“The One I Left Behind” by Jennifer McMahon

c.2013, William Morrow                      $14.99 / $16.99 Canada                      423 pages

Once upon a time, your parents diapered your behind.

They didn’t mind, though, because it was part of being a parent. They fed you, cleaned up after you, put clothes on your little body, toys in your bedroom, and lessons in your head. They made meals, curfews, and sacrifices.

It was totally unexpected—a bulky brown manila envelope in the mailbox. A late Christmas gift from my baby sister, Jacki.

I cut open the envelope and found a short note with seven wooden letters. Each letter—in a monotype font—was affixed with a different patterned paper. A crisp crimson “N,” a polka-dotted “Y,” a paisley “E.” Even a sparkly “O.”

Though the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) reaffirmed its ban on gay, bisexual, or transgender scouts (youth members) and scouters (adult leaders) last year, talk was in the air that the BSA National Executive Board was to make an announcement on whether it was willing to reconsider its previous stands. Recently, however, the Board released a statement that due to the controversial nature of and divided opinions over the present policy, a decision would have to wait until May to provide the Board and local Boy Scout chapters more time for deliberation.

Sean Strub talks about The Sero Project

Executive Director Sean Strub took some time to talk about what The Sero Project is and its work in Iowa and the Midwest. Sero is a not-for-profit human rights organization promoting the empowerment of people with HIV, combating HIV-related stigma and advocating for sound public health and HIV prevention policies.  Sero is particularly focused on ending inappropriate criminal prosecutions of people with HIV for non-disclosure of their HIV status, potential or perceived HIV exposure or HIV transmission.

1982 was the year that I joined.  I wanted to explore the career of law enforcement and seeing how police officers did their job.  So I joined Law Enforcement Explorer post 591 of the Omaha Police Division (at that time, it was a Division of the Omaha Public Safety Department.)

Omaha Police officers wear dark blue shirts and dark blue pants.  As explorers we wore light blue shirts with an Explorer badge and patch and a Police Division patch, and dark pants.  Our utility belts carried mace, handcuffs, flashlights and often pouches for gloves in case of an emergency.

I have written about online privacy several times before. As I have said the real issue has very little to do with who can see your Facebook pictures or someone seeing your posts. Those situations can be embarrassing. If it happens because of yet another default change to Facebook’s setting you may be inclined to blame them. The sad truth is that the internet is definitely a “user beware” sort of place.

Paul Whannel, Executive Director, took the time to discuss Midwestern AIDS Project. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Paul talks about the history of this organization, its mission, Paul’s experience with non-profits, and what services Midwestern AIDS Project offers.