Discussion Post: Week 15

Well, we’re reaching the end of the semester. I’ll be sorry to see you go when class ends for the last time, but at the same time, I’ve been delighted to see the skills you’ve showcased throughout the term. Remember, if you’re speaking in the last week, be sure to submit your outline to the SafeAssign link on Blackboard at least 48 hours before your scheduled presentation date.

Let’s jump right in! Earlier this week, a number of web servers connected to Amazon.com ceased to function, resulting in outages for a wide range of sites that were hosted by Amazon. Even popular sites like Reddit and Quora were negatively affected. Does this call into question the viability of a cloud computing infrastructure, or is this an isolated incident that could have been just as bad, or worse, under another framework? Do you think that this will affect Amazon’s credibility moving forward?

Apple’s winning big in the mobile phone market, as the company passed Nokia in the first quarter of this year to become the world’s largest mobile phone retailer in terms of earnings. It doesn’t seem to matter what carrier the phones use, whether it’s Verizon or AT&T. Apple phones just sell, regardless of carrier or even country. That success bodes well for the iPhone 5, slated to begin production this summer. Not that all the news is positive — recent reports revealed that a set of hidden files on iPhones record detailed information about the user’s location, store it on the device without any encryption and transmit that data to Apple as well as any other device with which the iPhone is synced (such as, for instance, a computer with iTunes). It is believed that the location tracking file is a bug that could be fixed in a future update. Curiously, law enforcement has been using the location data in criminal investigations for quite some time, but news of the tracking files has angered lawmakers who believe that the tracking function may represent an invasion of privacy and a personal security risk. What do you think about Apple in terms of its success as well as this new controversy? How did the company’s phones become so popular? What qualities of the phones, the company, or the marketing strategy attract customers? Do you think that the location-tracking revelation will dampen consumer trust in the Apple brand and allow competitors like the upcoming Droid Charge to gain ground, or will customers ultimately ignore such concerns? Has Apple committed any wrongdoing here? What are the ramifications for public policy? How about other privacy breaches and questions about other services, such as security flaws in the Android phone, Facebook’s ever-changing privacy policy or Dropbox’s ambiguous terms of service? For that matter, should we even be worried about our whereabouts or other personal information being monitored?

Jeff Immelt, who was appointed the U.S. “jobs czar” in January, has come under fire due to the unflinching unemployment rate and growing offshoring trend. With the value of the dollar falling and gas prices jumping, some analysts are saying that capitalism as a whole isn’t working for the middle class on the new global economic stage. The government has been having plenty of fiscal problems as well, but many deficit proposals continue to face fierce opposition from voters. President Obama has targeted the GOP in the midst of the crisis, apologizing to voters for compromising with Republicans on the issue and calling the GOP’s proposed budget “radical, not courageous.” In the meantime, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s changed its outlook on the U.S. economy from “stable” to “negative” for the first time in the group’s history, sending stocks spiraling downward. However, some analysts are hesitant to trust the S&P report given past conflicts of interest, as they may have skewed reports preceding the current recession. What are your thoughts on the ongoing economic calamity, challenges for both employees and the unemployed, and the way in which administrators are handling the situation? What does it mean for the upcoming elections and legislation in the near future? How will the crisis ultimately end (if, in fact, it is brought to a close)?

Expanding our gaze for a bit, Libyan rebels are fighting back and moving into territory long held by Moammar Gadhafi’s regime despite the relative lack of direct U.S. involvement in the conflict. While NATO has perhaps played the largest role in assisting rebel forces, President Obama has ordered the deployment of armed drones to assist in the battle, a development welcomed by Libyan opposition forces. The support won’t restore the lives of those who have fallen, including prominent photographers Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros who were killed during a Wednesday skirmish, but rebel forces hope that overthrowing Gadhafi will restore some peace to the bloodied region and prevent similar tragedies in the future. Little has stabilized elsewhere; From Syria to Yemen, Turkey to Belarus, and Pakistan to Egypt, national unrest is leaving its mark on the international community this year. And, of course, Japan is still dealing with plenty of problems of its own. The latest nuclear recovery plan? Air conditioning. Contrast that with Kyrgyzstan’s leaders, who sacrificed seven rams before their Thursday morning meeting in order to banish “evil spirits,” and… well, you can decide for yourself how you feel about that.

