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Do Religious Traditions Condone Animal Suffering? ~ Mariann Sullivan & Jasmin Singer
The way to live the message of compassion that underlies each of these traditions is to truly extend that compassion to animals.
With 84 percent of Americans identifying as religious, and 97 percent agreeing that animals deserve protection from harm and exploitation, why do so many religions continue to ignore, or even encourage, practices that cause animal suffering?
And why do people blindly follow along? Is the issue ignorance, or is it tradition?
The two of us grew up following and learning our family's religion, more or less, though we're hardly experts on the subject. But, as animal rights activists, it's hard not to notice that so many religions—which are supposed to provide guidance on how to live—seem to ignore, or even worse, participate in, animal suffering.
We started thinking about this recently when we learned about the ritual of mercy release in Buddhist practice. The idea stems from something quite beautiful: In order to create good karma, one releases captive animals to the wild, freeing them to live their own lives.
As founders of the animal advocacy organization Our Hen House, we are devoted to the idea that animals should own their own lives, and should not exist just to be the slaves, or property, or food, of humans. So this idea touched us.
But the person from whom we learned about this practice, Iris Ho of Humane Society International—who is slated to be a guest on Episode 173 of our podcast, airing May 4—enlightened us about the cruel underbelly of this religious practice. (Somehow, when it comes to relations between people and animals, the hidden reality is usually ugly.)
Literally millions of animals—including birds, turtles and fish—are used in these rituals each year in Buddhist communities around the world.
These individuals are captured, or bred, just for the purpose of being released. They frequently suffer and die horrifically in the process.
Most religions have something to say about animals, though the messages are not always crystal clear. For some religions, like Christianity, you have to look a bit harder to find these messages. For Buddhism, however, it is right out front—compassion for all beings.
So how does this deeply beautiful sentiment get so lost when it comes to "mercy release?" How did practice become so divorced from the kindness that the ritual is meant to embody? Why do we always seem to go so wrong when it comes to how we think about, and act, toward animals?
These kinds of religious distortions are everywhere.
Think of kosher slaughter, which is rooted in competing considerations—including the necessity of killing animals for food, the need to make sure that food is unadulterated (thus requiring that the animal be conscious when killed), and, most notably (and as Jasmin learned when she was a child), the necessity of causing the animal the least amount of suffering (thus requiring that the animal be killed with one single cut).
But how does this play out in the real world, right now?
The fact is that consumers, Jews and non-Jews alike, purchase kosher products today with one of their goals being to reduce cruelty to animals. While that's a well-intentioned impulse, the reality tells another story.
A kosher label can't change the fact that nowadays it is not necessary to kill animals for food, so there is no justification for any kind of slaughter, which is, regardless of how it's carried out, inherently cruel.
Nor do kosher certifications generally mean anything about the way animals are raised, which means they were subjected to horrifying cruelty on factory farms. Nor should those certifications be allowed to hide the fact that kosher slaughter itself, even when attempts are made to ameliorate the worst suffering, is a process that can involve substantial, sometimes hideous, cruelty.
Consumers of kosher meat ignore the reality in favor of a religious imprimatur that may represent tradition, but whose practice runs counter to the original purpose.
The insistence on clinging to traditions that have not only lost their meaning, but undermine their meaning, is everywhere.
In India, Hindus follow a religious tradition that proudly encompasses vegetarianism as well as deep reverence for cows, and killing cows is actually illegal in many areas.
And yet many people continue to consume dairy, ignoring the inherent cruelties of modern industrial dairy production, which is now firmly entrenched in India—including the removal of calves right after birth, genetic manipulation causing pain and illness, and, when production wanes, long, brutal transport to those areas where it is legal to kill them.
Then there's Christianity. When Mariann was growing up Catholic, religion classes didn't really include any discussion of animals at all. But even in the absence of specific guidance, the same contradictions exist between people's beliefs and their behavior when it comes to animals.
It seems likely that few Christians would seriously think that Jesus, whose message is rooted in love, would condone factory farms and slaughterhouses, but these people have no hesitation eating the animals who were condemned to live and die in them.
And how many Catholics find beauty in the words and life of St. Francis of Assisi, honor the memory of his connections with and reverence for all life, yet contentedly chow down on brutally slaughtered animals at every single meal? It will certainly be interesting to see if the new Pope, who took the name of St. Francis, will honor this part of his teaching.
We're not holding our breath (though we are crossing our fingers).
How do religious people allow themselves to stray so far from their core beliefs when it comes to animals? Is this really what they think is demanded of them? Does it worry them?
It obviously worries some. In each of these religious traditions, there are voices crying out to honor the spirit of each ritual or tradition, rather than just carrying out a practice that has lost its meaning.
No matter what the religion, these people have come to the conclusion that the way to practice their faith authentically, the way to live the message of compassion that underlies each of these traditions, is to truly extend that compassion to animals, by caring for them when they need it, and leaving them alone when they don't.
Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan, partners in life and in advocacy, are the co-founders of Our Hen House—a multimedia hub of opportunities to change the world for animals. The Our Hen House podcast was just named an Official Honoree of the Webby Awards, alongside NPR and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Our Hen House was also named by VegNews Magazine as the "Indie Media Powerhouse." Mariann is an adjunct professor of animal law at Columbia, NYU, and Cardozo, and a former visiting professor at Lewis & Clark Law School's Center for Animal Law Studies. Jasmin has written for numerous magazines and recently wrote a chapter in the anthology Defiant Daughters: 21 Women on Art, Activism, Animals, and the Sexual Politics of Meat [Lantern, 2013]. Jasmin has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, and can be seen in the documentaries Vegucated (for which she was also the Creative Consultant) and, along with Mariann, The Ghosts in Our Machine. She is the former campaign manager for Farm Sanctuary. Jasmin and Mariann live in NYC with their rescued pit bull, Rose.
