I've said it before and I know others have too: it's awfully strange, considering my profession, that I don't read books. I've never been a book reader. Ever. I struggled through classes in high school and college that required reading novels.

I know, right? And yes I still want to write the Great American Novel. But that's different. Part of the reason I don't read more is that I'm easily distracted. I can sit down and read a chapter or two of a book, put it down and think that I'll be able to get back to it the next day. But then it's a week before I pick the book up again and I've forgotten what I've read.

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I am all for national security. I travel at least twice a year by plane. And I like to know that terrorists, hijackers, and others aren't sitting next to me on that plane considering when to take it down. I like to know that the guy next to me doesn't have a bomb in his shoe...or his underwear.

But I'm also conservative when it comes to my rights and privacy being stripped from me. Call me crazy, call me Texan, but I'm all for concealed carry or even open carry in specific circumstances. On Facebook, I'm a fan of the "Concealed Carry on Campus" group. Too many school shootings could be prevented by licensed, regulated gun owners. The bad guys will always get the guns anyway, so if I know the good guy also has a gun...well I like the odds a whole lot better.

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There is nothing comedic or trivial about handicaps, disabilities, and/or special medical or developmental needs. "Reduction to absurdity" is a technique of debate in which a premise is taken to, or past, its logical extreme. While this can be used to belittle an opposing viewpoint (Google "Godwin's Law"), it can also encourage thoughtful discussion.

I will also aim to use the definitions of student accessibility to public education expressed here.

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Kris Freeman may have won the 30K cross-country race at the U.S. National Championships in Anchorage, Alaska last month – had he not been forced to stop and test his blood sugar late in the race. Freeman came in second.

The first and last time an American won an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing was 34 years ago. Freeman hopes to end that drought in the winter Olympics, despite having type 1 diabetes.

As a hockey household, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the winter Olympics to cheer on team USA. I’ll admit, cross-country skiing was never something I had given much thought about and it was not on my radar when I thought of the events I’d like to check out. That said, we’re now officially on the Kris Freeman bandwagon and our household will be cheering loudly for him when he races in Vancouver.

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"They all look the same to me!"

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Dear Oprah,

I used to be a fan. I used to watch your show all the time. Probably every day. That was back when I was in school and was home by the time you were on.

After I got into the real world and started working, I rarely saw your show. And frankly when I did, it was pretty sensationalized. As a member of the media, I pretty much hate sensationalism. I may be in the media minority when it comes to that, but it's a direction that I simply can't stand our industry has gone in.

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