Let’s lighten things up a bit. How would you like a singer called “Sweet Micky” running your country? Well, that’s who Haiti’s getting. In a landslide election, Michel Martelly won the presidency with 67.6% of the votes, handily defeating the country’s former first lady Mirlande Manigat. Having lost two of every three voters to the pop star, Manigat declined to contest the results. Do you think that Martelly will make a strong statesman, looked upon in the same way that some Americans remember former president Ronald Reagan, and aggressively tackle the challenges his country is facing? Or does this whole affair remind you more of the old Snickers “President” commercial? I’m not sure even that can beat North Las Vegas’ recent “high card wins” city council primary that was decided casino style.

Earlier this semester we spoke quite a bit about the space shuttle Discovery, so it’s only fitting that as we near the end of the term, we consider Endeavour’s last launch, scheduled for next Friday. The first family will be in attendance to watch the start of NASA’s second-to-last manned mission. How do you look upon the event? Now that you’ve had more time to think about it, what are your thoughts on the end of NASA’s manned spaceflights? What does it mean to you that the program will end 30 years after NASA’s original projection for a Mars mission? Do you think that such lofty goals are important in this day and age, or would we be better off to explore newly discovered lands on our own planet for awhile longer or just view the cosmos from afar? In light of the great difficulties in reaching Mars, does it make sense to seek alternative means of reaching that goal, such as corporate sponsorship?

Finally, given that the long-celebrated wedding between Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton will also be on the 29th, it’s about time it earned a place in our course blog. The nuptials have garnered tremendous media attention, whether viewers are scrutinizing Middleton’s dress or hats, the couple’s honeymoon or three wedding receptions, or the future princess’ vows and the prince’s quest for normalcy. Some are chatting about it every ten seconds, some wish that William would get to kiss the bride (it’s forbidden), some are scrutinizing Middleton’s inheritance rights, some are stunned by the $163,000 wedding bill handed to the Middleton family, some think that Middleton should have accepted the multimillion-dollar tabloid offers following the couple’s brief split three years back, and some are more interested in the broader trend of royal-commoner marriages. Perhaps most divisive, though, is that some see this as “the party for a generation,” filled with soon-to-be priceless merchandise (well, maybe not), while others just want the media frenzy to stop. What are your thoughts on the wedding? Is this as significant an occasion as the media coverage would indicate? What does all this mean for the future of Great Britain and the international community?

You know the drill by now — you can comment on any of the stories in this post, or make a post of your own. Until next time!