Like elephant journal readers for animal rights on Facebook.
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4 Responses to "Do Religious Traditions Condone Animal Suffering? ~ Mariann Sullivan & Jasmin Singer"
your interpretation of the Buddhist "saving of lives" is not really so much about letting animals go to live their own lives. It is , in a sense, but much more than that. Generally we release animals slated for death…saving their life. Examples can be animals you know will be slaughtered or killed for any reason. Bait fish and worms for fishing also. This is a very good practice for those of us who have killed beings in this life and past lives. For those of us who have had to abort fetuses. There are many very good Buddhist teachings on this and is practiced widely by Tibetan Buddhists. Chatral Rinpoche has many teachings on this as does Chagdud Rinpoche and HH Dalai Lama. A bi -product of this practice is longevity.
If we are to make permanent positive change for the better for animals we need to do so from a position of clarity and reason. We need to understand that it is morally wrong to use animals for our ends because animals count, because they suffer. To decide to be kind to animals simply because religious scripture may or may not say so is to base the fate of animals on supernatural nonsense that can be interpreted in any way one wishes. It is counterproductive and meaningless to look to religion for guidance when the major religions are, at best, unreasonable and offer distorted pictures of the universe. Are we really asking people who are so unreasonable as to be religious to then be reasonable enough to be vegan?
Peter, I see your point. Having been raised Catholic, I left when I realized that I couldn't have "faith" that their teachings were the "right" teachings. In the 20 years since then, I haven't found a religion that I could embrace whole heartedly (in the truest sense of the word). All that said, it is my profound hope that the compassion at the foundation of the world's great religions can be expanded to include the animals.
Any inputs on Islam. I see you mentioned major world religions but had nothing to say on Islam, called by many as the "Religion of Peace". Would love to know your views on those.


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DetallesSet in a beautiful mountain location, the Jordan Grand Resort Hotel is the premier address at Sunday River. The property lies at the base of Sunday River's Jordan Bowl area, and is just 4.5 miles to the main base area via a complimentary shuttle. There are 187 guest rooms ranging from a hotel room to two-bedroom suites. Studios and suites include kitchenettes and all rooms feature the "Boyne Bed", guaranteeing you a wonderful night's rest!
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Last Known Status: Active
Latest Slomatics News
Below is our complete Slomatics news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Slomatics Streaming Two Songs
Belfast doom band Slomatics has issued its third album "A Hocht" on Head Of Crom and on CD by Burning World/Roadburn Records. The band is streaming two songs from it over on Bandcamp. You can also check out those two songs, "Beyond Acid Canyon" and "Return to Kraken," from the eight song album below. Slomatics formed in Late 2004 and to date the band has released two full length albums, three split CDs, a split 12", a 7" and a cassette. They have also recorded a session for BBC Radio 1, and were featured on the cover CD for Rock Sound magazine.


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Too much Temp files at the Endpoint
A customer have DLP installed 11.5.
They are using DLP Endpoint agents in almost all their machines.
Some of thoses machines started crashing! We suspect that the RAM is getting full (they have 2Gb), the pc become slower and slower until it crashes.
The folder "C:\temp" of the machines had several temp files (around 50.000 withjust 1Kb) created by the DLP enpoint client.
The solution they found was to manually delete the temp files, but aftes a time the folder is full agian.
For some users this ciclo was too fast that they just uninstalled the DLP client.
And now we need to solve this issue.
Is it a configuration problem?
There is some configuration variable that makes the agent store those temp files?
ps: they have SEP installed too.
Comments 6 Comments • Jump to latest comment
i believe it is because of SEP.
What is the SEP version?
what are the name of files?
use the latest version of SEP client.
Help Link: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/overview.jsp?pid=54619
Hi ,
Also refer below
DLP agent makes a snapshot of any file that are evaluating for removable storage. That way, if the file is removed before DLP agent detect, DLP agent can still Monitor the file and create an incident, allowing us to be aware that the copy happened. Before processing, the files are copied into an .snp files that are stored in the C:\Program Files\Manufacturer\Endpoint Agent\temp directory.
The .snp (snapshot) files are the original copies of the files DLP agent scan. The file is then copied to a.vep (Vontu Endpoint) file, which is used in the detection process.


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John Lilly of Dragon Electric Vehicles is building the b-bugs by converting standard petrol sports buggies to electric power. He can design them with different performance characteristics. The b-bugs for the 2011 trial are designed to have a maximum speed of 30mph with a 30 mile range. You can see video clips here of a b-bug being driven along the hilly lanes of the Brecon Beacons National Park in October 2010.
The next clip shows what it's like inside the B-Bug


text: SE019: Welcome OrientationTuesday, February 18, 2014 8:00 AM–9:00 AM Description: Designed especially for new NASP members and first-time attendees, the Welcome Orientation is open to all convention attendees and guests. Receive an overview of the convention and learn how to benefit most from your attendance. This is the time to hear from NASP leaders and convention organizers, ask questions, interact with colleagues, and make new friends.


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Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries
Global Emissions Are Shrinking--And It's Not Just The Recession
September 21, 2009
Over in the Financial Times today, Fiona Harvey gets a sneak peek at a new International Energy Agency report, which finds that worldwide carbon-dioxide emissions have undergone a "significant decline" this year—shrinking 2.6 percent, the steepest CO2 drop in the last four decades. Steeper even than the drop after the OPEC oil crisis in the late '70s. Okay, well, no kidding, there's a severe recession going on. Industrial output is declining.
