rodzik@www

I got tickets, woooooo!!!! Not only did I get a ticket for myself but in an effort to ensure I got one ticket I now have extras. But I am now 100% sure I will be in attendance of the GT/U[sic]GA game this year, right in the middle of the GT student section! WOOOOOO!!

TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!

My schedule for today:

10:45 AM - Alarm goes off
10:55 - Get out of bed (after snoozing a bit); Check StingTalk
11:20 - Get out of shower/shave, get dressed, put on sunscreen
11:21 - Dress in my gameday outfit - White pants, Gold SWARM t-shirt, Gold wig; Check StingTalk
11:25 - Make two turkey and cheese sandwiches, wrap them up to take with me to the game
11:30 - Last-minute bathroom break in preparation for waiting outside the gate; Head to Bobby Dodd Stadium
11:45 - Arrive at Bobby Dodd Stadium, plant myself in line near the SWARM early-entrance gate
1:58 PM - Pre-tear game ticket to make it easier for the gate-workers to tear
2:00 - Gates open, THE RUNNING OF THE SWARM
2:00 - Secure my spot in the front middle/left of the SWARM section in the GT endzone
3:37 - KICKOFF!!
6:47 - Georgia Tech recovers a F$U fumble in the endzone to secure the first GT victory over Free Shoes in 33 years, and their first ACC victory over F$U, and their first victory against Bobby Bowden as F$U's coach!
6:50 - Victory Formation, clock winds down, RUSH THE FIELD!!!!
6:54 - Sing "I'm a Ramblin Wreck From Georgia Tech" while I'm standing on Historic Grant Field

Oh, and Virginia lost. And Georgia got obliterated. What a perfect day.

Note: Pictures and video on facebook.

I've been a member of the press for the better half of a decade now, being involved in writing a variety of articles for a variety of different websites in the gaming industry since around 2000. In that time, I have always tried to remain objective, despite the fact that I was often writing for "fan sites" that I was a part of simply because I enjoyed the game(s) I was writing about. Remaining objective is hard, especially in the cases where I personally knew many of the people involved. When you have multiple conversations a week for years with the people whose job it is to ensure the game's success, you can't help but think about them when writing an article that may criticize what they've worked so hard to promote.

However, without objectivity, journalism loses its value. There is no point in reading something or trusting the author (or editor, publication, etc.) if it is not an objective and unbiased source. That is why the practice of media and journalistic outlets endorsing candidates for public office is unfathomable to me. For example, the New York Times recently endorsed Barack Obama for President. I'm only picking this out because it's an easy example, but I hold similar disagreement with any media outlet endorsing any candidate, and if Fox News endorsed John McCain I'd hold them in similar contempt for doing so (they haven't...have they?).

Continuing to use the NY Times as an example, but extending this to all media outlets that offer endorsements, does this not completely trash the journalistic integrity of the publication as a whole? Here you have a media outlet that is claiming to provide the unbiased facts, the news, and the publication is saying who they want to be elected. If they want someone to be elected, what's to stop them from using their own publication to try and sway the public into voting for that person? In my opinion, no self-respecting (or peer-respected) media outlet should ever endorse anyone in an election, as it is an affront to journalistic integrity and brings the unbiasedness of the publication into question.

Say what you want about McCain, and about whether it's fair or not for the richest people to pay a massively disproportionate amount of taxes, but this is just absurd. Obama's tax plan is proposing to make tax rebates refundable. That means that if someone pays no taxes at all, he's saying they should get a $1,000 check from the government. I didn't realize that we were electing Robin Hood to steal from the 62% of people who pay taxes and redistributing the money to the 38% of people who don't. If you don't pay taxes you're already getting a significant benefit from the government - not paying taxes! How does it make any sense at all for the government to just give people cash, no string attached, no justification necessary, when they're not paying taxes? At least the welfare program in this country requires justification, this is just absurd.

What a sham. When I heard they were opening a second investigation (into the 2000 olympics) I told someone I thought it was just so they could look like they were actually carrying on a "legitimate" investigation. That way when they released their statement saying the Gymnasts were old enough "because China says so" nobody could cry foul, because they can go "but look, we're investigating things you didn't even tell us to! See!! We're actually trying!!" Maybe they are actually trying, but here's what happened in a nutshell:

Step 1: Evidence on state-sponsored websites that some of the gymnasts are underage is discovered and published in the media.
Step 2: If that's the case, the Chinese government falsified their gymnasts official state records.
Step 3: To investigate, the F.I.G. asks for more official state records!

If you can't see how stupid step 3 is, I think the F.I.G. might have a job just for you: Investigator.