Other articles of interest:
A Soccer Ball That Can Kick Start Your Cell Phone
Video: Watch Philadelphia’s baseball robot deliver the first pitch
The Psychology of Cheating
Indiana high court rules in favor of NCAA in Final Four ticket case
Yahoo! Sports Minute: NFL prospect’s hair color an issue
Bud Selig: Baseball playoffs likely to expand to 10 teams in 2012
New Tiger, old Tiger, they both sound the same
Man runs 99 miles home after completing London Marathon
Paralyzed Bride Jennifer Darmon Walks at Wedding
Sony blames ‘external intrusion’ for PlayStation Network outage
PlayStation Network Goes Down, Anonymous Is Not Responsible
Report: Sony, Microsoft Aren’t Launching New Consoles Until 2014
Wii 2 controller sports 6.2-inch touchscreen?
PCs Are Adopting Features from Tablets Like iPad
Quantum Teleportation Breakthrough May Pave the Way for Quantum Computing
For AP Students, a New Classroom Is Online
Amazon Kindle Library Lending to Roll Out This Year
Bergdorf Goodman Invites Consumers To Design Fendi Bag on Facebook
Greenpeace Criticizes Apple, Twitter, Facebook for ‘Dirty’ Data Centers
BP oil spill: Forgotten but not gone
CDC: Entire U.S. Will Have Non-Smoking Laws by 2020
DOT Requires Taxes, Fees Be Included in Advertised Prices
Blagojevich watches jury selection for corruption trial
Would U.S. voters tell Trump, ‘You’re hired’?
Army, Navy add citizenship option to boot camp
FBI investigating after pipe bomb found on Columbine anniversary
Lower IQ in children linked to banned insecticide
You Know Your Blood Type. What About Your Gut Bug Type?
Check out the world’s most advanced … toilet?
CIA Cover-Up Alleged in JFK’s ‘Secret UFO Inquiry’
McDonald’s Lawsuit is Three Fries Short of a Happy Meal
Taco Bell asks litigious critics: Would it kill you to say you’re sorry?
Russian leader dances to “American Boy”
Lady Gaga’s Ears Are Broken
Frey, Glass, and Blair: Where are they now?

Discussion Post: Week 9

Hi, all! It’s time for the bonus spring break edition of the COM 315 Course Blog!

As a reminder, please remember to submit your Persuasive Presentation I outline via the SafeAssign link at least 48 hours before the class period in which you’re scheduled to present. Feel free to send me a note if you have any questions about the process, and I’ll be happy to talk it over with you.

Let’s start internationally again this week. Fighting in Libya has only continued, without the promise of a happy ending that the Egyptian revolution held just a few short weeks ago. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces have turned the tide against the rebellion, retaking Zawiya from insurgents who took it from the military in the closing days of February. While this marks a victory for Gadhafi’s military, though, the Arab League is now calling for a no-fly zone over Libya, supporting earlier European proposals on the subject. The argument over implementation continues, however, as some claim that international intervention poses great risks, including the possibility of an “anti-Western backlash”, as Defense Secretary Robert Gates noted. President Obama has yet to clarify his position on the matter, but the United Nations is already moving to investigate human rights violations in the war-torn country. In the meantime, many analysts say that Libya is only descending further into chaos, speculation which is only worsened by past brutality and further damage to the Libyan oil industry. What are your thoughts on the direction this war is heading? What do you think about the reaction from the international community?

Our global focus this week goes beyond Libya, as Japan is currently facing its own crises. A deadly earthquake and tsunami combination on Friday was followed by speculation of a nuclear catastrophe. Aftershocks from the 8.9-magnitude earthquake (some measurements are closer to 9.1) have slowed relief efforts, and current estimates have the death toll anywhere from 686 to over 900. The international turmoil is affecting worldwide investment, as well. How well is Japan coping with these tragedies? Do you think that the recent events will have trade ramifications, as well (such as in the automobile and technology sectors), or will the nation be able to keep its international partnerships strong amidst these crises? For that matter, how will this change how the international community views nuclear power, and what effects will that ultimately have on energy as a whole?

Turning to technology news, Netflix has been a topic of particular interest over the past week, with Facebook following Amazon into the digital rental market. Warner Bros. will be starting its Facebook-hosted rental service with The Dark Knight available for 30 Facebook credits (equivalent to $3), which some speculate is an attempt by the movie and cable industries to take back some of their lost market share from the corporation. Netflix sudden defenseless appearance has many investors considering short selling their shares. What do you think about Netflix’s market position? Can the company recover its dominance, or are its competitors gaining too much ground? How will these developments affect the movie rental experience and industry in the near future?