Obama Is Making A Big Mistake In Saudi Arabia
June 02, 2009
President Obama is on his way to Saudi Arabia, and Secretary Geithner is done with his major initiative in China. In part, this is just the U.S. normalizing its relations with the rest of the world and rebuilding some basic diplomatic niceness.
Debt Man Walking
December 03, 2008
For those Americans who are not daily readers of the Financial Times, the past few months have been a crash course in the abstract and obscure instruments and arrangements that have derailed the nation's economy. From mortgage-backed securities to credit default swaps, the financial health of the country has undergone a gory public dissection.
Sue Opec? Are You Crazy?
June 19, 2008
A bit strangely, two separate op-eds appear today in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times arguing that it would be a good idea to sue OPEC for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Here's the crux of the matter: Unfortunately, over the years, courts have made it nearly impossible to use the act against OPEC, whose members claim they are sovereign nations and thus immune from such prosecution. But OPEC's behavior is commercial, not governmental or diplomatic. It is perfectly appropriate for Congress to remove these legal obstacles.
The End of Big Oil
February 27, 2008
When historians one day dissect the long arc of humankind's use of fossil fuels, they may very well zero in on October 9, 2006, as a turning point for Big Oil. That's when it became clear that the major oil companies--the giants that had survived numerous predicted extinctions and gone on to ever-greater profit and influence--were undergoing a tectonic shift and would either reinvent themselves or die.
Ruble Rousers; The poison-and-caviar world of Russian oligarchs inLondon.
April 02, 2007
Kim Murphy is a London correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. London, England One night last June, 400 A-list guests and several packs of wolvesdescended upon Althorp, the ancestral home of the late PrincessDiana. The guests--who included Orlando Bloom, Elle MacPherson, andSalman Rushdie--had been invited to attend a fund-raiser for theRaisa Gorbachev Foundation, which helps childhood cancer victims inRussia.
Crude Joke
February 12, 2007
IF THERE WAS one thing George W. Bush and his clique were supposed to know, it was oil. That, at least, was the widespread consensus back in 2000, when Bush first sought the White House, and it was easy to understand why. Bush's grandfather was an oilman. His father was an oilman. He himself had worked in oil. His vice presidential nominee, Dick Cheney, was the former CEO of energy giant Halliburton. His campaign's chairman, Donald Evans, was CEO of the oil company Tom Brown.
Turn On
October 18, 2004
George W. Bush and John Kerry probably differ more on energy policy than on any major issue except abortion, yet news organizations have said barely a word about their positions. Energy policy ought to be a limelight issue this election year. Congress has not passed an energy bill in more than a decade. Oil consumption and oil imports continue to rise. Natural gas prices are high and supplies are tight. Average fuel efficiency of new cars is the lowest in 15 years. The United States continues to supplicate to Persian Gulf dictators for petroleum.
The Radical
December 01, 2003
In early 2002, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke to President George W. Bush from the heart. The war in Afghanistan had been an astonishing display of U.S. strength. Instead of the bloody quagmire many predicted, CIA paramilitary agents, Special Forces, and U.S. air power had teamed with Northern Alliance guerrillas to run the Taliban and Al Qaeda out of their strongholds.
28 Pages
August 01, 2003
Since the joint congressional committee investigating September 11 issued a censored version of its report on July 24, there's been considerable speculation about the 28 pages blanked out from the section entitled "Certain Sensitive National Security Matters." The section cites "specific sources of foreign support for some of the September 11 hijackers," which most commentators have interpreted to mean Saudi contributions to Al Qaeda-linked charities.


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Crew Neck Shirts - MensSave on Men's Crew Neck Shirts at Proboardshop.com! Great selection of street gear at unbelievably low prices. Proboardshop has been selling Crew Neck Shirts and outdoor gear for over 30 years and we're proud of it.
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Share your thoughts
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Quiksilver Blank Hooded T-Shirt - Long-Sleeve - Men's
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Trevor K, Gearhead
Nice and light.
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I bought a medium and I am roughly 5'7" and 130 pounds, it fits well, if not a little big, which I was going for.


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Effect of Acid Suppression With Esomeprazole on Vocal Cord Granulomas
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The purpose of this research study is to measure the effects of the drug, esomeprazole 40 mg (Nexium) or placebo (inactive drug) on vocal cord granulomas.
Larynx Disease
Drug: Esomeprazole
Phase 3
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Effect of Aggressive Acid Suppression With Esomeprazole on Vocal Cord Granulomas: Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
- • Primary outcome: Vocal cord granuloma improvement +/- resolution Outcome categories—subjectively assessed at laryngoscopy (current practice) [ Time Frame: 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Symptom improvement +/- resolution [ Time Frame: 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
|Study Start Date:
|February 2008
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|January 2010
|Primary Completion Date:
|January 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Placebo Comparator: A 1
Arm I: placebo group receives BID placebo
Drug: Esomeprazole
Esomeprazole or Nexium 40 mg BID is given for four months.
Experimental: A2
subjects receive active drug, esomeprazole 40 mg BID
Drug: Esomeprazole
Esomeprazole or Nexium 40 mg BID is given for four months.
