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One of my favorite posts each year is our Team Gift Guide. While I’m a big fan of appreciating one another throughout the year, the holidays are the obvious time for a more obvious display of gratitude/affection/friendship/collegiality. So if you’ve been trying to figure out what to get a member or two of your team, allow me to make a few suggestions. Click on the image or the text for links. Note: this is not a sponsored post. Everything here is something I either love or would like to love (wink, hello Sasha.)

Please enjoy, and a very happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and colleagues. Hope it is filled with peace and love. I’ll be back next week with regular posts.

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I’ll be hanging out in the CLE for Thanksgiving and I could not be more excited. After many weeks on the road, at least this one will be spent surrounded by my family and a ridiculous amount of food. Before I head out, let’s see what caught my eye since last we spoke:

So many people coming forward; this article caught my attention for sure

The day DV came to church

Let’s not forget women harassed by non-famous men

Such a good question

Sex workers are not a life hack for helping sexual predators

And finally: what could be better than President Obama tweeting his own meme to wish VP Biden a happy birthday:

ME: Joe, about halfway through the speech, I’m gonna wish you a happy birth–
BIDEN: IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!
ME: Joe.

Happy birthday to @JoeBiden, my brother and the best vice president anybody could have. pic.twitter.com/sKbXjNiEjH

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 20, 2017

 
Our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex is now available. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here. 

In this current political climate, with many threats to individual health and well-being essentially sanctioned as national policy, it seems appropriate to post this newly published article in Women’s Health Issues, The Risk of Remaining Silent: Addressing the Current Threats to Women’s Health (PDF). While not directly related to violence, the article addresses many issues that our patients (and many of us as healthcare consumers) face. It would be short-sighted to think we can take care of the immediate violence in our patients lives, and not have to consider access to essential services patients might need in the aftermath (such as contraception and abortion services) and over their lifetimes (such as healthcare coverage for the types of chronic health issues that increase following violence). It’s brief–only 4 pages–and it’s written by smart people who know of what they speak.

Our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex is now available. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here. 

Good morning friends–I am back from France and after 9 glorious hours in my house, I am back at the airport. For those of you playing along at home, this makes 6 full weeks on the road since Labor Day. I won’t lie–I am tired. But this is the work we do (many of you are in the same boat and probably feeling the same way), and I am grateful for it. Traveling home yesterday meant plenty of time catching up on the interwebs. Seems like a bit of a reckoning right now for people who have done crappy things to other people, doesn’t it? Everywhere I look there are victims of violence finding their voices, and it is really something to see. Just sitting in the Delta Club typing this up I am overhearing a conversation between a couple business travelers about the culture shift in harassment. Fascinating. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

If you read only one thing from this list: the absolute best take on it all

Diana Nyad. Wow.

Will this change the way we think about outing?

Related.

In the wake of the Roy Moore story, an interesting Twitter hashtag

Glad this is being taken seriously

Sutherland Springs deserves an apology.

Real talk about how this election went down.

The best take on the use of this word

A good and inspiring list for this dreary Monday morning.

And finally, I haven’t watched it yet, but I have heard this was a pretty spot-on sketch from SNL

Our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex is now available. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here. 

It’s Forensic Nurses Week, and I want so much to keep this celebratory, but of course, Texas is in all our minds, and that can’t be ignored. I’m home for a quick minute, but I’ll be heading to France on Wednesday, so postings will be mostly pulled from the archives. I hope everyone has a terrific week and is feeling fully appreciated. Glad to be a part of this amazing profession. Glad for all of FHO’s readers. Thanks for stopping by here on the regular.

US gun violence

Prosecuted for DV. Who could have predicted?

Related: the boyfriend loophole (NSFW)

Hollywood’s sexual harassment/violence problem, continued

Hard to believe last week’s terrorist attack is already fading from memory. Let’s not forget.

Not cool, Trip Advisor

Dating in the age of Tinder

Allegedly 🙁

Why we pretend to know things

Been there.

Our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex is now available. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here. 

Our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex is now available. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here. 

I’m in Texas this week, and my schedule is unknown, so we’ll see how posting goes. Airport time is always prime for surfing, though, so I’ve managed to get some reading done. Here’s what’s caught my eye since last we spoke:

This does not bode well for most of us

Military women should serve unmolested

Goals

Fix this democracy

So much has been written about Weinstein, so I’ve selectively read. This one, though…

Female friendships (older, but still such a good read)

#Truth

All of these!

Seriously folks–I am so thrilled about the response to our first offering in the FHO store, Injury Following Consensual Sex. If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can find it here. 

Congratulations, Katrina L–you are the winner of the $50 Amazon give away! Please check your email for the link to your gift card. And thanks to all of you who sent emails and posted comments about the research digests.

