Raymond Rataiczak, director of the MISST program.
Faculty marshals were Professor of Education Dr. Steve Kokovich and Professor of English Dr. Alan J. Chaffee. The graduate marshals were Alaina M. Houmard and Diana M. Biller.
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Discover your inner chip.
Find yourself reaching for the same Mikesell's chip flavor over and over? There could be a good reason for that. In fact, you might be more in sync with your favorite chip than you think. And luckily you can find out if you are, right here. Just answer all 11 questions in our quiz below, and gain some enlightenment into your true chip identity.


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EDGEWATER, Fla. - Dozens of homes were damaged Monday afternoon in Volusia County as strong storms passed through Central Florida, producing several suspected tornadoes.
At least 40 homes in the Terra Mar Village subdivision, located between Edgewater and Oak Hill, were damaged, according to Volusia County deputies. Some of the homes lost roofs, and trees and power lines were knocked down in the storm, officials said.
No serious injuries were reported, although two people suffered minor scratches that didn't require medical attention, according to deputies.
The National Weather Service will examine the damage Tuesday morning to determine whether a tornado touched down.
Dustin and Daniele Giamo told Local 6 they lost all of their keepsakes from their wedding, except for a framed picture. Dustin Giamo said he had to crawl into his home to retrieve it.
A large oak tree fell on their home inside the Terra Mar Village, but the couple wasn't there when the storm came through.
"It's just going to be getting (the tree) out. Getting it out will be the hard part," he said.
The couple said their front door is propped up against the kitchen counter.
Meanwhile, Sharon Sanders' carport fell onto her brand new SUV.
"I'm still shaking. I've never seen anything like it," she said.
Sanders said she's still waiting to check her roof.
"It was just too dark to be able to assess the damage," she said.
"It sounded like a train," another resident said.
"Fortunately, we only have a few minor injuries there," said Pat Kuehn of Volusia County Fire Rescue. "Right now, we're calling it a significant wind event because we haven't confirmed it's a tornado."
According to deputies, other calls received in Volusia County included a "handful of reports of trees and power lines down, blown transformers (East Hancock Drive in Deltona and West International Speedway Boulevard/Fentress Boulevard in Daytona Beach) and traffic lights out (North Stone Street/West International Speedway Boulevard in DeLand and North US Highway 1/Wilmette Avenue, Ormond Beach)."
Video from Local 6 viewers also showed suspected tornadoes in Orange County and Brevard County, but no serious injuries were reported. A picture taken by Local 6 reporter Nicole Pesecky shows what appeared to be funnel cloud in the Ocoee/Apopka area. Law enforcement officials also reported seeing a funnel cloud in the Geneva area.
More severe weather is possible on Tuesday.


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(UPDATED COVERAGE, 4:20 p.m.) A federal judge has ordered Salinas, Calif.-based Cimino Bros. Produce into chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, and the company's attorneys withdrew from the case for nonpayment.
Cimino Bros. filed for chapter 11 reorganization in November 2009, when its owners agreed to cut monthly salaries by $20,000 to reduce costs. At the time the company had nine employees in Salinas and 15 in Laredo, Texas, where it operated a cooler.
On Oct. 31 in San Jose, Calif., U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Weissbrodt ordered the conversion to chapter 7, according to court records. A federal trustee sought the change, citing Cimino Bros. for failing to pay a $6,500 quarterly fee and missing a July 31 reporting deadline.
Less than a week before the chapter 7 ruling, Weissbrodt approved Cimino Bros. attorneys' request to leave the case. Partners Vince Cimino and Armand Cimino told Los Angeles-based firm Levene, Neale, Bender, Yoo & Brill LLP that they could not make further payments, according to court filings.
Cimino Bros. Produce had not paid the bulk of its legal fees since 2009.
No new attorney has filed to represent Cimino Bros. The telephone number listed under the company's contact information in court records has been disconnected.
"It's unusual, not to have representation," said Reidun Stromsheim, a San Francisco attorney who represents Marc Del Piero, trustee for the bankruptcy estate. "But the lawyers worked for a long time and haven't been paid."
A meeting of creditors has been scheduled for Dec. 1 in Salinas.
Stromsheim said she and Del Piero, who are new to the case, are uncertain where it will lead.
"We are just scratching the surface," she said. "We come in last, and we know the least. The case was filed two years ago. A chapter 7 trustee does the same in all cases. They liquidate the assets of the estate and cast around to see if any lawsuits can be filed to claw back money.
"Did somebody get money who shouldn't have?" Stromsheim said. "I have no idea whether that is the case here."
Stromsheim said she and Del Piero will get up to speed by talking to business associates and employees of Cimino Bros. Produce.
Vince Cimino owns 50% of the company. Armand Cimino and Stephanie Cimino each have 25% stakes. In bankruptcy filings the company listed about 200 creditors owed between $10 million and $50 million. Assets were reported in the same range.
Cimino Bros.' financial issues surfaced in October 2009, when a $6.5 million loan from Wells Fargo came due. Wells Fargo seized its $255,000 bank account.
Cimino Bros. dealt primarily in broccoli, with operations in Mexico under Cimino Bros. Co. Produce Mexico, formed in 1998. The company developed the largest national network of Asian foodservice distributors, according to court filings. It reported strong growth between 2004 and 2007, when revenues jumped from $14.6 million to $20.7 million.
A Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act spokeswoman in Tucson said there were no PACA claims against the company. Creditors listed in court documents include transportation companies, financial institutions and government entities.


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Hello everyone,
Here are some beginner questions I have.
1) The thing with buddhism is when I read about it I can so understand it is the truth. For example I completely understand craving leads to more suffering. But I still crave for things. What do u call this? I mean I know what it is saying is true, but I still do it? How does meditation make you truly understand this
2) The thing I don't like about mediation is that there is no way to track your progress? I don't know much about this but is Jahna a way to track your progress. Has anyone here attained any Jahna, because if someone has it would convince me that meditation works.
3) If some one does no mediation, but carries on his daily day today activities with total awareness of the present moment and follows eight fold path. Can that person lead to nibbana without meditation?
4) If you do lot of good karma, would that lead you to nibbana?
5) After reading about Buddhism, I have a become a bit depressed. It is nothing to do with buddhism, it is amazing but i think I understood some of the concepts wrong, hence I'm here. I understand that at the end life is suffering. But now I find life a bit meaningless. I don't even feel like having fun because at the end life if just suffering?
Are we not meant to have fun in life if following buddhism?
Thanks a lot in advance for your help


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PONTIAC -- Parents will have the opportunity to see children performing at the new Michigan School for the Arts charter school at the grand opening ceremony and tours at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
The school, on the campus of the former Midwestern Baptist College at 825 Golf Drive, adjacent to the Pontiac Municipal Golf Course, was authorized by Oakland University and opened in the fall with its first 350 children in kindergarten through eight grades.
Plans are to add a grade each year at the college prep school through 12th grade, said Carl Byerly. His company, Creative Schools Services Inc., founded the school, which is supported and monitored by OU.
Retired Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Fred Mester will be master of ceremonies at the open house. Gary Russi, president of Oakland University, and Dan Quisenberry, president of Michigan Association of Public School Academies, will be guest speakers. Several government and community leaders are expected at the event, as well.
The school's students are ready to show what they have been working during this first year at the charter school.
"We have a 50-piece orchestra with grades two through eight, with second graders playing the violin," Byerly said. The school also has a 30-piece band, six choruses and dance classes at every grade.
Performance and visual arts are incorporated into all academic subjects as well as provided separately during the school day and in after-school clubs, which are frequented by 250 students, he said. Students in second through eighth grade are offered tutoring after school, as well, Byerly said.
The principal is Robert Lozelle, who was one of five finalists in the Michigan Association of Public School Academies Principal of the Year award program.
As part of the partnership with OU, Jackie Wiggins, chairwoman of OU's Department of Music, Theater and Dance, has worked with Byerly to create the curriculum. She and her husband, Bob Wiggins, associate professor of curriculum, instruction and leadership at OU, are contracted to lead professional development for teachers for the first year.
The majority of students are from Pontiac, but some hail from other districts such as Waterford, Bloomfield and Troy, Byerly said. The school also has several partnerships with local organizations.


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Boat Tests
- Rampage
- 34
- 2009
- Sportfisherman
- 1 V-Berth
- 35'6"
- 13'0"
- 2'5"
- (3/4 load) 23,150 lbs.
