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
Ten Days In the Vatican: Anti-Human-Trafficking Work, A Golden Bear Pin and A Kiss
Nancy Scheper-Hughes gave two presentations at a human-trafficking plenary in Rome and says her primary contributions came in proposals relating to organ trafficking. One would prohibit "the buying, selling, brokering and implanting of organs and tissues from trafficking persons in all countries." Another would ask the world’s religions to encourage voluntary and altruistic organ sharing. "In the end, clothes did not make either the man or the woman. Gender still remained highly marked, and many clerics at Santa Marta [the Pope's residence] were uncomfortable sharing a communal table with a woman, let alone talking to her." more »
Banned and Challenged Books; A Second Home for Many, the Library
From a NYT's Editorial: The libraries are where poor children learn to read and love literature, where immigrants learn English, where job-seekers hone résumés and cover letters, and where those who lack ready access to the Internet can cross the digital divide. They are havens for thinking, dreaming, studying, striving and — for many children and the elderly — simply for staying safe, and out of the heat. more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: A Seed Holds All of Its Potential Wrapped Inside That Tiny Package.
Ferida Wolff writes: Our periwinkle has blossomed again, as it does each year, a groundcover that takes its mission seriously. Last year we planted four different kinds of tomatoes and feasted on red, yellow, and mottled varieties. We also set up a small greenhouse that had a way of breaking loose from its boundaries despite the spikes we used to hold it down. It flipped over uprooting our peas and beans but the tomato plants were least affected. We couldn't figure out if an animal pushed it over or some of the neighborhood kids were having fun but it isn't going back up this season. more »
Streaming on May 10th: NCCIH Presents When Experts Disagree, The Art of Medical Decision Making
Drs. Groopman and Hartzband (also husband and wife) reveal that each of us has a 'medical mind,' a highly individual approach to weighing the risks and benefits of treatment. Are you a minimalist or a maximalist, a believer or a doubter, do you look for natural healing or the latest technology? Drs. Groopman and Hartzband explain how pitfalls in thinking and the way statistics are presented in pharmaceutical advertisements, the media, and even scientific reports can mislead all of us. Streaming at NCCIH and a YouTube at the Aspen Institute. more »
