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
Congressional Bills Introduced: Parental Leave, Abortion, Child Soldier Prevention,National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls
A bill to provide that six of the 12 weeks of parental leave made available to a federal employee shall be paid leave; A bill to provide for the eligibility for beneficiary travel for veterans seeking treatment or care for military sexual trauma in specialized outpatient or residential programs at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs; A bill to extend the civil statute of limitations for victims of federal sex offenses; A bill to clarify report dates, modify the criteria for determinations of whether countries are meeting the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking, and highlight the importance of concrete actions by countries to eliminate trafficking. more »
The Metropolitan and Cloisters: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures and The Royal George (the Fourth) Cello, Fit for a King
Small in scale, yet teeming with life, miniature boxwood carvings have been a source of wonder since their creation in the Netherlands in the 16th century. The execution of these prayer beads and diminutive altarpieces seems almost as miraculous as the stories they tell and, in this first exhibition of its kind, the wizardry of the carvers who created these precious panoramas is revealed. Fit for a king, this magnificent cello was made for George IV when he was Prince Regent and is emblazoned with the royal coat of arms of Great Britain and the Prince of Wales' feathers. Its ribs bear the motto "Liberty and Loyalty." more »
A Trailblazing Sports Reporter: Mary Garber and the Association For Women in Sports Media Pioneer Award
Mary Garber began her trailblazing sports journalism career in 1944, when the sports editor of the Winston-Salem Journal joined the Navy and Garber replaced him. "Not because I had any ability in sports," Garber once told the Women’s Sports Foundation, "but because it was the war, and every man was in the armed forces."Even though she was banned from locker rooms and forced to sit with the players’ wives instead of in the press box, Garber lobbied to continue covering sports after World War II ended. more »
Many Americans Stressed about Future of Our Nation; A Study About The Distress From Waiting for Uncertain News
Two-thirds of Americans say they are stressed about the future of our nation, including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, according to the American Psychological Association's report. "The stress we're seeing around political issues is deeply concerning, because it's hard for Americans to get away from it," said Katherine C. Nordal,PhD, APA's executive director for professional practice. "We're surrounded by conversations, news and social media that constantly remind us of the issues that are stressing us the most." more »
