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
Mind and Body Disconnect: I Am Not Ready To Get Off the Stage!
Rose Madeline Mula writes: I have a serious disconnect between mind and body — thank goodness. No way do I want to face reality! Instead, I'm going shopping. I want to buy a couple of sleeveless mini dresses, some skinny jeans with frayed knees, a pair of stilettos, and a new bikini, which I'm going to need when I start my surfing lessons next week. more »
A Hearing on Women-Owned Small Businesses: Barbara Corcoran, "The startup game remains vastly male dominated"
"The lost decade, between Congress approving the [Women-Owned Small Business Procurement] program in 2000 and the Small Business Administration (SBA) rulemaking in 2011, translated to $94 billion in missed contracting opportunities for WOSBs [women-owned small businesses]. And while the percentage of prime contracts awarded to WOSBs increased following the program’s final implementation in 2011, the federal government has still yet to meet its five percent goal." more »
"Black Boxes" in Passenger Vehicles: Recording Data in the Few Seconds Before An Accident
An event data recorder (EDR) is an electronic sensor installed in a motor vehicle that records certain technical information about a vehicle’s operational performance for a few seconds immediately prior to and during a crash. Although over 90% of all new cars and light trucks sold in the United States are equipped with them, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing that all new light vehicles have EDRs installed in the future. more »
Two From Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Blueberry Picking is Tasty Work! & The Greatness of Lake Erie
"I took a blogcation for a month, enjoying a little road trip, a family visit, and just allowing myself some off time, doing pretty much not much. Isn't that what summer is for? I was saddened when I learned about Lake Erie's history. I wish I could have seen it in its original state; if it is so impressive now, how incredible it must have once been. We went picking at an organic farm and came home with almost eight pounds of berries. What will we do with so many, you might wonder." more »