Detailed Description:
Vocal cord granulomas (VCG) are common structural lesions of vocal cords attributed to vocal abuse / misuse and recently to gastroesophageal reflux. Vocal process granulomas are reactive/reparative process, in which an intact or ulcerated squamous epithelium is underlaid by granulation tissue or fibrosis (4, 5). Ulualp et al (6) have reported a higher prevalence of pharyngeal acid reflux (PAR) events in patients with vocal cord lesions. In a case control study they showed that the prevalence of pharyngeal reflux, documented with 3 site pharyngoesophageal pH monitoring, is higher among patients with posterior laryngitis and vocal cord lesions than control (78% vs. 21%). Most recently our cohort trial in over 80 patients with laryngeal findings suggestive of GERD suggested that vocal cord abnormalities such as granulomas may be more specific sign of GERD than any other (7). Thus, there is reasonable scientific intrigue regarding this laryngeal finding and the causal role from gastroesophagopharyngeal acid reflux requiring better studies. However, no study has evaluated the potential causal association between GERD and VCGs.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 75 Years
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients with vocal cord granulomas
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age < 18
- Pregnancy
- Use of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) within the last 30 days
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00567658
|United States, Tennessee
|Vanderbilt University Medical Center
|Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
|Principal Investigator:
|Michael F Vaezi, MD, PhD, MS epi
|Vanderbilt University
No publications provided
|Responsible Party:
|Michael Vaezi, Principal Investigator, Vanderbilt University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00567658 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|December 3, 2007
|Last Updated:
|September 4, 2013
|Health Authority:
|United States: Food and Drug Administration
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Laryngeal Diseases
Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Anti-Ulcer Agents
Enzyme Inhibitors
Gastrointestinal Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Pharmacologic Actions
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Therapeutic Uses
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 09, 2015


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Out-of-classroom learning has life-changing results
By Judy Berthiaume
|Jodi Simek '97
A nontraditional student and father of four, Michael Kremer planned to look for a teaching job in the Upper Midwest when he graduated, settling his family in the kind of community they were all accustomed to living in.
Those plans changed when Kremer visited schools in South Carolina as part of a spring break immersion experience with his "Social Foundations of Human Relations" class.
"I wouldn't have sought out a place like Sumter if I hadn't been part of that trip," said Kremer, who now teaches social studies at a Sumter high school where about 70 percent of the students are black and most are from low-income families. "The experience made me open to the idea of moving farther away; it made me want to pursue it heavily."
Sumter, S.C., is more diverse than many midsize Midwestern cities, something Kremer said he found attractive about the area when he first visited, adding that while he wanted to live in a diverse community, he had no interest in moving to a large metropolitan area.
"The diversity is a big reason I came here," Kremer said. "The South is a different culture. It's not just the racial diversity, but many things are different from Eau Claire and the Upper Midwest. I wanted my kids to grow up in a place that is more diverse."
Kremer said the connections he made with students and others during his spring trip convinced him Sumter would be a good fit.
"The university needs to get students into environments where they feel a little uncomfortable," Kremer said, noting that he was impressed by how passionate the education faculty are about diversity. "When you feel like an outsider, it can open your eyes to other people's experiences or beliefs."
Providing even more students with immersion experiences — domestically or internationally — is among the goals of the university's new strategic plan.
The term "immersion" can be used to describe a variety of activities, including everything from short-term community projects to longer-term study abroad, internships or faculty-student research experiences, said Susan Turell, interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of undergraduate studies.
"All kinds of immersion experiences offer students chances to apply their classroom learning in new and life-changing ways," Turell said. "Research indicates that these experiences are extremely beneficial to students; they increase student GPAs, retention and graduation rates. They are especially meaningful for first-generation and low-income college students."
The experiences can result in students developing new goals within their chosen professions — such as Kremer's decision to seek a teaching position in a more diverse part of the country — or they can result in students seeking paths that they never before knew existed, Turell said.
Kremer received his teaching degree from UW-Eau Claire in 2008 and had previously received a bachelor's degree from the university in 1995.
Realizing a goal
A 2006 music education graduate, Nick Johnson is in his third year teaching band and music at Bay View High School, a Milwaukee school that has one of the largest minority enrollments in the state.
Johnson became interested in teaching in urban schools after trips with a campus organization took him to schools in Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore and Minneapolis.
"The Detroit trip opened my eyes to a lot of things I never encountered growing up in the suburbs of Minneapolis," Johnson said. "As I visited other schools, it became apparent that the need I saw in Detroit was also a need in urban schools across America. I also discovered that I enjoyed the kids and the challenges that were specific to teaching in an urban setting."
With a newly established goal to teach in an urban setting, Johnson became the second UW-Eau Claire student to complete his student teaching in the Milwaukee Public Schools.
Johnson said student teaching in Milwaukee solidified his interest in teaching in urban schools and provided him the connections he needed to find a job after graduation, adding that those connections also helped get his teaching career off to a strong start.
"The transition from student teaching to first-year teacher was smoother because of the advice I received from Milwaukee directors about my specific situation," Johnson said. "They told me about the school, the community and the history of the program. They worked with me throughout the summer to help me, giving me invaluable wisdom on everything from organizing the room to what to expect in the first days.
"The biggest challenge was the culture shock. During my first year, I felt like I was working in a different country. The slang was different, the unwritten rules were different, and the expectations of the students and the struggles they went through were different from any of my experiences. UW-Eau Claire's willingness to let me student teach in Milwaukee definitely helped me deal with the foreignness and set me up for success my first year."
With a majority of his students coming from low-income, single-parent homes, Johnson said getting students to take school seriously is an ongoing challenge. Few parents come to concerts and conferences, he said. Some have legitimate reasons such as work, but some just don't make their child's education a priority, sending kids the message that school isn't important, he said.