I have to say, Toronto was a whirlwind. So great catching up with many of you. I did manage to make it to a few sessions, which is a plus. The reality is, the annual conference is an opportunity to get a lot of work done in person, so that’s predominantly what I was doing when I wasn’t teaching. I made it home Saturday night, and I’m prepping for a work trip I have on the west coast next weekend, so not much surfing for me. There were a few things, however, that caught my eye since last we spoke (and one issue, in particular, seemed to dominate what I read):

Ugh, Harvey Weinstein

Plus, men *like* Harvey Weinstein

Why is consent so confusing?

I mean, the title of this piece alone…

Also: sexual assault is not inevitable

Related.

More: why folks might not speak up

The Obama legacy

A simple definition of equity

The federal response to Maria–still a garbage fire

Finally–I am working my way through this new series. Did you know the psychologist, Wendy, is based on Dr. Ann Burgess? Just wish they had kept her a nurse 🙁 Pretty compelling show, though.

Like many of you, I’m getting ready to head to Toronto (incredibly early) tomorrow, so posting will be relatively light this week as I have my hands full with the annual IAFN conference. I can’t wait to see everyone–I’ll be teaching 3 sessions this year, so make sure to come say hello if you’re in any of them (or if you just happen to see me wandering about). My hope is that I will have an exciting announcement in the next couple days, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

I have no words for this one, except add it to the list of reasons why women don’t report

Agreed

Good analysis of the Weinstein case

Certainly not a unique perspective on the overdose epidemic, but no less moving

The real story of mass shootings in America 

The story of Dirty John is a long, but gripping read

About time

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

And finally, here in the US, it should be Indigenous Peoples Day, but it’s still on the books as Columbus Day, so in light of that:

See you up North!

I woke up feeling heartbroken about the news of the shooting in Las Vegas. I’m trying to prep for next week in Toronto, but keep getting sucked into my twitter feed as additional information comes out. In the meantime, I have plenty I have been reading, between a relatively mellow weekend and lots of airport time as I made my way to and from Germany. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

[Probably time to repost this.]

2016 was a banner year for STDs

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands still need us

I know so many women who feel this deeply

Your password is lousy

Failures of the criminal justice system

Related.

The art of avoiding a@$holes

I’m all for increased accessibility

It was a very social, and productive weekend at home after being out west for most of the week. Friday I head to Germany for the better part of a week (or more–who knows?), so while I have 4 days in the office this week, it’s a packed one. Plus Rosh Hashana begins Wednesday night, so there’s that. No rest for the wicked/weary (take your pick), but I did have time to surf a bit. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

I mean yes, I understand this…

Good job, Tampa

A survivor’s story

This was some unbelievable writing

I’ve been asked for career guidance on many occasions–I’d say this encapsulates my general philosophy

I’m done with not being believed

Pretty sure you’ll find this one interesting…

This is a lot, but it’s important

I have to say, I generally agree with this sentiment

His writing perfectly marries my politics with my need to find something to laugh about right now

This is some of the best advice I have ever heard:

This week begins the wild ride that is my fall travel calendar. I’m heading to Joint Base Lewis-McChord 1st thing in the morning so I will have plenty of time to catch up on reading. Most of the weekend was spent monitoring Irma (Sasha’s family is in Naples– they evacuated–and Tampa–they didn’t). Still, I came across a few things–here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

A reminder…

A way out for abused Jewish women

Related: a different way out

We started it

“Guilt is a bitch”

Stress cooking is a thing, right? Among several things I cooked since last we spoke…

Never forget

Our thoughts here at FHO HQ (aka, my house) are with our friends and colleagues in Houston and the other affected areas. Hope everyone is safe, and big love to all of you working as (or otherwise supporting) 1st responders down there. I spent much of the weekend scrolling through updates of the storm, and making donations here and there where it felt like my dollars would help the most (including the Texas Diaper Bank, which would most certainly appreciate your donation; other ideas here and here). Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

Some compelling photojournalism

It wasn’t a surprise

Don’t do these things in your meetings

Figuring out the pronouns

Worst and best places to be gay in the US

Why it’s harder for African-American women to report campus assaults

A pretty decent list of social media tips

Possible you’re being rude abroad

Loved this photo essay on military women

Feels like this was months ago–I have serious political fatigue

Ugh–related (again)

Also, did this really just happen on Friday?

Finally, Uncle Joe, speaking some truth

Well, much as a nasty bout of vertigo attempted to derail my travel plans, I’m currently sitting at DCA, awaiting my flight to Providence, RI, where I’ll pick up a car and head to Newport. One of my favorite places to teach every year, and certainly one of the loveliest spots for a military base. Last week I was with the Air Force; this week it’s Navy and Marine Corps. Can’t wait to get up there, even though it’ll only be for a minute.

