Abortion Essay

Sam Chambers

Mrs. Boresen

Expos, p4

Final

5/11/11

                Abortion is one of the most controversial topics in American politics, and it has split America right down the middle. It is such an even divide, very little legislature can be passed concerning the subject. Although both the pro- life and pro -choice parties have extensive arguments to support their beliefs, the thought of lawful and purposeful killing is unacceptable. In order to decide which party to side with, a fundamental understanding of both sides is absolutely necessary.

                According to BalancedPolitics.org the pro-life side believes in no abortion at all. They dispute that it is not only taking away the constitutional rights of the child, but it is even murder. Their discontent is based mostly on their definition of when life is started; they believe life starts at conception. This simple definition implies that abortion is killing a human being. No civilized society permits the murder or harm of a human without punishment, they don’t agree with this policy (BalancedPolitics.org). They also argue that there are many alternatives. Many families wait years to adopt a child and, with 1.5 million wanting to adopt, there is no scarcity in loving parents (BalancedPolitics.org). There is also efficient forms of contraception which can be used, while abstinence is always a sure fire policy. The thought of abortion being used as contraception is truly appalling. There are always laws which seem unjust in certain cases but the pro life side of the abortion argument believes that abortion is never right.

                In opposition to the pro life party there is a pro-choice party. Make no mistake; these people don’t believe abortion is right but, they believe the woman has the choice to do whatever she pleases with her body.  They also justify abortion by defining the difference between human life and personhood. They believe that human life starts at conception, but personhood is different. Take in vitro fertilization for example, these fertilized eggs are also human lives but they are routinely thrown away (womensissues.about.com). If that is legal how can abortion be any different. Also they claim abortion isn’t used as a form of contraception because only eight percent of women who choose abortion used no other form of birth control (womensissues.about.com). By far the most powerful argument used by the pro choice party is centered on the control of the woman’s body. If the government can choose this for her, it’s only a matter of time before it is forced, and maybe to the extent of court ordered sterilization (womensissues.about.com). Convincing women to forgo this right will only act as a gateway to more government control.

                I side with the pro life party. Abortion is more than just terminating a pregnancy it is terminating a life. That life may not look like a human yet, it doesn’t talk or walk or do anything adults do but it is still a working progress. That little fetus would eventually grow into a human and why should anyone get the right to take that away. I agree that in some cases abortion may seam expectable because of extenuating circumstances, but any law may seem unjust at times. The truth is, no matter why, it is still killing. The pro life and pro choice parties both have great arguments that are nearly polar opposites. Pro life believes in preventing all abortion, while pro choice believes that the women should have the power to decide. The legislature which will be decided by these parties will ultimately impact all of our lives, and if we want to surmount this issue, it is up to us to know who and what we are voting for.

Works Cited

"BalancedPolitics.org - Abortion (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against)." BalancedPolitics.org - Free Balanced, Non-Partisan Discussion of Political & Social Issues for Debate (Pros and Cons - Decision Making Politics). Web. 16 May 2011. <http://www.balancedpolitics.org/abortion.htm>.

Lowen, Linda. "10 Arguments For Abortion and Against Abortion." Women's Issues - All About Women's Issues. Web. 16 May 2011. <http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm>.

The Secret's Speakers

Sam Chambers

Mrs. Boresen

Expos, p4

May 6, 2011

The secret’s reputation is almost solely based on the people who have come together and combined their individual insights into a nearly a universal outlook on life. John Assaraf, James Arthur Ray, Bob Doyle, Morris Goodman, and John Hagelin are a few of the contributing speakers in the secret and their reputations in each field of study are truly the backbone of the secrets reliability. But really, who are these people?

John Assaraf was headed down the wrong rode at twice the speed limit when he was a teen. Living a turbulent lifestyle and having absolutely no goals in life wasn’t getting him anywhere, until he discovered his love for the brain and quantum physics (johnassaraf.com). Throughout the last 20 years john has studied how quantum physics and the brain relate to a person’s success in the business world. Through the connections made between these fields he has developed business strategies which he has utilized in the creation of four multimillion dollar companies. John says, “We’re all connected. We just don’t see it. There isn’t an “out there” and an “in here.” Everything in the universe is connected. It is just one energy field.”(thesecret.com) This statement shows how he connects the law of attraction to business strategies. He already understands that everything is connected so, he simply applies the law of attraction to bring good things to him. Today he is helping entrepreneurs develop their businesses, and as these entrepreneurs develop so does Johns knowledge of the law of attraction.