Perhaps Steve Jobs’ absence is affecting Apple more than we might have suspected. Friday’s iPad 2 launch was, according to one analyst, “a debacle from top to bottom,” and Apple’s shipping estimates have suddenly jumped from 3-5 days to 2-3 weeks, even as AT&T is already shipping the tablet to consumers. Of course, this is at least partly due to high demand, which makes sense when one considers the speed and graphical improvements from the original iPad. (Manhattan Community College student Amanda Foote sold the first spot in line at her local Apple store for $900.) Still, we’re not seeing unanimously positive reviews, as some claim that there were not enough improvements from the first iPad, while others have noticed some of the same screen problems that plagued previous Apple products. What are your thoughts on Apple’s latest tech toy and last week’s less-than-perfect launch?

Space Shuttle Discovery landed for the final time just before noon on Wednesday, ending its 13-day mission at the Kennedy Space Center. Only the Endeavour and Atlantis launches remain on NASA’s schedule of manned space flights, with Endeavour’s launch scheduled for April 19. With the shuttles bound to spend the rest of their days in museums, it’s still unclear exactly where each of the three will go, but we can be sure that their flying days will be over once their respective missions are complete. How do you feel about the 30-year shuttle program coming to an end? What are your thoughts about the history of Discovery, with its 365 days of flight, and its ending, comically enough, with a performance by Star Trek’s William Shatner?

If you’re a big football fan, you’ve certainly been following the negotiations between players and owners and have already heard that the NFL Players’ Association dissolved on Friday. That places the 2011 NFL season in serious jeopardy. Executives Roger Goodell and Jeff Pash have slashed their own salaries to $1 for the duration of the lockout, although some are calling it nothing more than a public relations ploy. No one seems to know how long the negotiation stalemate will continue, and the lockout’s effects extend to all parties employed by the league or its teams as the $9 billion business is effectively halted. What do you think about this struggle? Is this merely a case of greed by one or both of the involved parties, or do both have legitimate claims here? How do you think it will play out (or not), and what will be the short- and long-term ramifications of the lockout?

Since we’re talking about sports, I would be remiss to neglect the coming NCAA basketball tournament. Many of you will likely be watching the Selection Sunday broadcast on CBS later today, but Purdue’s strong standing in the big dance is suddenly in doubt. Do you think that the Boilermakers’ recent slips will hurt the team’s seeding, or will its strong overall resume provide a more forceful argument? How do you see our momentum loss affecting the chances for a tournament run? What are your thoughts on the new 68-team field, effectively creating a 17th seed? Does it do enough (or too much) to give more teams a chance? Do you think that speculation of seven Big Ten teams making tournament bids might be accurate? What do you think about murmurs of 11 Big East teams?

That’s all for this extra week of the blog. Once again, feel free to post about any of the above or below stories, or make your own post for this week. Enjoy your break, and I’ll see you when we return to class for Persuasive Presentation I!

Other articles of interest:
Winnetka woman on quest to meet her 300-plus Facebook friends this year
Ahead of the 2012 campaign, states debate voting rights
Democratic senators, returned to Capitol, get boisterous welcome
Violence undermines conciliation between Yemeni ruling party, opposition
March 19 ‘Supermoon’ May Cause Moonquakes, Scientist Says
Alec Baldwin Tells Charlie Sheen to ‘Beg for Your Job Back’
Researcher chains three exploits to take down IE8 at Pwn2Own
Government can get records from Twitter for WikiLeaks probe, judge rules
Twitter to developers: enough with the third-party apps
No!: PAX East attendees pitch game ideas (and get shot down)
‘Medical home’ idea deemed a success
Purdue still hosts ‘Shuttle Gum’ trees from astronauts

EDIT: Well, it looks like one of my questions has been answered. Purdue will be playing as the #3 seed against Saint Peter’s in the southwest region.

Discussion Post: Week 8

Another week down as we move toward our persuasive presentations! Please note the announcements sent over Blackboard mail regarding this week as well as the next presentation, and be sure to send me your topic for Persuasive Presentation I no later than this Tuesday.