- 2/370-mhp Volvo Penta IPS 500s
- 2/435-mhp Volvo Penta IPS 600s
- 400 gallons
- 60 gallons
Volvo Penta IPS electric steering
Volvo Penta electronic controls/IPS joystick Edson wheel
3/Imtra windshield wipers
Nova Kool 'fridge
EuroKera Princess cooktop
Contoure microwave oven
Tecma MSD
50-amp Inteli-Power battery charger
Perko sea strainers
Separ 2000/10/D fuel-water separators
6-gal. Kuuma water heater
QL trim tabs
Fireboy FE-241 auto. fire-extinguishing system
6/G.G. Schmitt & Sons rod holders
Maxwell RC 800 windlass
FLIR Navigator II system
aluminum bowrail
Raymarine electronics package (upper and lower helm)
teak-and-holly cabin sole
Pullman-style bunks in dinette area
macerator pump w/ overboard discharge
8.5-kW Kohler genset
Cruisair A/C (10,000-Btu in cabin and 19,000-Btu at helm)
Reverso oil changer
Algae-X fuel conditioning system
hardtop w/ 6 rocket launchers and 2/spreader lights
Bluewater Marine half tower w/ upper-station controls (including IPS joystick), three-side enclosure (for lower station) and aft curtain
Lee single-spreader outriggers
Release Marine cockpit rocket launcher
2/Dometic cockpit freezer boxes
Frigid Rigid cooler
bait-prep station
2/370-mhp Volvo Penta IPS 500s; Volvo Penta IPS T4 propset; Volvo Penta IPS 500/1.94:1
The Numbers
Maxwell RC 800 windlass
FLIR Navigator II system
aluminum bowrail
Raymarine electronics package (upper and lower helm)
teak-and-holly cabin sole
Pullman-style bunks in dinette area
macerator pump w/ overboard discharge
8.5-kW Kohler genset
Cruisair A/C (10,000-Btu in cabin and 19,000-Btu at helm)
Reverso oil changer
Algae-X fuel conditioning system
hardtop w/ 6 rocket launchers and 2/spreader lights
Bluewater Marine half tower w/ upper-station controls (including IPS joystick), three-side enclosure (for lower station) and aft curtain
Lee single-spreader outriggers
Release Marine cockpit rocket launcher
2/Dometic cockpit freezer boxes
Frigid Rigid cooler
bait-prep station
It was an iffy spot. There was no sign proclaiming "Live Bait For Sale" and no structure I'd rightfully call a dock. Just an old guy in a big straw hat, a blue work shirt, and jeans (with a red bandana hanging out) standing on a patch of dirt and waving me in off the ICW. "Okay to tie up?" I yelled from the upper station of our Rampage 34 IPS prototype. Considering the buff little beauty's substantial $644,616 price tag ($417,253 suggested retail plus $227,363 in options), about the last thing I wanted to do was gouge some premium isopthalic gelcoat or, worse yet, a little underlying vinylester.
"No problemo," the old fellow yelled back, pointing to a short stretch of planking bounded on one end by the dirt and the other by a jagged concrete bulkhead. "Just lay her alongside-like."
While the suggestion had a nice, sociable ring to it, a cautionary maxim that's served me well over the years kicked in. It goes: Scope a situation out before you commit. The stern you save may be your own! So I eyeballed the relative motion between the shoreline and the 34's bow pulpit for a moment. A flood tide was charging through Florida's Hillsboro Inlet, and if I laid the boat "alongside-like," as the old gent suggested, it looked like the current was gonna try to peel the bow away from the planking and jam the stern into the concrete.
There was some good news, however. First, the guy and his Old Florida-style bait biz had come highly recommended by our mate, Vinnie Lasorsa. Given that Lasorsa's regular job is captaining Jimmy Buffett's Margaritavitch, I figured he wasn't the type to make goofy suggestions. And second, based on an entire morning spent running the 34 inshore and offshore, I'd developed confidence in her. Whether I was using the boat's Palm Beach-style Volvo Penta electronic levers or her Volvo Penta IPS joysticks (both were present at the upper and lower helm stations), she handled like a champ. And the fact that I could walk her sideways out of virtually any situation at the first whiff of trouble added assurance.