"Students who live in poverty have a lot going on at home that taxes their mental resources, leaving them little time to worry about fingering for a B-flat on the trumpet," Johnson said. "They often need extra help with things like basic skills and expressing emotions. I do as much counseling and motivating as I do teaching. I also spend time teaching basic etiquette and socially acceptable behavior because it often is not taught at home or the students are never exposed to certain situations."
Despite the challenges, Johnson said he's exactly where he wants to be.
"The thing that makes the job rewarding is overcoming these obstacles," Johnson said. "In three years, I have seen a huge improvement in the band program here. The kids are proud of the band and are improving every year on their instruments. When my marching band goes down the street and they sound great and everyone is on the right step, you can see the pride in their eyes. That's what keeps me going. Those are the things that make the disappointments, long hours and struggles worth it. When you see these kids rise to the expectations you set for them and then go a little further, it's a great feeling."
Across all disciplines
Students with a variety of majors and career interests have opportunities for immersion experiences. Several examples follow.
Study abroad
An accounting and business administration major from a small Wisconsin town, Jodi Simek assumed she'd go to work for an accounting firm after she graduated in 1997. Her plans changed after studying in Sweden. She kept her business majors but joined the Peace Corps instead of the corporate world.
"Being from rural Wisconsin, I didn't imagine the different kinds of jobs available," said Simek, who now is an international student adviser at UW-Eau Claire. "I doubt the Peace Corps would have been something I'd have thought about had I not studied abroad."
While following a career path that's different from many of her classmates', Simek has put her business degrees to good use.
"Through the Peace Corps, I spent time in the emerging economies of Eastern Europe," said Simek, who taught accounting at a university in Ukraine. "In Ukraine, many of the Western business ideas did not exist. U.S. kids were familiar with checking accounts and interest at a young age. For my students, this was all new. At the time, many words we use in business did not exist in the Ukrainian language."
Simek said her Peace Corps experiences, combined with jobs in various parts of the country, have prepared her well for her current position, which requires her to interact with students from throughout the world.
A random stop in Career Services her freshman year literally changed her life, said alumna Jessica Church. After a career counselor described her experience studying in France, Church immediately applied to study in Spain.
"Nine months later, I stepped off the plane in unknown territory," Church said. "I probably would have eventually studied abroad, but my visit with that counselor affected when I studied abroad, which has had a lasting impact."
Church's semester in Spain convinced her to major in Spanish and gave her the confidence to work abroad when she graduated in 2006. A conversation assistant at a high school in Spain, she is pursuing course work to become a teacher there.
"I always half-jokingly said I wanted to travel the world after I graduated," said Church, who last year married a Spanish man she met while studying abroad. "But I don't think I ever imagined it would happen. Studying abroad made me more confident when I was pondering the possibilities that lay before me after graduation. I had the group experience of study abroad and the experience speaking Spanish in the real world, which made it easier to do this on my own."
Since moving to Spain, Church has found that she likes teaching and is good at it.
"There's a tendency in college to get going on a path, hunker down and get there as soon as you can," Church said. "It's tough to stray from that path. But any adventure that takes you out of your routine and gets you moving your body or using your mind in a different way, that's the stuff that will open you up to new experiences. Employers are looking for thinkers, for people who have lived life, and not out of a textbook."
Student research and internships
Kally Worm was a biology major on a pre-med track when she took a plant biology course from assistant professor Tali Lee. Fascinated by the course and impressed by Lee's passion for research, Worm asked to collaborate with Lee on a project.
Worm later was accepted into the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which allowed her to work with Lee at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in Central Minnesota.
"I thought it would be fun to work outdoors for a summer, and then I would go to medical school," Worm said. "All summer I worked outside every day with others to maintain the experiment and gather data. I also worked with Tali to measure photosynthetic rates of various prairie species. It was hard work, and I loved every minute of it!"
Worm continued her research, including working with other scientists at Cedar Creek.
"I graduated on the pre-med track (in 2005), but since that first summer at Cedar Creek I've never thought about medical school," said Worm, who now is the research coordinator at Cedar Creek. "I love my job. I'm grateful for the opportunity that Tali gave me and for the mentoring she provided. Those opportunities have drastically shaped my life."
A series of research experiences and internships also helped biology major PaHoua Lee plan her future. In 2007 she was a student researcher at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab, working on research that she presented at a national Ecological Society of America meeting. She spent the 2007-08 academic year analyzing the data from her summer project.
With that experience on her college resume, Lee was one of 20 students from throughout the country accepted into ESA's Strategies for Ecology, Education, Diversity and Sustainability (SEEDS) program. Through the program, she spent a week in Alaska studying the effects of fire on forest vegetation.
Lee next secured a naturalist internship at Point Beach State Forest along Lake Michigan.
"It was an amazing opportunity to develop my own environmental education programs and present these programs to the forest campers and visitors," said Lee, who will graduate in August. "I found a career I would like to pursue because of this experience."
A collaborative research project with biology professor Darwin Wittrock also helped 2008 graduate Matt Brewer better define his future.
"The research got me interested in parasitology and put me on the path to veterinary school," said Brewer, who is in veterinary school and working toward a Ph.D. in protozoology at Iowa State University. "I'd been interested in being a vet for a while, but the project helped me decide that I'd like to do veterinary science."
Brewer's research brought him in contact with farmers and area veterinarians, an experience he said helped him in multiple ways, including enhancing his candidacy when applying to vet schools.
