Lost in the world of screens?

Click on this link to read a rant from Truthdig by Chris Hedges about how we are all losing ourselves in the world of screens (computers/phones/etc.).  This article was contributed by Robert Stanton.

Shoot-'Em-Ups Make You Smarter

From Slate (9-14-10):

Playing violent, fast-paced video games may actually make you smarter , researchers say. Subjects who spent 50 hours playing Call of Duty 2 were able to complete timed computer tasks about a quarter more quickly, and substantially more accurately, than people who played the Sims. The results suggest that playing shoot-'em-ups increases people's ability to conduct probablistic reasoning and quickly infer useful facts from fuzzy data. "It's not the case that the action game players are trigger-happy and less accurate—they are just as accurate and also faster," said the neuroscientist who conducted the study . Researchers say the results suggest that playing video games could provide a useful performance boost to people like surgeons and soldiers who need to make quick, high-stakes decisions based on limited information.

Read original story in Bloomberg | Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010

"Medal of Honor" game banned on US military bases

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article about how the videogame "Medal of Honor" has been banned from bases because it allows a player to assume the role of the Taliban and shoot American soldiers in the game.  Do you agree with the ban?  What are the dangerous consequences imagined by those who forbid the game?

Will Craig's List censorship eliminate its online prostitution business?

Click on this link to read a Washington Post article about Craig List's decision to "censor" prostitution ads on its site.  The article explores whether this will likely eliminate or reduce the solicitation of sexual services on the site.

Flag trampling upheld (for Baptists)

From Slate (9/3/10):

Federal Judge Overturns Ban on Flag Mutilation

U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf overturned Nebraska's ban on flag mutilation Thursday. It is unclear whether his ruling, that the law can't be applied as long as the person in question is otherwise acting peacefully, would affect only the individual who filed the lawsuit and her fellow church members or everyone in the state. "Thursday's ruling is a victory for activists from a Kansas church who trample on the U.S. flag when they protest at military funerals," the Associated Press reported. Megan Phelps-Roper, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., filed the lawsuit in July on the grounds that the ban violated her right to free speech. Westboro Baptist members often protest at soldiers' funerals across the United States because they believe troop deaths are a punishment for the country's tolerance of homosexuality. Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning has previously said that his state's ban on flag mutilation is not consistent with U.S. Supreme Court rulings that declared desecration of the flag a form of protected speech and that he wouldn't fight to save it. Should Bruning refuse to appeal, Thursday's ruling would stand.

Read original story in The Associated Press | Friday, Sept. 3, 2010