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
Interior Department Issues Final Rule to Support Hydraulic Fracturing Activities on Public and Tribal Lands
"Current federal well-drilling regulations are more than 30 years old and they simply have not kept pace with the technical complexities of today’s hydraulic fracturing operations," Secretary Jewell said. "This updated and strengthened rule provides a framework of safeguards and disclosure protocols that will allow for the continued responsible development of our federal oil and gas resources. As we continue to offer millions of acres of public lands for conventional and renewable energy production, it is absolutely critical the public have confidence that transparent and effective safety and environmental protections are in place." more »
Assisted Reproduction: "The United States is the Wild West of the fertility industry"
Donor-conceived children argue that donors should be subjected to better medical screenings. Generally, donors are only tested for sexually transmitted diseases. There are no laws requiring medical testing for genetic diseases or requiring that donors – usually in their 20s at the time of donation — update medical information as they age and inherited diseases may surface. more »
Finding the Right Excuse: Committing Words to Paper Because ...
Joan L. Cannon writes: In spite of everything, there's pressure to let something loose that I might know that someone else has still to learn, or something I've noticed that someone else hasn't thought of, and that might tickle the imagination or stimulate the intellect or conjure a useful memory and make someone’s else's day a tiny bit brighter. more »
Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies on Masterpiece: Thomas Cromwell, A Wholly Original Man, A Charmer and A Bully
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe oppose him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell both idealist and opportunist, master of deadly intrigue, and implacable in his ambition. more »