"I wanted to be a dairy vet but I also really like science," Brewer said. "The research helped me realize that I could do both. I want to practice for a while and then practice and do research at the same time."
When Helen Young came to UW-Eau Claire as a freshman, she planned to major in communications, but she quickly changed her mind after taking history classes.
"I had no idea what was out there," Young said of career options. "I didn't know someone would pay me to go hiking in the mountains or do the volunteer-type work I enjoy in my community."
Young spent a summer working at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington as a resource interpreter, a position she obtained through the Student Conservation Association. She worked 40 hours a week at the visitor center, roving the trails and providing daily interpretive walks for visitor groups up to 75, presentations that she developed.
"As a public history major and geography minor, this experience fit perfectly with my academic work," Young said. "I practiced many skills: public speaking, communications, research and writing. Not only did I practice in a real-world setting, but I lived and worked on the side of a mountain, met new friends and traveled to new places.
"The experience was one of the best things I did in college. When I stepped outside my comfort zone, I found out more about myself than I ever had before. It made me more prepared and excited to follow what I want to do, to explore new places and try new things. That is the most valuable aspect of a total immersion experience."
The experience at Mount Rainier also helped Young identify what she wants in a career.
"I discovered that I enjoy working with people, the outdoors and being creative," Young said. "The experience, coupled with internships working for the city of Eau Claire, made me realize that I want to work within a community, conducting community outreach or downtown development."
A December 2008 graduate, Young now works as a research consultant for the Friends of the Fox, an Appleton-based nonprofit Fox River advocacy group that promotes conservation, preservation, recreation and interpretation.
"My work at Mount Rainier ties in nicely with what I'm doing," Young said, noting that she will soon become the organization's community outreach coordinator. "I enjoy the work very much. It has allowed me to be a part of something meaningful."
Judy Berthiaume is director of the UW-Eau Claire News Bureau.


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Life is swift, craft elaborate, opportunity fleeting, trial erroneous, judgment questionable.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Where's the Global Warming When You Need It?
SportAccord, formerly called GAISF, is an assembly of international sports federations. I was at their Forum, representing both the International Aikido Federation and the Swedish Budo & Martial Arts Federation.
Although this was in late November, the weather in Lausanne was strikingly pleasant and quite warm, considering the season. Only by the end of my stay did it start to get chilly. My fingers almost turned to ice as I strolled around taking photos, a few free hours before my return home.
The long way home
The return trip proved to be quite complicated. Copenhagen, the destination of my flight, was struck by winter. A lot of snow and cold winds. I had heard something about it beforehand, not thinking much of it. Scandinavia is not unfamiliar with winter, although it is usually much milder in Denmark than in the neighboring northern countries.
So, I went to the Geneva airport (it serves Lausanne, too) a couple of hours before the scheduled departure of 8 PM, and expected things to go smoothly. There was no information to the contrary when I checked in my luggage, but immediately after I had passed security I learned from another traveler that our plane to Copenhagen was canceled.
We were supposed to pick up our luggage and go to a desk at the airport, where we would get rescheduled and receive hotel vouchers for the overnight stay in Geneva. That took quite some time, don't ask me why. The line in front of the desk moved as slowly as trees grow.
We were also promised free dinner, but that proved to be a voucher of no more than 35 Swiss Francs, which doesn't cover much at a Swiss restaurant – especially at the fancy hotel near the airport, where we were checked in and where we had to have the dinner.
Anyway, so far so good. I had nothing particularly important in my agenda, so I enjoyed an extra day in Geneva, just to relax and do some sightseeing. But I had learned my lesson, so I checked the Scandinavian Airline website for any delay of my new flight. Towards the evening, they said that the plane's departure might be 20 minutes late. No more.
I suspected that the delay would increase as takeoff time approached, because airlines tend to underestimate such things as some kind of misdirected marketing effort. Indeed, our departure was an hour and a half late, at about 9:30 PM. I could live with that.
We remained in the plane, mere meters from the entrance, for quite some time. After about half an hour a ladder was dragged to the plane, but proved to be too small for this aircraft. It was dragged off again, and we waited – with a limited sense of humor remaining – until a bigger one was produced.
We thought that our trials were over, but at the luggage hall there was no sight of our bags. The monitor informed us that the luggage from the Geneva flight had been delayed, but gave no indication of why or how long. Another thirty minutes passed, maybe more. Then I had enough and approached an airline desk, asking them to check what had happened. They were also upset that we had not been given any information about our luggage, other than the word "delayed" on the monitor.
Just a couple of minutes after they managed to catch somebody responsible on the phone, our luggage started to arrive. I hurried to the Malmö train. By now it was 1 AM, and after midnight there's just one train per hour, but for once I was lucky: The next train left just a quarter past one.
I found that they have an additional fee for that, amounting to just about the same money as the ticket itself costs. And they were unable to receive the payment by credit card. What century does that railway company live in? They allowed cash or invoice, only. I got the latter and finally leaned back. The trip to Malmö takes little more than 20 minutes.
For a while it seemed as if that trip would also be delayed, because of a very slow train ahead of us, but it must have taken another track. Soon enough we were doing top speed on the Öresund Bridge, connecting Denmark and Sweden since no more than ten years.
At Malmö station I was able to get a cab, but only because I live in central Malmö. The taxi drivers refused to go beyond the city limits, afraid of getting stuck in the snow. Plowing takes its time in the Skåne countryside. Anyway, I was home at 2 AM, and had no trouble falling asleep.
