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
Why Move? A Better Home, Family, Own Household, Job Commuting and Marriage
Men were more likely than women to move for job-related reasons. Better-educated people were more likely to move for job-related reasons than those with lower education levels. Married respondents were the least likely to move for family-related reasons. Reasons such as "change of climate," "health reasons" and "natural disaster," were each cited by fewer than 1% of householders. more »
The Music of an Auction
Sandra Smith writes: Waiting for the auctioneer is something like being present at a stage musical while the orchestra warms up. My stomach was a little fluttery. Would I understand? How fast would he talk? What if I scratched my nose and he thought I was bidding? I got so caught up in it, I forgot to listen to the amounts of the bids. more »
For a Respected Prosecutor, An Unpardonable Failure
In the late eighties, James Leeper was a fast-rising prosecutor known for his fairness and loyalty. Decades later, his alleged misconduct in the Jonathan Fleming case has shocked colleagues and adversaries alike. Fleming, 27, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. It took 24 years, but eventually it became clear that there had been much more to Fleming's alibi defense, and that Leeper had failed to disclose it to the jury. more »
To Travel in a Boat Together: A Canadian Museum's Wolf In A Copper Canoe; The Empress Of Ireland Exhibit
The Canadian Museum of Civilization has introduced a sculpture of a life-size bronze wolf in a copper canoe which it commissioned from internationally acclaimed Namgis First Nation artist Mary Anne Barkhouse. Now on exhibit: On the foggy night of May 29, 1914, two ships collide in the St. Lawrence River. The Empress of Ireland, with 1,477 souls aboard, sinks in less than 15 minutes. An estimated 1,012 people — passengers and crew — perish. more »