"Starboard-side tie-up, boys," I yelled down to Lasorsa and Jon Willman, special projects coordinator for KCS, Rampage's parent company. And as soon as they'd got a couple of lines on and started loading our 45-gallon transom-mounted baitwell with goggle-eyes and pilchards, my earlier take on the tide was validated. The 34's bow began pulling away from the planking, angling the stern toward the concrete. But again, just as I'd figured, keeping the starboard quarter out of harm's way was easy. I merely joysticked the entire boat sideways just enough to tighten her lines while bearing in mind one important proviso: subtlety was critical; otherwise maneuvering took on an imprecise, herky-jerky quality, a quirk Willman said Rampage was going to address with IPS software changes.
Hillsboro inlet was a tad tumultuous—I don't think I've ever seen the place as crowded as it was that afternoon. At one point, while I was overtaking a fair-size trawler and being simultaneously overtaken by an excursion vessel, the 34 got squeezed between the two and bomb-blasted by their wakes. She proceeded with equanimity, though, even on a slow bell. And control was excellent from the half-tower helm station, mostly thanks to the directional stability of a couple of slightly splayed, electronically steered IPS units.
The trip to the wreck was relaxing by comparison. Our ride was soft, dry, and steady in the prevailing two-foot chop, and staying on course at speed required even less steering effort than I'd had to use in the inlet on a slow bell. In fact, while zooming along at 30 mph, I was able to lift my hands for long periods from the Edson wheel at the lower station—I'd decided to switch from the upper one somewhere south of the inlet. And with the QL tabs fully deployed, visibility forward from the helm chair was fine throughout the rpm register.
This last point segues nicely into what I figure is the 34's main underlying virtue: balance. Earlier in the day Willman and I'd done a full wringout on the boat on the coastal Atlantic near Lighthouse Point, and in the process had recorded an average top speed of 39 mph. We also carved a couple of tight top-end turns with nary a hint of prop blowout and radii that were short (my guess is about two boat-lengths) and only modestly affected by our rate of advance. But what impressed me more than any of these findings was the 34's sweetly balanced deportment in general, a characteristic resulting from the fact that her engines and drives are connected by six-foot jackshafts, an arrangement that engenders a weight-forward LCG (Longitudinal Center of Gravity).
Of course, I made time to gauge our 34's cruise potential after the wringout. Below decks, there was a modicum of carefully crafted cherry cabinetry fitted into a fiberglass innerliner, a variety of sleeping arrangements that included a convertible dinette forward (with V-berth as well as seat backs that swing up to form Pullman-style bunks), and a starboard settee that folds out into a queen-size master berth. I especially liked the galley to port, just forward of the head compartment. While appropriately small and basic, it still sports a solid-surface countertop, a touch that lends a high-end look.
The story topside was mixed, though. Engine access was superb. With the bridge deck open, I (an average-size 5'11" guy) had full standing headroom in the machinery spaces and easy access to dipsticks and filters. But the IPS drive units were buried beneath a second, aftermost fishbox. Sure, lifting the hatch to get at the box was easy, but removing it to get at the units underneath was tough, mostly due to weight and unwieldiness. In my opinion, Rampage should core the box to cut weight and splice a quick-disconnect into its macerator hose, which would make it easier to remove.
The height and firmness of the coaming bolsters in the cockpit were perfect—I could comfortably brace my thighs against them and crank like heck. Moreover, the cockpit (with usable area of approximately 70 square feet) was capacious and paved with grippy nonskid; while working the fish aboard both Lasorsa and I had plenty of room and neither of us slipped once. And finally, fish-chasing directionality astern was excellent, thanks to the turning alacrity engendered by the IPS' "Sportfish Mode," a software-enhanced option that widens and quickens the swing of a vessel's pod drives, allowing her to corner tighter and faster while backing down.
We fished our Rampage 34 IPS until nightfall, and cruising back to Lighthouse Point in the dark showcased yet another of the boat's pricey but practical options—her FLIR thermalimaging system. (See "Noteworthy: FLIR Thermal Imaging," this story.)
"Amazing," I concluded as our slip hove into thermal-imaged view, "Not only does this baby maneuver, run, and fish with the best of 'em, she can darn well see in the dark, too!"
FLIR Thermal Imaging
I once tested a military boat in Washington D.C. that had FLIR thermal-imaging capabilities. I was new to the technology at the time so the manufacturer explained it all very simply. "Thermal cameras," he said, "turn comparative differences in temperature into images." And as the evening wore on, I got a fair idea of what oncoming vessels looked like (even though I couldn't see them with my unaided eyes) and checked out shorelines and waterside highways. Resolution was poor, however, and identifying objects took skill. Fast forward to my test of the Rampage 34 IPS with its joystick-controlled FLIR Navigator II (at right). While the images on our Raymarine LCD (FLIR interfaces with most common multi-displays) were far from colorful, objects like boats, pilings, buoys, daymarks, houses, and even floating debris could be easily (without either training or skill) distinguished by their differing shades of gray. Moreover, I was able to zoom in whenever I wanted to double the size of the imagery. According to company brochures, the darn thing even works in "light fog."