The Libyan revolution continued throughout the week with fierce conflicts and significant bloodshed as opposition forces faced Moammar Gadhafi’s military. By the best estimates, a total of 37 fighters were killed in the most recent skirmish in Zawiya, but Gadhafi seems to be having limited success in reclaiming territory from the rebellion. However, one of the battle’s casualties was Hussein Darbouk, a renegade colonel who defected from Gadhafi’s troops and served as a leading rebel commander. The deadlock has lasted nearly three weeks at this point, with Gadhafi maintaining control over the capital but the rebellion refusing to yield nearby territories. Competing gains by the two sides are beginning to suggest the development of civil war in Libya. The U.S., for its part, is sanctioning and applying military pressure on the ‘delusional’ Kadhafi; the Libyan government has since lobbied to have those sanctions lifted, but the UN has yet to rule on the request. In the meantime, Gadhafi remains unable to access $32 billion in frozen assets, and Libya’s international relations with foreign organizations have grown increasingly strained. Libya’s internet was throttled on Thursday through a new technique that has halted web traffic, much like what we saw from the recent Egyptian revolution, but while technically keeping the country’s servers running. If you’re interested in following the events a bit more closely, BBC is providing a veritable play-by-play of each major conflict. What do you think about the ongoing conflict and its relationship with other protests and battles throughout the Middle East? Do you foresee the Libyan revolution ending the same way that Hosni Mubarak’s reign ended in Egypt, or are we moving in another direction? How do you think the most recent developments will affect the region (see, for example, Saudi Arabia’s proclamation that “demonstrations won’t be tolerated“)?

Let’s momentarily switch back to the Egyptian revolution. The country has just appointed Essam Sharaf prime minister, replacing Ahmed Shafiq, a member of the former regime whom ousted president Mubarak appointed to the role. If Sharaf’s name sounds familiar to you, it may be because you’ve seen his name listed among Purdue’s alumni. What do you think about the choice of Sharaf, an alumnus of our university, as the new head of this troubled country? Should we expect any special connections to be drawn between Purdue and Egypt under Sharaf’s rule, or are such ideas premature? How will he deal with continued unrest, such as fears that documents detailing human rights abuses will be destroyed? And how will the events in Egypt and Libya affect the rest of the Middle East and the global community?

In less violent news, NASA has extended space shuttle Discovery’s mission by two days, bringing it ever closer to spending a full year in space. Space shuttle Endeavor is also being primed for its final mission, even as Discovery continues its orbit. Under the circumstances, though, many astronauts’ attention is turning to a “new era” in space exploration and politicians are calling for a “new space strategy” for the U.S. Even NASA’s track record is far from perfect, of course, as the Glory satellite launch failed on Friday. It is believed that the rocket crashed into the Pacific Ocean due to a malfunction in its protective cover. In light of the “end of an era,” how do you see the future of space exploration? Will it be a bright future, or one in which we instead look fondly on the past?

On the political side, President Barack Obama moved to save his landmark health care legislation from Supreme Court challenges last week, permitting states to enact their own alternatives provided that their plans fulfill the core objectives of his law and do not weaken its provisions. Nonetheless, a number of states are moving forward with lawsuits against the government claiming that the new law is unconstitutional; the results of those suits are as divided as the nation’s opinion on the new measures. In the meantime, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson issued a stay on his previous ruling to halt the implementation of “Obamacare,” but that stay is contingent on the government appealing his ruling by March 11. Some analysts, in looking at the tone of Vinson’s order, believe that he is furious at the government’s apparent willful ignorance of his previous order. What are your thoughts on the ongoing legal battle and on the law itself? How are the states and the federal government positioning themselves in their argumentation? For that matter, who’s winning the argument?

