Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
GAO Report: Veterans Affairs' Acquisition Management: Supply Chain Management and COVID-19 Response
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has taken some steps in recent years to modernize its processes to acquire hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of medical supplies annually. However, implementation delays for key initiatives, including a new, enterprise-wide inventory management system, limit VA's ability to have an agile, responsive supply chain. Prior to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in November 2017 and in GAO's High-Risk report in March 2019, GAO reported on weaknesses in VA's acquisition management... GAO reported that VA's implementation of its Medical-Surgical Prime Vendor-Next Generation program — VA's primary means for purchasing medical supplies — lacked an effective medical supply procurement strategy, clinician involvement, and reliable data systems. more »
June 8, 2020: Daily Updates On the Emerging Novel Coronavirus From the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
"In terms of materials, the WHO now recommends that cloth masks be made out of at least 3 layers of different materials, ideally an inner layer of absorbent material (e.g., cotton), a middle layer of non-woven material (e.g., polypropylene), and an outer layer of non-absorbent material (e.g., polyester). WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that mask use alone does not protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection and that masks should be used as part of a “comprehensive strategy” of protective measures." more »
Elaine Soloway's Hometown Rookie: Mirror, Mirror; Jealous; Terms of Endearment
Elaine Soloway writes: After two marriages, in contentment with my solo routine, and blessed with family and a multitude of friends; I'm not trying to lure a guy. Hold on, let's change "guy" to "senior citizen," which leads me to an interesting question: Would I be attracted to someone my age who bears the same telltale signs of dotage as I? The gray hair, I'd likely adore. It's one thing to grow old with someone, but why would I pick a new swain who is accumulating wrinkles, saggy skin, body breakdowns, and signals of caregiving to come? more »
Small Asteroid Flew by Earth ...at a Distance of Approximately 3.2 million Miles
NASA Editor's note, June 5, 2020: Asteroid 2002 NN4 will safely pass by the Earth on June 6 at a distance of approximately 3.2 million miles (5.1 milliion kilometers), about 13 times further away from the Earth than the Moon is. There is no danger the asteroid will hit the Earth. As they orbit the Sun, Near-Earth Objects occasionally approach close to Earth. CNEOS calculates the motion of all NEOs forwards to 2200 A.D. and backwards to 1900 A.D., and determines the times and distances of the Earth close approaches. more »