The Vitals
Standard equipment: Volvo Penta IPS electric steering; Volvo Penta electronic controls/IPS joystick Edson wheel; 3/Imtra windshield wipers; Nova Kool 'fridge; EuroKera Princess cooktop; Contoure microwave oven; Tecma MSD; 50-amp Inteli-Power battery charger; Perko sea strainers; Separ 2000/10/D fuel-water separators; 6-gal. Kuuma water heater; QL trim tabs; Fireboy FE-241 auto. fire-extinguishing system; 6/G.G. Schmitt & Sons rod holders
OPTIONAL POWER: 2/435-mhp Volvo Penta IPS 600s
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT ON TEST BOAT: Maxwell RC 800 windlass; FLIR Navigator II system; aluminum bowrail; Raymarine electronics package (upper and lower helm); teak-and-holly cabin sole; Pullman-style bunks in dinette area; macerator pump w/ overboard discharge; 8.5-kW Kohler genset; Cruisair A/C (10,000-Btu in cabin and 19,000-Btu at helm); Reverso oil changer; Algae-X fuel conditioning system; hardtop w/ 6 rocket launchers and 2/spreader lights; Bluewater Marine half tower w/ upper-station controls (including IPS joystick), three-side enclosure (for lower station) and aft curtain; Lee single-spreader outriggers; Release Marine cockpit rocket launcher; 2/Dometic cockpit freezer boxes; Frigid Rigid cooler; bait-prep station
This article originally appeared in the March 2009 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


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Rex and Spike ready for action...
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance, the official insurance company of the Figures.com network. Say "Figures.com" to get 5% off your first term premiums.
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CS Moore Studio has released tons of new images of their upcoming Jurassic Strike Force 5 action figures. Based on the Zenescope comic book series of the same name, this 6-inch tall figure assortment features Strike Force members Rex and Spike, trained fighters sworn to protect humankind from the villainous overlord Zalex and his army of mutated dinosaurs.
The teams valiant leader, Rex comes equipped with sword, twin blaster pistols and detailed base. Stalwart team member Spike includes his trademark laser gatling gun and base.
Each figure features 13 points of articulation for maximum playability and ships in blister card packaging. Shipping 4th Quarter 2012 priced at a SRP of $15.99 each. Pre-orders are currently being accepted directly through csmoorestudio.com and online retailers such as BigBadToyStore.com.


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Maggie Peters
Maggie Peters leads the management and implementation of a host of alumni-focused programs, including the Alumni Achievement Awards (AAA), the Student Alumni Speaker Series (SASS), enhanced chapter development and volunteer engagement projects and will play a key role in the planning and development of Reunion 2015. She is an alumna of the Institute, and spent the past three years working as an integral member of the Center for Advising and Career Services (CACS) team as an advisor to hundreds of MIIS students and alumni.
During her three years as a student at MIIS, Maggie took advantage of the many opportunities to explore the diverse offerings of programs, activities and individuals. She traveled with Team El Salvador II and III, serving as a student participant and project leader. She was one of the student co-founders of Our Green Thumb, the Institute's community garden that is still thriving today due to strong student and community involvement. Maggie also served as President of MIIS Net Impact chapter and Co-President of the Minneapolis Professional Net Impact chapter.
Maggie holds an MBA and MA in International Environmental Policy from the Institute, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Siena College.


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From the 8thRebus brain teasers use words or letters in interesting orientations to represent common phrases.
What is the commonly used expression below?
Answer"FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES"
1. The words FOR ALL are lodged in the words "TEPEES", which is another word for TENTS. Thus, FOR ALL is "IN-TENTS" (INTENTS) making up the part of the expression: "For all intents"
2. The words FOR ALL are then also lodged in the word "PURPOSES", thus adding the second part of the expression: "and purposes," (because now the FOR ALL is in TENTS AND in PURPOSES)
'FOR ALL IN TENTS [INTENTS] and PURPOSES'
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