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