I have conflicting feelings about the Obama administration’s reversal of the 18-year ban on photographs of flag-covered caskets.  On one hand, it sounds quite logical that it should be up to the families of fallen troops to decide whether to admit the press at ceremonies where caskets arrive back in the U.S.  On the other hand, I’m not sure all of the members of the media will handle the situation with the dignity it deserves.

When I worked as  a reporter for the FOX station in El Paso, the parents of a fallen soldier allowed us to be at the local airport for the arrival of their son’s casket.  It was one of the most uncomfortable situations I’ve ever been in even though we were invited to be there.  It was a deeply painful and emotional moment for the family.  My photographer and I were incredibly respectful of the situation– staying in one spot and keeping our distance.  Even so, I felt like I was intruding.  And we were one photographer and one reporter.  How would the situation have been different if all of the television stations and newspapers had been covering the event?  It would have turned into a circus.

I realize there is some value in capturing a moment like that, as it graphically demonstrates the cost of war.  I just hope with the new policy no one exploits the situation in any way for “good” tv or for a “money” shot.  Our service men and women deserve our upmost respect in life and in death.

Here are my picks for this year’s Academy award winners in the top categories…

Best Film, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor, Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Actress, Kate Winslet, “The Reader” (and, she doesn’t just deserve to win because she’s been nominated so many times)

Best Supporting Actor, Heath Ledger (but the guy in Revolutionary Road was really good too!)

Best Supporting Actress, Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Christina Barcelona” (she’s not a favorite to win but I’m pulling for her)

Best Director, Danny Boyle for “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Animated Movie, WALL-E

I will be the first to admit when the news broke that the mother of the octuplets, Nadya Suleman, had six other children– I was shocked, even angered.  But death threats?  Come on.  Leave the woman alone.

Was she irresponsible for undergoing in vitro fertilization when she already had so many other children?  The answer for many is yes.  But let those in the medical profession debate the ethics and morals of her decision and the actions of her doctor.

Sending the mother into hiding because she’s afraid of retaliation doesn’t help the 14 innocent children she now has to care for.

In addition to being a news anchor and reporter, I’m a news junkie.  I listen to, watch, and read as much news as possible, whether it’s channel surfing the major networks, clicking through dozens of websites or listening to talk radio.  But I have to admit my favorite source for news is my hometown newspaper, “The Progress”, a weekly paper published in Live Oak County, Texas.

This week’s front page headline was, “A Rare Glimpse:  Birders flock to Choke Canyon to see what is thought to be a Pine Flycatcher”.  Trust me, that’s a big story for a town of about 2,500.

Obviously, I don’t rely on the paper for the major news of the day but it does keep me connected to the community I grew up in and my family and friends who still live there.  Each week “The Progress” informs me of who is getting married, how the local sports teams are doing and it occasionally keeps tabs on my own family.  This week my mother was photographed with members of the Brush Country Cattlewomen in a story about their monthly meeting.  And, yes, sometimes I read the paper just for the entertainment of headlines like, ”Wild Hog Cook-Off to be held on Valentine’s Day” and ”Winter is a great time for quilting”.

But in a world inundated with news of terror plots, financial bailouts, and random acts of violence, my hometown paper is a welcomed respite– even if the top story is about a little bird who, like me, is hundreds of miles from home.