Infrastructure is no fun
I think that the responsible people have been hasty to trust the climate change, hoping that winters will always be mild and snow melt away as soon as it falls. Thereby, they save money in the budget for other things. The last ten years or so, they have diminished their routines and decreased their resources to deal with winter, as if this season is a thing of the past. When it still comes, they all act surprised.
We should worry when the infrastructure of our society is allowed to deteriorate. Governments don't enjoy spending as much money on keeping the basic functions operating smoothly as is needed. They want to spend the money on more spectacular things. New things to be remembered by. That is very costly to society, and might lead to real disaster.
Politicians are shortsighted. So are many other people in power. They know their reign is limited in time, and they feel the pressure to show results within mere months. At the most, they feel obliged to think ahead to the next election, and rarely beyond it. So the things that don't immediately add to their fame are brushed off, and any big undertakings are chosen on the ground of how they might secure their names to posterity.
Unfortunately, they are right. Our history books are full of people who made something new, no matter how meaningless at length, but mention nothing about the ones who made sure that the same old same old kept on working. We need blander idols.
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As any cowboy or Boy Scout will tell you, one good 10″ cast iron pan can be far more useful than an elaborate set of gleaming, bonded-metal cookware designed to be admired more than used. Buy one of these and it will soon become the workhorse of your kitchen. Forged in an iron foundry, skillets are tough and versatile: they can go in the oven, on the grill and, of course, they're at home on the range. The even conductivity of the metal makes browning everything from steaks to cornbread to potatoes to grilled cheese easy (it also makes burning yourself easy. Never grab an iron skillet handle barehanded).
Even better, one develops a relationship with a cast iron skillet through years of daily use. Since cast iron is porous, it takes on the accumulated flavors of whatever you cook on it—this is called "seasoning"—developing a glassy, oily coating that renders it nonstick without employing the possibly toxic chemicals sometimes used on other pans. Once you have a seasoned skillet, you'll never want to part with it. Thankfully, you won't have to. Cast iron skillets have been known to last for centuries. Just don't use scourers or soap, which strip away the hard-earned seasoning.
Even better, skillets are reasonably priced. A good new 10″ pan from Tennessee's Lodge, the undisputed king of the cast-iron genre since 1986, runs between $75 and $100. But don't be afraid to scour—just not literally—flea markets. Cast iron pans last longer than most cooks, so you might find your skillet in the rough.


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Home > Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women > Our Medical Services > Comprehensive Breast Center
At Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women, we don't want any woman to experience breast cancer alone. That's why we developed the Baptist Comprehensive Breast Center, a place where women can come for medical expertise, support and answers to their questions. The Baptist Comprehensive Breast Center, created in January 2003, gives women access to local breast cancer experts, breast health services and resources under "one roof."
This Comprehensive Breast Center, the first of its kind in Memphis, allows Baptist experts to coordinate a patient's care from one central location, making it easier for patients to navigate the breast cancer process. Most patients are introduced to the Comprehensive Breast Center at the time of their diagnosis, through the Baptist Women's Health Center or at the recommendation of their physician, who is a member of the Comprehensive Breast Center network.
For more information about Baptist's Comprehensive Breast Center or to make an appointment, please call 901-226-0810.
Baptist's Comprehensive Breast Center is a collaboration among local breast cancer experts, women's health physicians and Baptist. All of the physicians and specialists involved in the treatment of breast cancer patients are members of the comprehensive breast center network, including radiologists, oncologists, surgeons, plastic surgeons, pathologists and genetic counselors. Comprehensive breast center patients can be referred to any of the physicians in the network, which is a huge benefit to patients—giving them access to experts, second and third opinions and advanced treatment options.
An outstanding feature of the comprehensive breast center is a weekly multidisciplinary breast conference, which brings together a variety of breast cancer experts to discuss current breast cancer cases in "real time." This conference allows all the physicians involved in a patient's care to confer about treatments before recommending them, which means more treatment options for patients. Plus, patients can receive second, third, even fourth opinions without visiting multiple physicians and at no additional cost. This translates to more personalized care for patients, which is the goal of Baptist's Comprehensive Breast Center.
At Baptist, preventing a disease is just as important as treating it. The Baptist Comprehensive Breast Center actively works to help prevent breast cancer and catch it at its earliest stages through community education. The center's breast health specialists are actively involved in the community teaching women how to detect breast cancer and educating them about resources.
For more information about breast cancer or to schedule a visit with one of our breast health specialists, call 901-226-0810.
While it is important to help patients recover physically from an illness, Baptist also is committed to helping breast cancer patients heal emotionally and spiritually. Having breast cancer is such a life-altering event that it may be difficult for patients to recover and heal without the support of an outside source or organization. That's why the Comprehensive Breast Center provides patients with a listing of local breast cancer support groups and organizations. Also, free emotional support for patients is available through Women Helping Other Women, a support group of breast cancer patients and survivors that meets at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women. A psychologist specializing in breast cancer counseling facilitates the group. Spiritual support also is available through the Baptist Women's Hospital chaplain's office.
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Third Front meet in Delhi Oct 30: Mulayam
Like-minded political parties will meet in Delhi Oct 30 to discuss the formation of a Third Front ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said Saturday.
Addressing a gathering at Etawah after laying the foundation stone of his dream project, a Lion Safari, Yadav said the meeting had been convened by CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat.
"People and parties may be making tall claims but the fact is that the Third Front will emerge as the biggest group after the Lok Sabha polls," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.
Yadav also took potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said the huge crowds at its rallies would not guarantee votes in elections.
"Log badi badi batein karte hain ki badi bhari bheed hai, par kaam kuch nahin karte hain" (People make tall claims but do precious little work for people), he said.