Bob Doyle was living a life that many people want. He had a wife, three kids, and a nice house. His job paid well and wasn’t too stressful but, it just wasn’t enough. He didn’t feel happy so he decided; money isn’t worth having if it doesn’t make you happy. Finally he quit his job. He decided he would find the answer to happiness and he would share it with others. After reading about the law of attraction he tried it, but it wasn’t working. Soon there after he was close to bankrupt and had no feasible way out when finally a solution hit him. Bob says, “I was trying to figure everything out for myself rather than truly allowing the universe to handle it for me.” At this moment the true definition of the law of attraction hit him. He turned his life around and is now sharing his experience and knowledge with the world.

Morris Goodman, otherwise known as The Miracle Man, has astounded everyone who has heard his story. He was the top life insurance seller in his area and life was good. He even had his own airplane, which would ultimately change his life. Upon landing, his plane crashed and he was severely injured. The extent of the nerve damage didn’t allow him to do anything, except blink his eyes (http://www.themiricalman.org/), and there was no hope for recovery. Despite the doctor’s prognosis, as his nickname implies, he miraculously recovered. Through an amazing show of will and determination he utilized the power of the secret. After seeing it on T.V. he decided to try it. He believed with everything he had, that he would pull through. Despite all of the doctors doubts he has recovered and can now function very normally (http://www.themiricalman.org/). Just like the others he shares this with people in the hope of changing their lives.

James Arthur Ray is definitely the most controversial speaker of the secret. He started as a preacher and dipped in and out of poverty. As he evaluated his shaky financial situation he couldn’t figure out how he could help so many people but still have no money. As he furthered his studies and discovered new ways to help people he came upon the secret.  Eventually, he became a self help speaker, and as he became more famous his seminars became more infamous. As he led groups of people out into the desert, untrained and unprepared, he told them it was to find themselves. He then brought them, dehydrated and exhausted, into a sweat lodge where he would convince them to stay longer and longer. He pushed them so hard two of the attendees died and eighteen others were hospitalized (Wikipedia). He is currently on trial for manslaughter, along with being sued for not refunding the canceled seminars (Wikipedia). There is no verdict yet and it is speculated to be five months out. Although his methods may be unorthodox and even deadly his message matches all of the others and I am sure he will continue his beliefs.

Along with the mental aspect of the secret there is a scientific side which helps explain it further. John hagelin has studied this side of the secret for many years. He uses his knowledge of quantum physics to connect the mental side to the physical. He earned his masters and doctorate from Harvard and he is a well know scientist in his respective field (hagelin.org). He uses the theory of electroweak unification and grand unification to explain the law of attraction. In layman’s terms it is very similar to John Assaraf’s theory; everything is made out of the same stuff and, this stuff is attracted to itself. Therefore, everything is attracted to everything, almost like gravity. He believes we can use these theories to help society in almost all aspects, from crime and violence, to war and terrorism (hagelin.org). He also agrees that the solution to all social stresses can be solved by large group meditating, and by utilizing the secret away from these groups. His work is some of the most cited references in physical sciences and, without the missing link John Hagelin has discovered, the secret wouldn’t be the fool proof method we all know.

When reading “The Secret” it is crucial to understand who the speakers are and where they have come from. They have developed their own spin off of the secret through their individual experiences, and although they are slightly different the message is the same. John Assaraf, James Arthur Ray, Bob Doyle, Morris Goodman, and John Hagelin have individually contributed to the wisdom collected by the secret. They range from upstanding scientific minds, to former bums, and they all have a motivational story. Throughout time, “The greatest people in history” (The Secret) have discovered its power and today a collection of unique individuals have come together to share the secret with us.

Works Cited

"Affirmations Personal Goal Setting | Certified Life Coach Become A Millionaire | John Assaraf." Achievement Goal Transformational Business Coaching | Secret Law Of Attraction. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://www.johnassaraf.com/about-me/>.

"James Arthur Ray." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Arthur_Ray>.

John Hagelin, Ph.D., Proposes Vedic Defense Shield to Prevent War and Terrorism; Create World Peace. Web. 06 May 2011. <http://www.hagelin.org/>.

Morris Goodman "The Miracle Man. Web. 06 May 2011. <http://www.themiracleman.org/>.

Official Web Site of The Secret and The Power. Web. 03 May 2011. <http://thesecret.tv/>.

"Wealth Beyond Reason - Meet Bob Doyle." Web. 06 May 2011. <http://www.wealthbeyondreason.com/mystory.html>.

