I don't know if any of you care about politics, or freedom of speech, or net neutrality or anything other than video games really. Or if you watch CNN (which, if you do, I'm really sorry about that). But a short while ago someone by the name of Shirley Sherrod was fired due to a fuck up of truly epic proportions. Proportions so epic that not even the great, mindbending, mouth watering, boner giving epicness of Scott Pilgrim can't come close to. What happened? Well, a journalist, Andrew Breitbart posted a video on his blog of an editted speech Ms. Sherrod was giving to a NAACP crowd. While the speech was a message of being tolerant towards people of other races and that one must do their job "colour blind" if you will, Mr. "douche bag" Breitbart edited in a way to make her appear racist. The result? Several news outlets (Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and others) grabbed this story and ran with it, waving it over their head like a nerd who'd just lost his virginity running naked down the street holding the unfortunate girl's panties over his head. All of this press controversy caused the Obama Administration to move swiftly in firing Ms. Sherrod. BUT WAIT! Then someone found the real video and realized the tremendous fuck up that had just occurred. So what happened? Well, while Fox News admitted their mistake several others felt the need to point the finger. 
 
 CNN (the subject of this blog) however decided to take the low road and point the finger at the TRUE culprit of this monstrosity... anonymous bloggers???? Yes, CNN anchors Krya Phillips and John Roberts discussed in length (five minutes worth of length) about how people's ANONYMITY was the mischievous factor that caused this misdirected, erroneous shit storm to come down on this poor woman like Gabe Newell on a doughnut (that poor doughnut never saw it coming). But lets take a look at the facts CNN shall we? It was in fact NOT an anonymous blogger who caused this shit storm. It was a "failed" journalist on his own personal blog, where he clearly identified himself, that caused the shit storm of all shit storms. In fact, YOU CNN had a bigger part to play in this than any anonymous blogger did. In fact, I challenge you to find ONE example of a major controversy caused by something written or reported on by an anonymous blogger.  
 
The problem with this situation is certainly not that bloggers can write what they want on the internet without the threat of being prosecuted thanks to the vale of anonymity. The problem here is that YOU failed to fact check your story, YOU caused this woman to be fired, and now YOU are pointing the blame on someone else, CNN. And how dare you have the bullocks to suggest that there should be a "gatekeeper" to the internet. How can you in all good conscience claim to be the bastion of free speech that you wish you were while you are suggesting that that right be taken away, and that people have to meet some arbitrary governmental or corporate official to be able to say what they want. The internet is a great tool, it is giving a voice to people who have none. Radio lost it's ability to do this when everything became regulated and governed, television never gave it to you at all, and now YOU, CNN are claiming to take away one of the few remaining ways that a person can get their message, their opinion out there, away from people? Shake yourself, CNN! You are a bunch of hypocrites and I do not know how you sleep at night, particularly these two anchors. 
  
In all likely hood this was a paid segment by some company (almost 6 minutes without commercial? ya right) and you probably don't believe what you're reading but that doesn't make it okay. CNN is a joke of a news organization. They don't consist of journalists anymore. They are the extended mouth piece of whatever PR company is paying for a chance to control the stream. And to claim that YOU came to the rescue of this woman, that YOU somehow saved this woman's reputation is preposterous. I'm sick of you CNN, I'm sick of the corruption that you and your fellow media mouth pieces spew from your corporate propaganda holes. If you want to see a video here's a link. But you're right CNN, something has to be done, about you! I know you feel threatened by the blog-o-sphere and are a little against it, I would too if something was driving me out of a job. I know this was a stream of thought blog but I saw this video and my blood boiled. F#@k you, CNN. F#@K you and whatever corporate or governmental entity paid you for this bullshit segment. The audacity to suggest that you defy the right of free speech because someone's feelings might get hurt is unbelievable. But to be fair, do blogs say factually incorrect things? Yes, I've probably said some here. But how is that any worse that what YOU and the rest of the incompetent media say? The only difference is that I don't get paid to do research, I don't have a team of editors to make sure I'm correct. My mistakes are acceptable, yours are not. What do you think of this, GiantBomb.com readers? Do you think there should be a "gatekeeper" to the internet? I probably won't agree with you but I'd love to hear your opinions.  
 
P.S. So as to not be a hypocrite, my name is Keith Weagle and I'm a pissed off blogger. 
 
Edit: Broke it up a little bit, not editing it too much. It was a stream of consciousness blog, if you have a problem with the grammar don't read it.

Now, I'm one of the few people in the world that has access to broadband internet who would rather pay for a good movie than pirate it. That said, Sony isn't making it easy for me to do this. On Canada Day (July 1st) this year Sony launched it's PSN video store in Canada (with about half of the content of the American store, I might add). I was very happy about this because I find the idea of being able to rent or buy movies and just download them very appealing (I'm very excited about having Netflix streaming in Canada) but me and Sony's service have gotten off to a bad start. 
The first problem came 6 months before the PSN video service was even launched here. Owning a PS3 and an HDtv I've been buying blu-ray movies, two of which are District 9 and Zombieland. If you own these blu-rays then you know that they come with a code for a PSP digital copy. Well there's two things about these codes: 1) they require the video store to download and 2) the codes expire very quickly. (I bet you can guess where this is going) So, the result? The codes expired before the video store was available. When I contacted Sony customer support (an effort I didn't think would pay off but I figured I'd give it a shot anyway) the response seemed to carry this message "Sorry, you got screwed."  
So my relationship with this was already that of that girl you like but who you heard through the gossip vine called you a dick. Now flash forward (which is a good show by the way) to July. Sony says Canadians who visit the video store between July 1st and July 14th will get a free code to download a standard definition copy of Charlie's Angels (an amazing reward, I know). Today I get the email with the code, I go to put it in the PSN Store and guess what? It doesn't work! Why? Why, Sony? How can you possibly fuck up sending a code to someone? You generate the damn code! 
So this is my experience with the PSN Video Service, I haven't bought or rented anything off it because I have a feeling I'll end up getting screwed again. Here's hoping the Netflix streaming that's set to release here this fall will work better. I really do like to buy movies, but until it's easier to buy and watch a movie than it is to pirate one, I won't be buying digital (I refuse to pay for an inferior experience to one that is avialable for free*). 
 
*Yes, I know it's illegal although the RCMP has refused to arrest anyone for pirating media for personal use.

Hey, it's my first blog on GiantBomb.com. I just joined the website after listening to the Bombcast for a long time and watching the quick looks. I've got to say, I'm very impressed. I've been a member of gaming communities in the past but GiantBomb is a-whole-nother level community interaction. The twitter integration, the achievement tracking, the on site achievements, the quests and the whole sh*t load of other features I haven't used yet. The only thing that bums me out a bit is the lack of trophy tracking (not that that's surprising since Sony doesn't like play nice with others) because I play most of my games on PS3, but other than that it's awesome, duder!