Yadav said the Uttar Pradesh government headed by Akhilesh Yadav had made education, medicine and water free for farmers.
He told his son-cum-chief minister to ensure that Uttar Pradesh had surplus power by the end of his five-year tenure.
(Posted on 05-10-2013)


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Dancing With The Stars + Johnny Depp Cameo
April 26, 2011 9:13 AM
It's your Hollywood Hits… another fall on Dancing with The Stars, Johnny Depp may be in the 21 Jump Street movie, and Katie Couric make make announcement this week. Oh, and, Nick Cannon made a serious mistake on the air. Mariah's not too happy. So we hear.


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June 7, 2011
Canadians don't eat enough seafood: survey
Tomorrow is World Oceans Day. The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, which represents fish and shellfish farming companies and their suppliers, has released a survey with some interesting results.It showed that::– 88 percent of Canadians have eaten seafood over the … Continue reading
App creators offer must-haves for creating a healthier home
Healthy home and lifestyle experts Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes have created the Easy Feng Shui with Augmented Reality iPhone app to help guide you in creating a healthy home. Using an overlay technique known as "augmented reality," users … Continue reading
2011 Training Camp: Day 3 Report
Tuesday's update from Day 3 of the Riders main training camp:● Rain was the main highlight or lowlight from today's two-a-day practices. I wonder if during the regular season, the Riders might have found a way to move indoors. … Continue reading
Give Dad the garage of his dreams with tips from former Toronto Argonaut
Father's day is coming soon and everyone's starting to look for the perfect gift for dad. Why not surprise him by organizing the garage? Former Toronto Argonauts linebacker, now Argos special teams coordinator, Mike O'Shea offers the following tips for … Continue reading
Day 3 Riders Training Camp report
ROUGHRIDER TRAINING CAMP DAY 3 The following is the Day 3 report from the 2011 Roughrider Training Camp. ROSTER MOVES NONE INJURIES OL Michel Boudreault (hamstring) day to day DB Craig Butler (hamstring) day to day WR Aaron Fairooz (hamstring) … Continue reading
Top weekly Yahoo! searches as of June 7
Here are Yahoo! Canada's top weekly spiking searches: 1. Canada Post2. Vancouver Canucks3. Geri Halliwell4. Blake Lively5. Jessical Biel6. Kim Kardashian7. Pippa Middleton8. Shania Twain9. Lindsay Lohan10. Megan Fox11. NHL … Continue reading
Fathers Day DVD, Blu-ray releases
Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment have a slew of DVD and Blu-ray releases lined up for Father's Day. They include: LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY + BOOK COMBOS:Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. … Continue reading
Live chat on June 7
Roughriders chat (June 7)… Continue reading
J.J.'s ready to show 'em who's Voss
J.J. Voss is currently working on his second album, Show 'Em Who's Voss, with producer Harry Stinson. I recently sat down with J.J. and we chatted about the project. To read my story from the interview, click here. The … Continue reading
DVD Region Codes: Get A Region Free DVD Player
I was chatting a few days ago with a regular reader about an annoying problem – DVD region codes. He mentioned he'd come back from a trip to Europe with some DVDs, but discovered they wouldn't play on his … Continue reading


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Still, I was surprised to learn that Tablet PCs are struggling with sales, according to research firm In-Stat/MDR.
"[COLOR=#1951B9]Tablet PC sales will still remain under 1 million units during 2004, although they should rise to 4 million or so in 2008, the firm said. The reason? IT managers have been slow to adopt the new form factor.[/COLOR]"
More here.


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(Detroit Free Press) -- It was cold in Minnesota.
But the Tigers' bats were hot early.
On an Opening Day with a game-time temperature of 35 degrees - and certainly a lot cooler with winds whipping in the teens - the Tigers scored three runs in the first two innings and hung on for a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
The first time through the order, the Tigers went 5-for-9.
In the first, Austin Jackson led off the 2013 season with a single, followed by Torii Hunter's first hit in a Tigers' uniform - a single - before Miguel Cabrera drove in Jackson on a groundout.
One batter later, Prince Fielder pushed a double inside the third-base line, scoring Cabrera and staking Justin Verlander an early two-run lead.
The Tigers scored another in the third on singles from Jhonny Peralta and Omar Infante, and Verlander was on cruise control.
In his sixth opening day start, Verlander didn't allow a hit until the third inning, when longtime nemesis Joe Mauer doubled to left.
Two innings later, Verlander was done at 91 pitches, after pitching five innings - his shortest start since 2010. He struck out seven, walked two and allowed three hits.
He picked up his first Opening Day win after the Tigers' bullpen hung on over the last four innings.
The win was capped by Phil Coke picking up the first save of the Tigers' season.
Coke finished the job Joaquin Benoit started by retiring Ryan Doumit on a flyout to right.
Drew Smyly relieved Verlander in the sixth and retired the first two batters before loading the bases and allowing the Twins' first run on a wild pitch.
He escaped further damage but found himself in a similar bases-loaded jam the next inning before Jim Leyland replaced him with Al Alburquerque.
Alburquerque was greeted by a Doumit single, which pulled the Twins within a run, but struck out the next two batters swinging.
The Tigers added an insurance run in the eighth when Prince Fielder scored on a wild pitch.
Hunter, Fielder, Infante and Peralta each had two hits for the Detroiters. Cabrera was held hitless and struck out twice.
After an off day on Tuesday, the Tigers resume play on Wednesday.
Contact Anthony Fenech: 313-223-4527 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech.