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
The Day I Bought an Easy Bake Oven
Sarah A. Leavitt writes: The most fun shopping trip of the year occurred when the NBM's exhibitions staff went to Frederick, Maryland's antique stores. We agreed on the beautiful wicker chair but were less sure when deciding among various sets of kitchen containers and vessels. Did the other set have a more unusual pattern? We already had a Hamburglar juice glass, but what about a Kentucky Derby collectible glass? more »
Harvard School of Public Health Research: Some HDL, or "Good" Cholesterol, May Not Protect Against Heart Disease
A new study has found that a subclass of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol, may not protect against coronary heart disease (CHD) and in fact may be harmful. more »
The English Prize at the Ashmolean; Other Oxford Museums to Visit
“British tourists in Italy in the 1770s were time-travellers, imagining themselves in the classical past amidst the landscapes and ruins they encountered on their journeys. The maps, books and antiquities that they purchased and works of art they commissioned were imbued with meaning and memories." Tourists today can experience scientific discoveries in Oxford museums and their shops. more »
As Facebook Raises a $Billion IPO, A Profile of Its 'Friends'
A Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day is 43% more likely than other internet users and more than three times as likely as non-internet users to feel that most people can be trusted. more »