Cover Letter

2175 Widgeon Dr.

Johnstown, CO 80534

April 20, 2011

Mr. John Doe

11^th street rd. 2600

Cattlemen’s steakhouse and saloon

Greeley, CO 99999

Dear Mr. Doe

Your classified ad for cattlemen’               s steakhouse grabbed my attention. I was interested in this ad because I want to help improve your customer’s dining experience. I have worked the concession stand at school before, and I pride myself on being a friendly and helpful person.

I have worked the concession stand at high school volleyball games as a fund raiser for the school golf team. This put me in a similar situation preparing me for the stresses tied to waiting tables. It also showed me what kind of money managing might be necessary for this job. I believe this opportunity will not only put me in a better financial position as I head to college but also the experience will be invaluable. Although being an engineer has little to do with waiting tables there is no substitute for real world work experience.

I am great at managing many different things at the same time which will help me to wait on multiple tables. I believe this is reflected in my school work through which I have earned a 3.87 G.P.A and received a Letter in academics. This will also help with keeping track of large groups and to provide an efficient dining experience for customers.

                                                                                                                                                

I appreciate your willingness to consider my resume. I would like to schedule an interview. I can be reached on my cell at (720)934-7665 or on my home phone at (970)587-2292.

Sincerely yours,

Sam Chambers

Aes Engineering Scholarship

What impact will the Natural Disasters of 2010 have on the global economy? How should these events affect future political, business and personal decisions? http://www.aesengineers.com/scholarships.htm

Throughout 2010 natural disasters wreaked havoc on the world making it one of the harshest years in recent history. Every year there are natural disasters all over the world but the sheer number and ferocity of the disasters during 2010 set it apart from any other year. Not only were there earthquakes and tsunamis but also a multitude of volcanoes erupted. Along with the tectonic forces, there where countless floods, droughts, and forest fires, each of which effected the infrastructure of not only the host country but also, the entire world. The Haitian and Chilean earthquakes affected everyone and, the majority of the world still remembers them.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, on January 12, 2010 Haiti was overwhelmed by the biggest earthquake it had ever seen. The Haitian earthquake registered a devastating seven, on the Richter scale and literally shook the Haitian infrastructure to the core. With hospitals, ports, and the majority of the communications network down, Haiti’s economy was at a stand still and, as the world came together to help, its economy was also changed. The United States alone came up with 1.5 Billion in monetary aid thanks to former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The Haitian earthquake shows many similarities to the 2010 earthquake in Chile. This earthquake registered an eight point eight on the Richter scale and, was strong enough to create tsunami. Both the Haitian and the Chilean earthquakes were followed by huge prison breaks which added even more destruction to the quakes. In Haiti, the Prison Civile de Port-au-Prince was destroyed allowing 4,000 inmates to escape. Also, prison riots erupted after a failed prison break in the Chilean prison of El Manzano. The prisoners ignited parts of the prison and the riot was only dispersed because of military intervention. Only 36, of the 203 prisoners, were caught and, the remaining prisoners burnt seven houses down and assaulted many residents. These disasters have brought the weaknesses of the world’s prison system to light. In the future I’m sure we will devise ways to keep prisons safe and secure even under the hectic conditions of a natural disaster.

The economic influence of the natural disasters which occurred during 2010 is now becoming more evident. The United States gave Haiti 1.5 billion in aid which added to America’s 14.2 trillion dollar debt. Haiti’s already struggling economy was nearly crushed and the few people who did have formal jobs no longer did. Because of Chile’s more developed state, the effects where not as intense. Although many ports were shut down overall, there wasn’t a large economic effect. The biggest world-wide effect was in terms of copper pricing. Nearly one fifth of the copper production in chili stopped, which drove the price of copper up to a five-week high.

The natural disasters of 2010 will be remembered for many years to come and their economic effects will take time to recover from. From Haitian poverty to Chilean copper, the entire world was affected by these quakes and, they brought many weaknesses in our infrastructure to light. We now know what parts of our communication, transportation and economic systems need improvement. Although fires, drought, and hurricanes plagued the world these earthquakes had a much bigger economic effect.

billiards education foundation

    

"Billiards touches the social, physical and mental needs of today's youth and allows students to apply new knowledge to life's challenges. The sport has the ability to raise one's self-esteem and social skills as well as enhance the development of movement skills. Please expand on how billiards has touched your life."

            I have been around billiards my entire life and I have seen into all of its facets. From competing in tournaments and weekly leagues, to setting up tables and running tournaments, billiards has played an integral role in my growth as a person. Billiards has taught me sportsmanship, how to handle stress and it has given me examples of people I want to be like and, people I do not want to be like.

            Playing in pool leagues since I was nine years old has taught me how important sportsmanship is. Billiards is one of the only sports where winning truly isn’t everything, and it reminds me of a draw from the cowboy days. Two people put all their skills to the test, as they compete they act respectfully and who ever loses has respect for the winning party, instead of feeling resentment towards them. There is no better feeling than having someone, who I just put out of the tournament, come and cheer for me later on. Truly, the only way to gain respect is to show it and without sportsmanship, that is impossible.

            Billiards is an incredibly stressful game. When it is your turn there is so much pressure to perform, and when it is not your turn there is nothing you can do but pray. The prime example is if my opponent is running the table, as I watch him it is almost obvious that he is going to win. Then, out of nowhere, he chokes and it is now my turn. Of course he made it to the eight ball and it is sitting in the pocket where he could make it from just about anywhere. As I get down on the ball I can hear my heart beat but then, everything goes quiet and shot after shot I get closer and closer to the win. My hands are subtly shaking and my breath is rapid. As I chalk my cue I take a breath and, the stress disappears just in time to sink the eight. Conquering that stress is the best step towards succeeding in billiards and learning how to do so will be invaluable in the real world.

            Because of the venues which billiards is played in, there is a variety of people who I come in contact with while playing. Not all of these people are ones that I want to be like and, through billiards, I have learned a lot about what kind of person I want to be. As I play, and watch my parents play, I notice all of the people and, the variety of ways in which they conduct themselves. Some of them are quiet and respectful while others are loud and obnoxious. I see a lot of people who are well-mannered and polite but there is always that one person who makes me ask myself, what did their parents teach them? They strut through the bar like they own the place and show absolutely no respect to any one. Meanwhile, everyone is silently despising this one person but, because each person knows it won’t do anyone any good to tell that person, they all continue to silently deride him. Seeing these obnoxious people gives me examples of what not to do and, I can learn from their mistakes therefore, preventing me from making these mistakes.

            Through billiards I have grown into a better person than I would have ever been. From tournaments and leagues, to friendly basement games billiards has shaped me into the person I am, and with each passing tournament I learn a little about myself and a lot about who I want to be. The way billiards teaches me sportsmanship, prepares me for stressful situations, and exposes me to new influences is unmatched by any other activity.

Definition Essay

Sam Chambers

Mrs. Borsen

Expos, p4

Definition essay

3-23-11

We all search for it and we expect nothing less from others regardless of how much we actually speak it. Truth is a word that has been a nuisance since words were created. If we look through history, the truth or lack of truth, has won wars, saved people, killed people and everything in between. In everyone’s life we have a daily choice to tell the truth, or lie through our teeth. At times we all decide to do each alternative, but the truth is one of the hardest decisions to make.

            The definition of truth according to www.thefreeonlinedictionary.com is “Conformity to fact or actuality”. There must be more to it than that; if truth is honestly that simple, why is it so hard to follow? Even courts have to explain, to the testifying party, to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. After it is pointed out to us, the truth seems very vague. Every word someone says could be the truth; they could just leave some of it out. They could also say some things that are true and some things that aren’t. No one ever says don’t lie; they just tell you to “tell the truth”. The truth is more of an idea. It is the idea that when you say something, someone else could quote it and not sound dumb. I hear people all the time that quote things other people say. When someone points out something that is incorrect about the statement, immediately the quoting person blames the quoted person and, they both seem dumb.

            We have all experienced a time when we didn’t tell the truth and it weighed on us until finally, we confessed. It is like the time when I broke my mom’s favorite vase. I realize not everyone’s mom has a favorite vase and I also realize not everyone has broken their mom’s favorite vase but, I’m sure we can all relate. I tried to hide it, and blame it on the dog, but it weighed on me. Day in and day out I saw where that vase was and remembered what I did, eventually I had to confess. Most of the time, in my experience, my mom already knew what I did and she decided to let me discipline myself. The entire time I was keeping something from her that she already knew, and it was eating away at me. Really, in life, the truth is always the better option even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time.

Along with the truth playing a role in our individual lives, the truth has had an immense history in terms of politics, as Grover Cleveland said, “Above all, tell the truth.”(http://www.cherishyourday.com/PresidentialQuotes.html.) So many wars were fought because of people not telling the truth, or preventing others from telling the truth. As WW1 commenced, the U.S.A remained neutral. We traded with both, the Allies (Great Britain, France, ect.), and the Central Powers (Germany, Russia, ect.). Everything was fine and dandy until, Great Britain cut the communications between Germany and the U.S.A. They also started feeding false information to the U.S.A. This, along with our previous ties to Great Britain, came together to compel the U.S.A. into the war. According to Abraham Lincoln, “Truth is generally the best vindication against slander” (http://www.cherishyourday.com/PresidentialQuotes.html.) and if everyone had told the truth throughout the war, maybe Germany and the central powers wouldn’t have been slandered to the same extent.  The truth also has a more current relevance. We just had the senatorial elections and we have all seen the commercials. They go on and on about how the political decisions of their opposition’s past will make them a bad senator. We all know that half of the things these commercials say, if not more, are lies. They will say anything to get our votes, or to prevent their opponent from getting our votes. In terms of politics, the truth has had a profound effect on each and every one of us.

Not only is there a discrepancy in the definitions of truth between individuals, but there is also different interpretations of truth between age groups and genders. As we all know little kids have trouble deciphering between “good lies” and bad ones. They will go right out and tell anyone that they look bad, and most of the time they even confess to their wrong doings. Then there are the teenagers who will lie about anything that might get them into trouble but, also know they shouldn’t admit to how bad their girlfriend looks. Galileo Galilei said, “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” (http://thinkexist.com/quotations/truth/). Knowing when to lie and when to admit to your mistakes is something that comes with maturity.

From my mom’s vase to international espionage, the truth has defined the way we, as Americans, do things. Everyone preaches about how we should only tell the truth, they then go and lie to us, which in turn undermines their entire argument. Regardless of their ability to practice what they preach, we should all tell the truth. It not only weighs lighter on our consciences it is also the moral thing to do, and that’s the truth.

Works cited

Search Results for "thefreeonlinedictionary.com" Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://www.thefreeonlinedictionary.com/>.

"Presidential Quotes." Cherish Your Day. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cherishyourday.com/PresidentialQuotes.html>.

"Truth Quotes." Find the Famous Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. <http://thinkexist.com/quotations/truth/>.

Def. essay

            We all search for it and we expect nothing less from others regardless of how much we actually speak it. Truth is a word that has given everyone trouble since words were created. If we look through history, the truth or lack of truth, has won wars, saved people, killed people and everything in between. In everyone’s life we have a daily choice to tell the truth, listen to the truth, or lie through our teeth. At times we all decide to do each option, but the truth is one of the hardest decisions to make.

            The definition of truth according to www.thefreeonlinedictionary.com is “Conformity to fact or actuality”. There must be more to it than that. If truth is truly that simple why is it so hard to follow? Even courts have to explain, to the testifying party, to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. After it is pointed out to you, the truth seems very vague. Every word someone says could be the truth; they could just leave some of it out. They could also say some things that are true and some things that aren’t. No one ever says don’t lie, they just tell you to “tell the truth”. The truth is more of an idea. It is the idea that when you say something someone else could quote it and not sound dumb. I hear people all the time that quote things other people say. Then someone points out something that is incorrect about the statement, and immediately the quoting person blames the quoted person and they both seem dumb.

            We’ve all experienced a time when we didn’t tell the truth and it weighed on us until, finally, we confessed. It’s like that time when you broke your mom’s favorite vase. I realize not everyone’s mom has a favorite vase, and I also realize not everyone has broken their mom’s favorite vase but I’m sure you can relate. You might try to hide it, or blame it on the dog, but it weighs on you. Day in and day out you see where that vase was and remember what you did. Eventually you just have to confess. Most of the time, in my experience, your mom already knew what you did and she decided to let you punish yourself. The entire time you where keeping something from her that she already knew, and it was eating away at you. Really, in life, the truth is always the better option even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time.

The truth has an immense history in terms of politics. So many wars where fought because of people not telling the truth, or preventing others from telling the truth. During the beginning of WW1 the U.S.A remained neutral. We traded with both the Allies, (Great Britain, France ect.) and the Central Powers (Germany, Russia ect.). Everything was fine and dandy until Great Britain cut the communications between Germany and the U.S.A. They also started feeding false information to the U.S.A. This along with our previous ties to Great Britain came together to force the U.S.A. into the war. The truth also has a more current relevance. We just had the senatorial elections and we have all seen the commercials. They go on and on about how the political decisions of their oppositions past will make them a bad senator. We all know that half of the things these commercials say, if not more, are lies. They will say anything to get our votes, or to prevent their opponent from getting our votes.

From your mom’s vase to international espionage, the truth has defined the way we, as Americans, do things. Everyone preaches about how we should only tell the truth. Then they go and lie to us, which in turn undermines their entire argument. Regardless of their ability to practice what they preach, we should all tell the truth. It not only weighs lighter on our consciences it is also the moral thing to do, and that’s the truth.

Works cited

Search Results for "thefreeonlinedictionary.com" Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://www.thefreeonlinedictionary.com/>.