Elsewhere in the political realm, Wisconsin’s government has all but shut down, as 14 Democratic senators are hiding in Illinois to stymie a budget repair bill that has prompted nationwide debate over the elimination of collective bargaining rights for public workers. While Gov. Scott Walker initially invited lawmakers to return, he eventually threatened to fire 1,500 Wisconsin workers if they remained absent. The firing process has now begun. With protesters dwindling and the rogue senators the only thing keeping this bill from passing, Walker is now moving to hold them in contempt if they do not return to their positions. If that happens, the senators would be subject to arrest if they even set foot in the state. How do you view the heavy-handed measures by both sides in this legislative conflict? What effect do you think this will have on the overall political spectrum — or is it merely a symptom of a broader political dynamic?

Finally, for any hoops fans out there, it’s been an unusual week of high school and college basketball. A big win by Louisville over 4th-ranked Pittsburgh was placed in jeopardy by, of all things, a cheerleader. The unsuspecting squad member celebrated what seemed to be a game-sealing dunk at the end of overtime by grabbing the game ball and tossing it in the air. Just one problem: there were still three-tenths of a second on the clock. His technical foul ultimately was not enough to save Pittsburgh, as Louisville escaped with a 62-59 victory, but scores of fans immediately called for his suspension or expulsion from the cheer squad. Louisville coach Rick Pitino himself joked that “The male cheerleader is coming to an end.” What do you think about the cheerleader’s mistake? Should he be punished for interfering with the competition, or is everyone taking the game a bit too seriously? For that matter, how do you feel about Pitino’s jab at the role of male cheerleaders?

In a far more somber basketball story… well, this time I’ll just give you a quote.

Tragedy struck Western Michigan on Thursday night when Fennville (Mich.) High basketball star Wes Leonard hit a game-winning shot in a 57-55, overtime victory over Bridgman (Mich.) High, then collapsed on the court while celebrating the victory and was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly thereafter.
(Source: Prep Rally)

Fennville’s perfect 20-0 season ended in an autopsy, which revealed that Leonard died from cardiac arrest related to an enlarged heart. Fennville has yet to decide whether or not it will participate in the Class C district playoffs on Monday. I won’t probe on particular questions here, because I’m sure that if you hold an interest in this story, you already have plenty of thoughts of your own to offer.

Other articles of interest:
Serene Branson returns to the red carpet two weeks after Grammy scare
Tiny spy planes could mimic birds, insects
Google rivals both win & lose in search tweak
Websites to Google: ‘You’re killing our business!’
Facebook will soon share users’ phone numbers and addresses with 3rd parties
Gmail disruption sends some users calling for backup
Week in Apple: iPad 2 finally makes its debut, iOS 4.3 coming soon
AT&T Tweaks Data Plan for iPad 2
Apple Said to Negotiate Unlimited Music Downloads, Providing Free Backup
Is Amazon Moving Towards Free Kindles?
Nintendo 3DS: Nearly Sold Out in Japan?
Judge Lets Sony Unmask Visitors to PS3-Jailbreaking Site
Five things you never knew about Pac-Man
Anonymous vs. HBGary: the aftermath
Mass. company making diesel with sun, water, CO2
If You Want 40 M.P.G., You’ll Shift for Yourself
Iran threatens London boycott over ‘racist’ Olympic logo
Oil’s rise to 2-1/2 year high ignites inflation fears
Who Owns the U.S.?
Past medical testing on humans revealed
Air travelers may have been exposed to measles
Taco Bell launches ad blitz to combat beefs about its beef (Yes, I put this right below the “measles” article, mostly for laughs.)
Cubs Open PA Announcer Job To Fans
Greg McElroy almost aced the Wonderlic. Is he too smart for the NFL?
Charlie Sheen Demands $3 Million Per Episode
WordPress Hit By Massive DDoS Attacks

Discussion Post: Week 7

Welcome back to the blog! We had some good presentations this week, and I’m looking forward to seeing the last few on Tuesday. Keep that energy going!

On a side note, if you accidentally post on the blog for another section of COM 315, that’s totally fine. Just let me know, and I’ll be sure to give you credit for participating in the blog discussion for the week. (And hey, if you want to willfully engage in that discussion as well, that’s fine too! I’m sure the other instructors will appreciate the activity.)

With that said, let’s get to our discussion! First, there were some significant changes made this week to two of the most prominent internet search engines. Google took action against “crummy content,” trying to reduce artificial increases in content farms’ page rank. Bing is making a much more visible change, incorporating “Likes” by Facebook friends into its algorithm in an attempt to take advantage of the social networking movement and strike back in the search engine battle. Google is hardly done yet, however, as it is working to unveil a recipe search feature to help the chefs and wannabes among us. What do you think about the duel between search engines? Which of these most recent moves do you think is most advantageous? Bing has been gaining market share, little by little; can Microsoft keep it going, or will its growth be short-lived?

In gaming news, Sony really, really doesn’t want you hacking the PS3. Police, along with Sony executives, recently paid a visit to the home of one console hacker, graf_chokolo, who promptly retaliated by voicing his disgust on Twitter and uploading his databases of hacked information to the internet. Sony subsequently sued the hacker and demanded that he remove the links to his databases, an order with which he has complied — who knows how many people already downloaded his files, though. What are your thoughts about this conflict? Do you think that Sony has a right to be angry about the hacking, or is tinkering inevitable when you release a technological product? Was the ultimate reaction by both parties appropriate? And will the sudden PSP price drop to $130 make people forget all about the legal battle?

After some Friday heat shield check-ups, the U.S. space shuttle Discovery is now docked at the International Space Station for the 13th and final time. This 11-day endeavor is mostly a delivery assignment, with two spacewalks planned as well. By the time it’s over, Discovery will have spent just two days short of a year in space since 1984. What are your thoughts on the end of NASA missions (here’s NASA’s 2011 schedule, if you’re interested) and the most recent developments in Discovery’s tale?

Since there was some interest in the education topic last week, I promised we’d continue thinking about some of the same issues during our discussion this week. In week 2, I linked an article about a recent study which indicates that there are limited learning outcomes from higher education. This has been generating a lot of buzz among scholars and the public, both of whom are looking for reasons behind the problem and ways to fix it. First, since Ji Hyeon had some concerns about the validity of the study’s measures, do you think that learning outcomes really are limited, or are you skeptical of the findings? If there are any such inadequacies, what, if anything, can be done to make a positive change? (Note that the last article I linked also has a great discussion section, rather like our blog, that helps to extend the article. I recommend checking out what those readers have to say.)

Finally, if you thought that Egypt’s leadership change would have no effects outside the country, you were wrong. Libya in particular has erupted in violence as international pressure on Colonel Moammar Gadhafi to step down from his leadership position increases. Most nations with citizens in Libya are frantically working to evacuate them, and the U.S. is taking somewhat more direct action against the Libyan government through sanctions and talks with nearby world leaders. For his part, Gadhafi ordered retaliation by force against the mobs calling for his ouster, and he claims that protesters are merely hallucinating due to spiked milk, coffee, and Nescafe. Elsewhere, Tunisia’s interim government has announced that it will hold democratic elections no later than July, and protesters in Yemen are dramatically growing in number. China has restored access to LinkedIn — it initially blocked the site to prevent other countries’ social unrest from being seen — while Tahrir Square, the site of some of Egypt’s biggest recent protests, is now its biggest tourist attraction, bringing to mind thoughts of China’s Tienanmen Square incident just a few decades ago.

As always, you can use the above discussion or the below links as inspiration for your posts, or you can make a blog post of your own, if you’d prefer. (To make your own post, log into your WordPress account, and through the gray bar at the top of the screen, select My Blogs -> COM 315 Course Blog -> New Post.) I look forward to seeing what you think this week!

Other articles of interest:
Why IBM’s Watson is good news for government
MySpace’s relative stability in mobile usage attracts potential buyers
Apple to host event, iPad 2 in the wings
Apple’s Lala purchase appears to have been “insurance”
Verizon iPhone 4 (Consumer Reports Review)
Mobile device etiquette keeps going down the drain, survey finds
Retailers clamoring to buy your old phones
The $200 Microhouse
18 fun facts about Social Security numbers
Nebraska man cited in naked joyride
Blagojevich Charges Dropped: Judge Agrees To Drop 3 Of 23 Charges Against Former Illinois Governor
Ancient megadroughts preview warmer climate: study

Discussion Post: Week 6

Some big headline-grabbing pieces of news have been winding down over the past few weeks, from Egypt’s ousting of (now ex-) president Hosni Mubarak to the triumph of machine over man on Jeopardy! That’s not to say that either of these events are truly over — Egypt still has to undergo major transitions in its government, and the fallout could affect other nations throughout the Middle East and in the global community (see, for example, Bahrain and Benghazi), while Watson’s victory on Jeopardy! is perhaps only the beginning of a push toward machines that can comprehend and respond to natural human language (perhaps a physician’s assistant is next?) — but they’re transition points, at the very least. We, ourselves, are about to transition to our second presentation. I can’t wait to see what you have to offer later this week!

As a last reminder, be sure to submit your outline to the SafeAssign link on Blackboard at least 48 hours before the class in which you’re scheduled to present. If you present on Tuesday, that means it should be submitted by 4:30 p.m. Sunday; if you’re scheduled for Thursday, send in your outline by the beginning of Tuesday’s class. Even if we’re forced to delay a few presentations to the following class period, as we discussed in class, you still need to be ready to present on the day for which you’re scheduled.

Anyway, let’s get to the real stuff! NASA’s Discovery shuttle is set to be launched this Thursday as one of the very last missions before the fleet is retired. Do you think the shuttle will get off the ground this time this time, after the delay of its original November 5 launch date? What does the end of the fleet mean for the broader realm of space exploration? Do you think that other organizations will be able to pick up the slack for the canceled Constellation program, or will the risks of private endeavors be too great?

Los Angeles reporter Serene Branson recently suffered from the effects of a painfully visible migraine during a live broadcast at the Grammys, and she’s not the first on-air reporter to combat one. What lessons can we take from this? What would you do if you had to give a presentation under less-than-optimal conditions (which is very often the case)? What, if anything, can we do to cope with a distraction of the highest order like this? To take a different perspective, how do we or should we react to things like this, as viewers? Are we as caring and concerned as some say we should be, or have we lost our empathy? How, then, does this compare with incidents like Jim Gray’s recent on-air confrontation with a caddy or James Corden’s fake flirtation with 16-year-old Justin Bieber?

In other television news, American Idol is scoring high ratings for FOX this season. Wait, what? AI is still on TV? I thought it was supposed to be in its grave now, with all but one the original judges jumping for the lifeboats and many fans and critics claiming that the yearly winners have grown consistently weaker since Carrie Underwood’s 2005 victory. The show certainly hasn’t implemented the sort of major changes that one would expect to redefine it, so what does it mean that a series that many people thought was past its expiration date is rebounding? How is it retaining more viewers now than it has in the last five years? What do you think?

Other articles of interest:
FBI: 100 Percent Chance of WMD Attack
One-third of U.S. households lack broadband Web access
Apple’s taking 30 percent of app store subscriptions is an unkind cut
Second language protects against Alzheimer’s
California School District Uses GPS to Keep Students From Cutting Class
Auto-corrected text leads to killing
The Geek Squad Explains What the End of the Internet Means to You
iPad 3 with Retina display, new device sized between iPad and iPod in Apple’s pipeline
Redbox plans to take on Netflix with video streaming service
US Videogame Market Sales Fall In January
Wind-powered car sets records in a 3,100-mile road test