No Deaths in March

 No Deaths in March

 Link: http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/03/31/3421286/zero-combat-deaths/

Summery: According to the Department of Defense, last month was the first month in more then a decade in which there were zero U.S. fatalities among American troops engaged in combat overseas. Conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan notably have been the cause for most of the recent casualties. We had previously lost 4,474 military men in Iraq. The worst month of the Iraqi conflict was July 2010, when we lost 65 military personnel. In addition, 2176 U.S. military members have been killed in action in Afghanistan. March wasn't completely death free however, as two allied soldiers died and 16 civilians died in an attack this past weekend. Although the deaths are slowing, the conflict isn't showing any signs of being resolved.

Response:

Although impressive that we lost zero American lives overseas, it is still unfortunate to lose allied lives. The war against radical Islamic extremists is a brutal one. I personally believe that to truly finish business overseas, we must go all out, or remove our forces. It is no use having men picked off out there if we aren’t there to help them out. It is disappointing to see that we lose serviceman to roadside bombs and other tactics by the radicals because the victims are forgotten and the matter just chalked up as another casualty. If we are genuinely going to send military out to Iraq and Afghanistan, we need to send them with a goal and mindset. It is no use to have them there for the sake of military presence instead of hoping to accomplish a goal. That is why while it is impressive that we did not lose anybody, it is sad to see that very little is being accomplished. I would rather see progress made to secure the unrest in that region, then to see our men and women out there being “a positive influence.” We can have influence diplomatically, but if we really are sending our forces down there, lets let them do their jobs. No official loses, but still unanswered questions.

Ambition: Positive or Negative?

 Is it a good or bad thing to be ambitious? 

Link- http://www.evancarmichael.com/Entrepreneur-Advice/448/Ambition--Good-or-Bad.html

Summary: As a child, the author, Zig Ziglar, often heard his mother at her grocery store job comment, "He is really a very ambitious young man," or "She really has a lot of ambition." His thoughts were generally that ambition was a good thing. This type of ambition was derived of setting goals, and striving for achievement. The other side of ambition, however is fueled by laziness, and weakness. This type consists of cheating to get to the top, and not really earning the goals you "achieve." Ambition does not make the person, the person makes the ambition. You can make the ambition positive or negative. The choice is how you attack the goals you set for yourself. If you settle for cheating to get to the top, it's the wrong type of ambition. There are those who have ambition, but just settle for easily attainable goal. The do this only because it would be more convenient for them to put just enough effort to get by. 

Opinion: I fully agree with this view. There are 3 types of people in this world: fighters- the ones with positive ambition, floaters- those that are content to settle for second best because it comes easy, and those too afraid to even try. Those with positive ambition, the fighters, seek adversity head on and accept challenges. It is only by facing adversity that we can reach our full potential. There are however, plenty of successful floaters. They hide behind excuses and others' work to receive credit. They are first to accept credit, and first to pass on criticism. Those type of people have negative ambition, because they do not fully strive to attain their full potential. I personally find myself working hard to be a fighter. It is those types of people that can change the world. I do not see myself bettering others by settling for less than my absolute best. If we all can put in the work, and strive for greatness, we can achieve things we can only dream of. These people truly have ambition.  

About me...#DreamChasin

Hello fellow users of the 'Interweb," my name is Chase Alberts. I was born in Lincoln, and relocated to Atlanta when I was three years old. My dad was a college football player for the Huskers, and was drafted by the Colts in the first round with the 5th pick overall in 1993. I was born in 1997 during his last year in the pros. We moved to Atlanta, where I lived for 11 years while he worked for ESPN and CNN. We moved to Omaha 2009 where my dad took the job as the Athletic Director at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Here I attended THE.. Kiewit Middle School, where I played basketball. I attend Creighton Prep, where I play football as a wide receiver and run track. My track events include high jump, triple jump, 200 meter, and 4x100 meter. My favorite sport to play is basketball, in which I am notorious for my ability to dunk. I dunked two-handed for the first time on February 12th, 2014 at 3:39 PM in the Mullen Gym. It was witnessed by Andrew Morrow and Isaiah Reed. In my free time, I love to watch Law and Order, SVU. I have a crush on Mariska Hargitay, who plays detective Benson. I have a lake house in Seneca, South Carolina where I enjoy tubing and jet skiing. For song choice, I can honestly say I have a new favorite song every other week. An interesting fact about me is that I was on a cooking show when I was nine. I made a guest appearance on "Good Eats," with Alton Brown. I remember my line to this day.. "Now that's what I call a time machine." In the future, I aspire to be a Second Lieutenant in the US military and to be involved with intelligence and overseas combat.  I aspire to get an appointment to one of the US military academies. My top choice is the Naval Academy in Annapolis, but if I was accepted into West Point, I would still be ecstatic. The real heroes are the ones that don't make it home. Every day, I pray for those in the military that they can come home safely. My great-grandpa, Corporal Jack Chorpening, served in the military in the Air Force. He was a tail gunner in Burma, China, and India. His plane was shot down three times, and he himself was wounded multiple times. I aspire to be just like him. If you have any questions or want to have a dunk contest on a 9 foot rim just comment below..