Random.org has spoken, and the winner of the books and notebooks is Rebecca, who replied:

I use your articles of note to stay current on the newest research that is out there. I love having it all there together for me instead of having to go out and find it. This has been so helpful!

Rebecca, please contact me with your mailing information so I can get your stuff shipped. And thanks to everyone who left comments–I have taken some notes and am making some additions and changes to the site based on your feedback.

Many of you have expressed that the articles are some of the most useful items on FHO. So in an effort to bring you more, I am pleased to present a new feature: Full-Text Fridays, in which I will highlight one (ok, sometimes more) full-text article(s) from peer-reviewed journals available in the public domain. Enjoy!

{Don’t forget to enter our anniversary giveaway here!}

The PBS series, American Experience, has a new documentary airing tonight: Tales from the Poisoner’s Handbook (check local listings; it’ll also be available online) and an interactive website to go with it. Those of you who are members of AAFS have undoubtedly received the emails about it (the subject of the documentary was a founding member). A description after the jump:

First, let me say thank you to all of you who call and email me about using my work as a part of your presentation or handouts, whether from FHO or other areas of my professional existence. There are a lot of you who do this and it’s not just the right and legal thing to do, but it’s also deeply gratifying to receive those requests because it makes me feel like the entire profession hasn’t lost its collective mind when it comes to being ethical and professional. That being said, I am seriously tired of finding my work (and the work of my colleagues) online, embedded in other people’s slide decks and presentation handouts without attribution and without asking permission. I have said this before–don’t do it. And yet, once again, this weekend I have found my work in someone else’s presentation, including photographs.

As evidenced from the lack of posts, I am practicing some radical self-care in these 2 last weeks of the year. While it hasn’t all been happy playtime, I am trying to spend significantly less amount of time plugged in, and significantly more amount of time goofing off with my kid and my spouse. So this will be my last post of the year. Thought you might be interested in what it looked like here at FHO in 2013. And after the jump, a little sneak peak at what next week (and the new year) brings:

A Merry Christmas to all of you celebrating today. Thank yous all around to everyone pulling a shift today. And special wishes of peace and joy to our military members serving around the world.

Just received this report from Sheila Early, (about-to-be-in-a-week) President of IAFN and regular supplier of all things Canadian to this site–and wanted to share it with everyone. Forensic Science in Canada: A Report of Multidisciplinary Discussion (PDF) looks at all aspects of forensic science in Canada, and includes an overview of forensic nursing (beginning on page 41), written by Eveline Gallant and Sheila Macdonald. Even for our non-Canadian readers, this is a concise overview of the state of the science and well-worth a look.

I have found a favorite new channel on youtube–RSA Shorts. Knowing how much I appreciate Brene Brown, their brand new animated short, The Power of Empathy, is utter perfection on a day when I am beyond weary: