While stories such as Karl Rove’s resignation and the conviction of terrorism-suspect Jose Padilla dominated the news this week, there are some low-reported yet interesting research studies that were recently released. They each throw a monkey wrench into the way we perceive certain issues. Namely: Iraq, military safety and the news.

More on:
Study on shifting Iraqi attitudes here.
Comparing the security danger of official military websites and millogs here. Full documentation from the Electronic Frontier Foundation here.
Gasp! Americans like hard news here.

politics, Iraq, podcasts, media, week in review, religion | No Comments »

If U.S. troops want to play a video game in which they convert or kill non-Christians, they’ll just have to get it themselves.

After pressure from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, the Department of Defense has shut down an evangelical group’s plan to send free copies of its video game to American soldiers serving in Iraq.

“Left Behind: Eternal Forces” is a PC-based role-playing game, in which your mission is to convert non-believers and kill the Antichrist’s army. The group planning to send the game overseas, Operation Straight Up, is an evangelical entertainment group whose leaders include champion kickboxer Jonathan Spinks and actor Stephen Baldwin.

More on:
“Left Behind: Eternal Forces” here.
Operation Straight UP here.
Max Blumenthal breaks the story here.
Department of Defense cancels the plan here.
Military Religious Freedom Foundation here.

Iraq, podcasts, technology, religion | No Comments »