The vertigo made focusing on words tough, so didn’t surf much this weekend. But here at the airport it’s a different story. Here’s what’s caught my eye since last we spoke:

I feel this deeply

Related

And in Boston…

The very real struggles of victims in long term care facilities

Not everyone will be watching today

Fallen forensics

So much heartbreak in this story

I LOL’d

Office for Victims of Crime has an upcoming webinar, Organizational-Level Response and Planning for Staff Compassion Fatigue/Vicarious Trauma. The session will be held August 23rd at 2pm ET. From the site:

It takes courage to help child and adult victims of sexual abuse, assist survivors of acts of terrorism and mass violence, fight fires that may have taken people’s lives, or respond to shootings and other crime scenes. It also takes commitment to do this work in spite of the personal, physical, emotional, and mental impact it can have. This session will focus on how OVC’s Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT) can help you to—

• Conduct an assessment of your agency’s current capacity as a vicarious trauma-informed organization. 
• Bring leadership and staff together to review your existing capacity, identify gaps, and prioritize needs.
• Locate resources and tools in the VTT and Compendium of Resources to help meet your identified needs. 
• Develop a comprehensive plan to become a vicarious trauma-informed organization that addresses exposure to single incidents of crime or violence and acts of mass violence and terrorism.

Register here.

Well, on the one hand, I’m back in DC after 2 long weeks away from my wife, so that’s wonderful. On the other hand, let’s face it–this weekend was a dumpster fire, as far as current events go. What we saw in Charlottesville, a place I know and love, a place where many of my friends live and have lived, has me angry and afraid. My own words seem pretty impotent, so I spent much of the last 48 hours retweeting people more eloquent and frankly, more informed, than me and donating money to a variety of organizations and individuals who were injured or killed, on their crowdfunding pages (you can find a variety of them here. Also, see this one. And some good links throughout this essay.) Not nearly enough, but what I’ve been able to do thus far.

Let’s hope that this week shines a bit more light in our world. Way too much darkness these days. Here’s what I”ve been reading since last we spoke:

So much written on C-ville, but this piece speaks to us directly in the nonprofit world

And because I am a woman of science…

And a 1st person account from one of our own

[It’s all related]

On a different note, something empowering

See also

Same old, same old, sports people

Not heartening

But this is

I feel like I deserve several of these today alone

Greetings from week 2 in the CLE. For those of you in the area I will be giving a somewhat impromptu testimony talk this Thursday, August 10th from 6-8pm at the Cleveland Clinic Building in Independence:

As I mentioned last week, I am spending a couple weeks with kiddo and family, which has been relatively relaxing, but also tough for maintaining focus. Here’s what’s distracted me caught my eye since last we spoke:

Well this is a distressing news item

Leave Title IX be

More on tonic immobility in sexual assault

[Reads article, goes back to bed]

Yup.

Good eyes, good job

Not certain this is the right question, but it certainly needs to be discussed

Hurt my heart and made me miss T even more

Probably funnier to me than it will be to many of you because my teenager talks JUST LIKE THIS

I’m working from CLE for the next couple weeks, so lots of family/kid time. It also means (ideally) plenty of time for writing projects that keep being pushed back. If I can focus. And stay off the interwebs. Traveling back from PDX last week I had plenty of time on airplanes to surf, so here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

RV full of lawyers. Too cool.

Interesting article on the history of disguising gender in the military

Related.

{Tangentially} related.

Judging poverty

If you read nothing else on this list

Love, love

A fine question

Don’t settle

So we had a super lively discussion today with our friends over at DCFNE, which made for one of the better Mondays I’ve had in a while. Tomorrow it’s off to Portland (OR) for some quality time with the Army JAG Corps, so that’s always a fun gig. Plus, you know–Portland. It was my kiddo’s last weekend in town, so I drowned my sorrows last night in mindless interwebs. Still, there were a few things worth passing along. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

Cancer is not a war. Seriously.

Related.

Guidelines from WHO around HIV resistance

Man, I hate if this is true

Also, sigh.

Guess I’m not surprised

Disappointing (also, come on, DoD)

Excellent.

I believe the last count I saw put this number higher

So about last week–what a fantastic crew we had at the NAC for our testimony workshop. I had a great time meeting so many new colleagues, and participants were really on point. A very impressive group (and thanks for all the new subscriptions, folks–please remember to verify your email via the Feedburner link you should have received, which went to your spam folder if you didn’t see it). Of course, you may have noticed I was MIA from the site after Monday’s post–it really is too much to keep up with everything during that course, so FHO was quiet for the week. However, I had plenty of time to surf these weekend, being in airports and such. Here’s what caught my eye since last we spoke:

I had to giggle at the title of this–do we use The Clap anymore?

Another day, another story like this…

This is a long, but good read about addiction and lawyers

Sigh.

Related

Oh, hell no, American Airlines

If you didn’t catch the piece on SANEs, read about it here (also embedded audio)

Finally, in movie news, two upcoming releases I can’t wait to see– Incredibles 2 and a Wrinkle in Time: