opportunity

Global health education

2009-03-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Akuete KPODAR : global health education

I came from a small country in West Africa, grew up in Togo, and a small family of six that has been my support all my life. I will be the first generation of that family to graduate from college. While in Togo I went to school, where almost everything was taught in French. I was forced to think in French and write in English, but never had experienced the speaking of it. After graduating in mathematics and science back home, I could not find a job in my field that would fairly pay what I deserve because of corruption in my country. My mother, who has been the strongest women I ever saw or knew, helped me move to United States where we believed I could get a better work and educational opportunity. That same year I attended The American International School of Lome. I passed my last exam for Baccalaureate of Mathematics and Science as a 4.0 honor roll student. I was then accepted to Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY, with academic scholarship. I was really excited, with everyone looked after me to bring joy and get my family out of poverty.
My first year felt like the worst of my life. I could not understand anything. After paying all school fees and room the first week, I ended up with 20 dollars in my pocket. It was at that time when my faith became stronger because I knew God will not put me in situation that I could not handle. The next day I got a job selling ice cream and cleaning dishes for 6 dollars an hour and working over 30 hours a week. At the end of the first semester I got kicked out of housing for not been able to afford room. As a result, I became homeless and was only able to complete half of a semester. Unfortunately my credits were not transferable. Afterwards, I decided to move to Nebraska to help my sister and her husband who were coming to USA, deciding to keep my experience private from the family. It was at that point that I met my daughter's mother. The support provided in that relationship, both of my academic pursuits and personal dreams, provided me with the hope to continue my education. I appreciate my ex but as a good friend even though our relationship did not work.
Through all these years I told myself that nothing can not stop me anymore now that I have seen it all. Today I am starting over again with my schooling. My driving motivations are my daughter, who I will do anything for, my family and my faith. Sometimes in life we make decisions that will affect our future but at the end of the day no matter what you are going through, it is all about you , and the one that look after you, so there is no excuse for me not making it.
Fitness has always been a passion. Health and fitness is a major issue in today’s society. The global obesity level had double from 1999 to 2008. I believe that our countries are uninformed about the real health issues which have a considerable impact on life expectancy and diseases. I love when my clients tell me their blood pressure drop, or they feel better everyday. I am currently certified in personal training at 24 Hour Fitness, CPR through the Red Cross, and with the National Academy of Strength Medicine and recently the National council of strength fitness.
My short term goal is to get certified as a performance and corrective exercise specialist, and be able to work with any type of population. My long term goal is to become a top, quadrilingual fitness professional and eventually get my masters in mathematics. Additionally, I am currently working on two more major international certifications and my Associate’s degree in health care at West Los Angeles College. Now that I have set up short and long-term goals, I intend to make a lot of changes in health care by pursuing my education by completing my master’s in health care, to be more specific in kinesiology at Cal State Long Beach or USC.Based on my past experience and the society I grew up in, I feel that I have all the tools and opportunities offered but financially unable to keep up with my education. Even though am trying to ease the financial burden back home and help provide for my daughter, I am engaging in education so I can provide the necessary for those that are least inform about their health especially African America. Eventually, I plan on going back home to my native country to share the knowledge that I had acquired through all these years. Receiving a scholarship can help me further achieve my goals and make my dreams reality.

choices in life

2009-02-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

the year 2009 is and will be my year, life is all about choice. But sometimes we make choices that cost us fortune and regrets.
Tomorrow is the most important in life, but we chose our joys and sorrow long before we experience them. Last year i have decided to change my major to kinesiology, i told myself that if this was meant for me then my results will be a proof. Begining of this year i already accomplished and change two lives. Am getting better everyday, studying all night and reading books after books to better myself. I never tought it will be easy for me to train anyone right on top of my head.
I have decided also not to drink too much when am stress or have more then one girlfriend. My daughter s my priority, am so in love with my little girl, that i struggle everyday not seeing her, but that was a choice i made to divorce her mother. I guess sometimes we make choices that are hard to overcome.

what does it take to be successful

2009-02-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

Kpodar
1

Akuete kpodar
Instructor Person Lynn
English 28
23 February 2009

What does it take to be successful?

Success is first defined in the dictionary as “The favorable or Prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.” To be successful requires self commitment, failure and vision. But does this mean having all three requirements makes you successful?
Everyone would like to be taught the proper way to succeed but yet most people fail without knowing why.

Commitment is one of the major key to success. Let’s consider some examples: in the fitness department, loosing weight or gaining weight requires self commitment and consistency. Most of my clients that have attained their goal have followed the program that I had outline.
Failure is also consider being a major implication in success, "The difference between failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing a thing exactly right." Edward Simmons. In order to be successful you have to allow yourself to fail because through mistakes you learn and grow. I have allowed myself to fail so many times but it made me better and stronger.
One last key to success is vision, a lot of times we find ourselves spinning on wheels. We set goals without considering how great the accomplishment will be at the end if we stick to our vision. So why set up goals without a vision? There will be no success but only hope.

Many of us believe that success comes with fame, respect and power. In other words a true successful man is the one that has made it to the top. But how would we consider someone who grew up in a poor neighborhood, and finally made it to the middle class?

2008-12-09T13:35:00.001-08:00

Akuete Kpodar
December 6, 2008

Personal Development 5

African-American education has always been underestimated, and downgraded for centuries. Not until recently, have we seen a tremendous improvement and growth in our community, school and universities. One of them is Umoja Program at West Los Angeles College. Like any new program, there are resources, personal commitment and dedication. The expectations of the Umoja Program are the dedication and commitment by both the students and staff.

Umoja is a secondary program, created by two highly educated African-American women that have realize how important is education in our community, especially for the growth of our country.The expectation was set really high because of many reasons. One of the reasons had been the fact that this was implemented by a minority. "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination." Tommy Lasorda.

The program was based on English and Math which has been one of the main reasons why students fail. The students previously failed because of a lack of resources and proper teaching. The resources provided by Umoja require an investment; not only the time but financial reasons, as well as students and staff commitment

This has been so far one of the more advance and well equip classes for any student to be able to succeed and furthermore be able to graduate. However, the question is are these resources been used properly?

There is no reason for any student not to succeed with this program. The only price the teachers and staff ask the students to pay for success is hard work. I have attended numerous schools with hope to succeed with the minimum amount of help provided. But how come my African-American brothers and sisters don’t appreciate what is offered for their success and future stability. I guess when a kid is spoiled, he ends up not appreciating what is offered.

I believe the staff should be more demanding of the students by giving them fewer resources and more practices with a set schedule. There is already a staff that is committed to student success. All that is needed is psychology review of every student who is ready for improvement and success.

It takes a little courage, and a little self-control. If you want to reach the goal, it takes a great deal of striving, and a firm and stern-set chin. No matter what the battle, if you really want to win, there's no easy path to glory. Life, however we may view it, is not a simple game; but its prizes call for fighting, endurance and determination. Now that this program has been set, all is needed is a restructured base on last semester.

thanks to umoja and especially my english teacher

2008-12-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” Gail Devers

This email is intended to the Umoja program, especially my English teacher.
I remember the first day of class, I had no idea what the class was going to be like and who I was going to be next to.
Most of the school that I have been to, or attended, the teacher did care less about our success or us moving on to the next level. All they did was to make sure they accomplished their goal which was to go through their academic schedule.
I never had experienced someone care so much about her students, giving extension for home works or even taking late assignments.
Their was so many times I wanted to give up, mostly cause I was overwhelmed, tired and depress. But I am not the kind who tells my business to anyone, my main motivation everyday is my daughter and my mother.

When I decided to go back to school, back in September, I was going through some financial difficulties. I had to send money to my parents, take care of my daughter and her mother who recently got a job, I made a decision that I certainly don’t regret to become homeless for a period of time, It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart. Sleeping in my car mostly, and sometimes at my girlfriend place who didn’t know what I was going through, education became and still my only option to become financially stable. Not that education was the only way out but certainly what I believed in. Now that am more stable financially, I wanted to say thanks to my English teacher that told me once “Don’t give up, you can achieve it whatever you want,” it meant so much to me. Since then I had always kept my head really high even I still fail in numerous way.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.-- Marcel Proust

Thanks Isidra Person-Lynn and the Umoja program

Taking Things for Granted

2008-12-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

I have been living in United States for 8 years and I notice how many of my peers take things for granted. I have classmates who will show up without bringing a book, come late to their tutoring session, or not be engaged in the hour that I spend with them. It makes me so frustrated to think that they are so laid back about their education when they have a professor who is willing to help them and a tutor to work one on one with them.
Getting my education in my home country, I was in math classes with one hundred other students to one professor. My professor did not know my name nor did he know anyone else’s name and didn’t care to know. His teaching methods reflected no concern with how we did and it almost seemed as though he wanted us to fail so he wouldn’t have to deal with so many kids in his class. I raised my hand one day to ask a question and his response was that I figure it out myself.
But it was really amazing how my English teacher care so much, spending time to send emails, answering questions.

I had no professor who knew my name and was willing to teach me math and want me to excel. I certainly did not have a tutor who was eager to assist me whenever I needed the extra help. I just wish most students could experience what I went through so they don’t take things for granted so often.
This blog was not intended to offend anyone but I just wish we will know how to appreciate things and recognize people that really care about our success.

My short and long term goal

2008-12-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Short and long term goal

Health is a major issue in today’s society, the obesity level had double from 1999 to 2008
I believe that our country is uninformed about the real health issues which have a considerable impact on life expectancy and diseases.

Fitness has always been a passion, I love when my clients tell me their blood pressure drop, or they feel better everyday. So my short term goal is to get certify in fitness as a specialist in conditioning and strength, and be able to work with any type of population.
I do have one certification through 24 hour fitness, a CPR certified, and currently working on two more major international certifications and my associate degree in health care at west Los Angeles College.

Now that I have set up a short term goal, I intend to make a lot of changes in health care by pursuing my education through completing my master’s in health care, to be more specific in kinesiology at Cal State Long Beach or USC.

Eventually in the long run I plan on going back home to my native country to share the knowledge that I had acquired through all these years.

Mona vie

2008-12-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

Monavie

It is a multi level marketing business. Monavie is an all fruit drink containing 19 different fruits with the main fruit being what Oprah calls the “new super food”, the acai berry. The acai berry is very high in antioxidants and gets rid of all your body’s free radicals such as, smoke, stress, and pollution.
Taking two to four ounces of Monavie twice a day is equivalent to 10 servings of fruit. There are three different bottle types of Monavie. The first one is the original. The original contains 19 different fruits and is recommended to be consumed by all ages over four. The nineteen different fruits are the acai berry, pomegranate, bilberry, passion fruit, wolfberry, blueberry, kiwi, cranberry, capuacu, prune, nashi, aronia, camu camu, acerola, banana, pear, lychee, white grape, and the purple grape. Some of these fruits I have never heard of and wouldn’t be able to find in the fruit section at Ralphs. Monavie includes 19 deeply pigmented fruits from around the world which provides the most phytonutrients and antioxidants.
The second bottle is the Active. This one has the same fruits but with added glucosamine and good fatty acids. This bottle is geared more to people who have an active lifestyle such as athletes. There are a lot of professional athletes who consume the Active bottles to recover faster from their workout and rigorous games.
The third bottle is brand new called, Pulse. It was created for the heart. It is made up of 19 fruits, the acai berry, Concord grape, pineapple, apple, prickly pear, pomegranate, elderberry, yumberry, bilberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, raspberry, aronia, acerola, strawberry, cupuacu, and camu camu. With this combination, it is easier to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and healthy cholesterol levels.
One can not find Monavie at a local supermarket but through distributors. It tastes good and is also good for you.

For more information
Contact me through email at akuetek@gmail.com

pray in french

2008-12-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a little prayer in French that the lord Jesus taught us

Our heaven father in French

Notre père qui est aux cieux
Que ton nom soit sanctifie
Que ton règne vienne
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel
Donne-nous aujourd‘hui notre pain de ce jour
Pardonne-nous nos offenses comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offense
Et ne nous soumet pas à la tentation
Mais délivre-nous du mal
Car c’est à toi qu’appartienne
Le règne, La puissance, Et la gloire
Pour des siècles et des siècles

Amen

Fat Loss—Weight Loss

2008-12-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

You build muscle, you lose fat. You build muscle, you gain strength, energy, resistance, enthusiasm, creativity, ability, longevity, esteem - you hit the jack pot.
Most diets don't work for long term fat loss. They're concerned with reducing weight rather than burning excess body fat. They strip off vital muscle, the body's major fat burning component. When you remain at a particular body fat level for a long period of time, your body recognizes that as your fat set point. Substantial time (patience, discipline and fortitude) is required to lower your fat set point as you seek complete and permanent changes.

The body tissue you have today, good or bad, was built almost entirely from the foods you have eaten over the past 6 months. Make a commitment today to renew your body composition.
Watch calories, watch carbohydrates. Avoid excessive fats (high calories) and carbohydrates. The big bonus here is that after a few weeks, your tastes and habits will simply change. Fats, sugar and salt become less interesting. For an intense fat burning regime, try the following tricks.
• With pad and pencil, simply list everything eaten.
• Cut fat and salt intake radically.
• Consider training in the morning - this raises the metabolic rate throughout the day. This means more fat burning and more energy.
• Make sure you get adequate fiber each and every day.
• Drink 1-2 liters of H2O during the day.
• An excellent pre-workout and post-workout meal is a protein drink
• Don't scrutinize. Permanent changes take time. Test and record your body fat level every two months. If you use a scale, weigh only once a week. After an initial drop in weight, plan to lose 1/2 to 1 pound per week steadily - a realistic goal.
• Have your larger meals early in the day, making dinner the lowest calorie meal...
• After reaching your goal, be prepared to continue your diet in order to establish a new fat set point.
• Remember, protein is king. To assure consistent intake for muscle adaptation and weight control a protein powder should be on your shopping list along with the eggs and apples.
• Always and forever, plan a disciplined low calorie day following any unusually high calorie days. Enjoy an extended workout and the subsequent high blood sugar pump.
About the exercises upon which I suggest you concentrate: These are the building blocks most used by champions and children alike. They are the simple movements that involve the body’s complicated system of muscles, bones and ligaments advantageously, safely and joyously. They are the basics. They work best. The rest is up to consistent, strategic and intense performance supported, naturally, by sound nutrition.

causes of high blood cholesterol

2008-12-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

What Causes High Blood Cholesterol?
Due to the fact that most of my clients have high level of cholesterol, it is really critical and i can't emphasize enough on the fact that we need to take care of our body.

A variety of things can affect the cholesterol levels in your blood. Some of these things you can control and others you cannot.
You can control:
What you eat. Certain foods have types of fat that raise your cholesterol level.
Saturated fat raises your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet.
Trans fatty acids (trans fats) are made when vegetable oil is hydrogenated to harden it. Trans fatty acids also raise cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol is found in foods that come from animal sources, for example, egg yolks, meat, and cheese.
Your weight. Being overweight tends to increase your LDL level, lower your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, and increase your total cholesterol level.
Your activity. Lack of regular exercise can lead to weight gain, which could raise your LDL cholesterol level. Regular exercise can help you lose weight and lower your LDL level. It can also help you raise your HDL level.
You cannot control:
Heredity. High blood cholesterol can run in families. An inherited genetic condition results in very high LDL cholesterol levels. It begins at birth, and may result in a heart attack at an early age.
Age and sex. Starting at puberty, men have lower levels of HDL than women. As women and men get older, their LDL cholesterol levels rise. Younger women have lower LDL cholesterol levels than men, but after age 55, women have higher levels than men.

high cholesterol prevention

2008-12-08T06:59:00.000-08:00

Self-Care at Home
If you have high lipoproteins and thus high cholesterol, depending on your risk factors for heart disease, your target goals may differ for lowering your LDL cholesterol.
Diet: The National Cholesterol Education Program has created dietary guidelines.

Total fat - Less than 30% of calories
Saturated fat - Less than 7% of calories
Polyunsaturated fat - Less than or equal to 10% of calories
Monounsaturated fat - Approximately 10-15% of calories
Cholesterol - Less than 200 milligrams per day
Carbohydrates - 50-60% of calories

Some people are able to reduce fat and dietary cholesterol with vegetarian diets. Whether these dietary restrictions are realistic for most Americans is debatable. Moreover, such a diet also reduces HDL and raises triglyceride levels.

People with higher triglycerides may benefit from a diet that is higher in monounsaturated fat and lower in carbohydrates, particularly simple sugars. A common source of monounsaturated fat is olive oil.
Activity: Although exercise has little effect on LDL, aerobic exercise may improve insulin sensitivity, HDL, and triglyceride levels and may thus reduce your heart risk. People who exercise and control their diet appear to be more successful in long-term lifestyle modifications that improve their heart risk profile.

2008-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Key to weight loss

It seems everyone wants to lose weight. Every client that walks in the door would like to be at least a little thinner or a little lighter. Most want to be a lot thinner or a lot lighter. With this obsession with fat loss comes an obsession with exercise and with diet. The reality is that we have only the two previously mentioned tools for fat loss.
The hard part is figuring out the relationship of the diet and exercise to fat loss. Think about it this way. If I asked you to pound in a spike and gave you a choice of a sledgehammer or a tack hammer the answer would be obvious. With diet and exercise, we have been misled. Diet is the sledgehammer, exercise is the tack hammer. Exercise will help with weight loss by raising the metabolism and increasing caloric expenditure but, for most people exercise does not even come close to creating enough caloric deficits to cause significant weight loss. We need those table push away
If you are serious about fat loss forget high-carb low-fat. Even if that worked (and it didn’t) we still mismanaged the message. The message was eat less ANIMAL fat and increase carbs FROM FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. This was the real message of the high-carb/ low-fat craze. Instead of passing on the real message we did what we always do. We tried to make it simple and catchy. The result. Bagelmania. Pasta mania. The originators of the high-carb/ low-fat idea never intended us to increase carbohydrates from white flour. They wanted us to eat more fruits and vegetables. That was and still is a good idea. The problem is that the high-carb/ low-fat thing also was accompanied by either a distain for protein or relegation of protein to a secondary position in the diet.
The Zone by Barry Sears changed my entire view of nutrition. I think it was a landmark work that got mischaracterized as a high-protein diet program. The truth is that Sears uses the words “protein adequate” over and over in the book. Sears simply recommended a protein intake that matched needs. I can remember reading his book and doing the math. I needed about 150 gms. of protein a day based on Sears estimates. After looking at my diet I realized that I wasn’t getting half that much. I’m going to tell you the truth, again.
I can now add most nutritionists to the groups of people that hate me. I think for most people protein supplements are necessary and they absolutely are necessary for those who weight train. I would strongly advocate a protein drink at breakfast as this tends to be the most difficult meal for most to consume protein.
Think protein at every meal. Build meals around lean protein. Eat less food. Eat more often. Step one for fat loss.
Lisa's Weight Loss
Lisa's Weight Loss
Updated November 24, 2008
I lost 42lbs with these free weight-busting products!!
Hi, I am Lisa, and I know there are so many diet ads around that tell you their product really works. I just thought I would share my story with you in the hopes of inspiring you with a real example, and not just the hype that companies use. I am just a stay-at-home mom who was able to get rid of my extra weight, and want to let you know that you can too!
Where all my extra weight came from
Like I said, I am a stay-at-home mom. That is the part where I really started to add on weight. When I got pregnant, I weighed right at 132lbs. I wasn’t a size 2, but at the same time, I was very comfortable with my body, my weight, and how I looked. So after my first little guy, I had added on about ten extra pounds that no amount of ‘brand-name’ diets could get rid of. When I got pregnant again, I just added more. And then more. Now that I have 2 little boys to chase around the house, you would think the weight would just fall off, but nothing really worked.When I went to buy some new clothes, I realized that I was sizes larger then I was before. That just made me feel worse about how I looked. Most days I would spend with my 2 boys, around the house or doing errands, eating whatever was easy when they did. I went from 132lbs to 187lbs in about 3 years. I felt terrible about myself, but didn’t see how to change. I tried everything from the South Beach diet, to Adkins, to different cleanses, to just not eating. But nothing was working for me. Then one day, while the boys were napping, and I was watching Oprah, I saw something that has transformed my life.
Back before I found Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula and Total Cleanse.
The show that changed my life
Not to say that I am forever indebted to Oprah, but I do know that if I hadn’t been watching when Dr. Oz came on, and started talking about Acai berries, I would no doubt be in the exact same place I would be months ago. The good doctor talked about the new berry from the Amazon called the Acai (which is pronounced “ah-sa-ee”). The Acai is better tasting and more powerful than red wine or pomegranate. But the absolute selling point for me is when he started talking about how the Acai increases your energy, and at the same time it keeps you from feeling hungry. It seemed too good to be true. But after listening to Dr. Oz and Oprah talk about it for the rest of the show, I thought there might have been more to it then what I first thought. I was sure that Oprah wouldn’t have some quack on, so I was pretty sure that what he was saying was true.By some crazy, random act of fate, I happened to be flipping through the channels the very next day, and who did I find but the same Dr. Oz, talking about cleansing your colon, and how that is such a great way to lose weight. Basically, all this really gross stuff gets stuck in your colon over years, and all these toxins get trapped. Its like tar, and it adds inches and pounds to your body. You can exercise all day, but that does nothing to get rid of it. It made me think that maybe that’s why nothing was working for me. Getting rid of all that extra tar-like stuff from your colon helps you lose weight in ways that Adkins or South Beach never can. Then it occurred to me that if I used both products that Dr. Oz was talking about, I could lose weight fast and effectively.
How I lost all that extra weight for good
So I decided to try both of the products at the same time and see if my idea really worked. I wanted to try them both, but I also didn’t want to a fortune on it. I searched and searched for a few days to see if I could find them for cheap. I actually found some free trials to try, the Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula and Total Cleanse.
This is how I put them together to get them to work well:
Step 1:
Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula is the most important part of the routine, and also the first. Both Oprah and CNN have been talking about the berry a lot recently.
Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula and Total Cleanse helps me to:
Regulate my metabolism
Keep me from feeling hungry all day
Gives me tons of energy to use with my little boys and husband.
Losing weight by replacing coffee and soda, which also keeps my teeth whiter!
I was able to get a 30-day trial of the Acai berry, and the best part is that I can take in once a day, and then I am done!
Step 2:
Total Cleanse is the second part of my routine. The Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula gives me extra energy, and regulates my metabolism while the Total Cleanse:
Gets rid of bad toxins that have built up over the years
Removes inches of sludge from the walls of my colon
Got rid of a few inches off my waist
Lowered my blood pressure and cholesterol
I was able to get a free bottle of Total Cleanse and I take the pill in the morning and at night when I take the Acai. The combination is perfect, getting me to lose weight and get rid of gross sludge from my system.
My Results
In the trial period, I lost 25lbs!! I kept using the products, and have lost an additional 17lbs. I am down to 145, and just have 10 more to go before I am back to my pre-baby weight. I know a lot of women struggle with weight, especially after having a baby. I feel better and better every day. I am healthier and more energetic than I have been in years. It is wonderful that I can play with my kids, but even better, I love the way I look now, and feel sexier then I have in years.I hope that my story gives you some hope and motivation to lose weight too. Losing the weight has changed my life in ways that I never imagined it could. I know that if I can do it, you can too. Don’t give up, because losing this weight is possible! I would recommend everyone trying the methods that I used, it worked for me when nothing else did. I lost the weight, and even better is that the trials were free, so you know if it will work for you before investing in it.
Try my diet if you're stuck in a rut
Try both of them if you want to get results like mine. Acai Berry Weight Loss Formula and Total Cleanse both have amazing free trials, with a money back guarantee, all I had to pay was shipping, which was less then $5.00 for each of them. Try them, and I know you will be amazed by your results like I was!
I lost 44 lbs in 3 months… learn how you can too!
I wrote this because I know the unhappiness that comes from being overweight and the joy that comes from being in the best shape of your life. I want other women to know how I sank to the bottom and made it back to the top!
If you need the short version, I heard about Acai Berry on the Rachel Ray show and on Oprah, where they both talked about Acai being the top superfood, and I’ve become completely addicted (in a good way!). I love it because:
It HELPS YOU LOSE A TON OF WEIGHT, all in a healthy way.
It comes with a free trial – I only paid a small shipping and handling fee.
It suppresses your appetite in a healthy way and it gives you healthy energy instead of jitters.
Ok, so the miracle I been raving to my friends about and have used for 3 months is called Acai Berry and you can try it for free here.
But first, read about how it saved me:
So I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was my very fattest about 8 weeks ago. I had been really busy, had gone through some rough stuff emotionally and had had some friendship problems. I hadn’t exercised much and I definitely wasn’t watching what I was eating. I went from my already overweight 165 lbs. to my much heavier 185 lb. weight.

barack obama, change we need

2008-11-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama’s plan for the economy:

Many of the basic necessities have increased in price, such as, groceries, gasoline, electricity, health care, etc. Obama’s plan to “jumpstart the economy” is to provide $1,000 emergency energy rebate to American families which will help with the rising bills. To decrease the danger of losing one’s job, Obama and Biden will include a $25 billion State Growth Fund to prevent state and local cuts so many people can keep their jobs. For the working families, 150 million workers will get the tax relief they need. There will be a “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person or $1,000 per working family. This tax credit will eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans. Obama will eliminate income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 and also simplify tax fillings for Middle Class Americans.

Barack Obama’s plan for the War in Iraq

Upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a goal of ending the war. Getting our troops out of that area will be done with time and carefulness by the commanders on the ground and also with the help of the Iraqi government. This plan will hopefully remove 1 to 2 brigades a month taking 16 months. It is estimated by the summer of 2010, the troops will be removed, more then 7 years after the war began.

Barack Obama’s plan for Education

Obama will improve the No Child Left Behind Act. He will improve the assessments used to track student’s progress throughout their education. The schools that need help will get help rather then be punished through this new and improved Act. Obama will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to provide support to young children and their parents. He will also increase Early Head Start by increasing their funding and improve its quality. He will provide affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families.
Obama would like an increase in recruitment of teachers who have had four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education. There will also be an assessment for every new educator to insure he or she is fully trained and prepared to be in a classroom.
Tuition for college will be easier and more affordable. Obama will create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit worth $4,000 in exchange for community service. It will cover almost two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college and make community college tuition completely free for most students.

Racism is still alive

Many were skeptical that Obama would win the democratic vote vs. Hillary Clinton because of the fact he is black. According to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found “one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks-many calling them, ‘lazy,’ ‘violent’ or responsible for their own troubles.” (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26803840) After winning the democratic primaries, he was then challenged with John McCain. Certainly, McCain had some challenges of his own for his voters since he is an unpopular president to be, too similar to George Bush, and he would be the nation’s oldest first-term president. However, Obama faced that “40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many Democrats and Independents.” (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26803840)
An article called Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause in the Washingtonpost.com mentioned how a Obama supporter made phone calls to prospective voters in her home state of Pennsylvania, which is 98 percent white, and one caller she spoke with couldn’t possibly vote for Obama and had said, “Hang that darky from a tree!” It’s evident that racism still exists today but having a black president must mean that the United States has come a long way but still has a way to go.

References:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq

“Poll:Racial views steer some away from Obama.” 20 September 2008. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26803840.

Merida, Kevin. “Racist Incidents Give some Obama Campaigners Pause.” 13 May 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008.

Money and our society

2008-10-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Mr. Akuete KPODAR

October 8, 2008 English 21

First draft essay: Money and our society

Definition of Money: Money is a good that acts as a medium of exchange in transactions. Classically it is said that money acts as a unit of account, a store of value, and a medium of exchange. How good money is to have such a negative impact on our society?

Money is a commodity or token that everyone will accept in exchange...
We live in a society that is driven by the almighty dollar. We need money in every aspect of our lives. Money is a necessity. We need it to eat, have a place to live, send our kids to college and pay all the debt we incur from the expense of daily living. Sadly, we even need it to die, if we're going to be buried properly and leave our family with more than just memories and debt. Of course that's what we have insurance for, so there's even more money to pay out. We have life insurance, health insurance; car insurance, homeowner's insurance, etc. So far we've covered some of the basic necessities. There are plenty of added expenses for things we don't necessarily need but would like to have in order to add a little pleasure to our work-to-pay-our debt consumed lives. I grew up in a poor family. We didn't have much in the material sense but we had fun, love and respect for each other. In today's society there is so much of a competitive drive to keep up with the newest items on the market that commercialism bombards us with on a daily basis. Everywhere we look we are confronted with an advertising campaign urging us to spend, buy and consume. We consume at enormous rates. We waste even more. Teens are becoming more money oriented. Ask them what they want and more than likely they'll answer money. If it's not money, it's probably a cell phone or car but money will soon become number one on their list. Some kids make their parents feel guilty for not having enough money. There are teens that boldly state they will be wealthy and more successful than their parents. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to be more successful than your parents, there seems to be a money-oriented mentality among our youth today that lacks appreciation for family.
Many people love money and believe that the accumulation of money is the purpose of their lives, but money is a very dangerous object. Besides that, there is no justice where money governs... Unfortunately; the human being is crazy from birth because we inherit the primitive, wild and evil conscience that is the biggest part of our psychic sphere. The human conscience, which is different from the wild content, is also crazy because it is based on selfishness, having the ego at the centre. The ego is the worst part of the human psychic sphere. It is the channel that connects the human part to the wild one. If people pay attention to the ideas and suggestions of the wild side, they become victims of their ego. The ego is selfish and totally absurd. When people start doing several things that their ego demands, they are in fact digging their own grave. In a while, they will have to face reality, and they will lose the floor under their feet when they see all their plans fail, because the ego only wanted delude them so that the wild part could destroy the human conscience with despair, desire for vengeance, violence and craziness that appear in the person's behavior after their big failure and the tragic consequences of their mistakes, while they spent all their energy trying to fulfill their ego. Craziness is caused by the primitive and evil conscience, using the ego. The ego always wants to be on top and possess everything and everyone. Therefore, it really is the main cause of craziness, the soldier of the anti-conscience. The anti-conscience is the wild conscience that wants to destroy the human conscience in order to control the person's behavior. The ego is a loyal soldier that misleads the human conscience with its absurd desires. These desires are fantastic; they are not real. The person is tempted to love someone they don't really like or desire something they don't really want. The passion they have is extraordinary. The person cannot resist, they think that they have to possess what their ego desires, no matter what.

Money will always be a complex issue in today’s society, but the fact and matter is how do we go from here, and what can we do to make this matter a positive influence?

Ivory coast

2008-10-01T11:08:00.001-07:00

The population of the Ivory Coast is diverse, reflecting the many tribes that led small rival kingdoms before the 1700s. The Portuguese arrived to the western coast of Africa in the 1400s, setting up stations for trade. After the Portuguese came the Dutch, the British, and the French.

Because of the dense jungle vegetation and the lack of natural harbors, exploration of the area by Europeans was slowed. In 1842, the French made the area its protectorate and fifty years later, it became a full-fledged colony. In 1904, the French named it part of French West Africa. During World War II, the Vichy government worked hard to quash the nascent nationalist movements in west Africa, but after the war, efforts redoubled to gain independence.

This was achieved in 1960. The same man, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, served as president until his death in 1993 and the country enjoyed stability and prosperity. In 1999, some cracks in the political firmament appeared when Houphouet-Boigny's successor arrested members of an opposition party

togo

2008-10-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Western history does not record what happened in Togo before the Portuguese arrived in the late fifteenth century. During the period from the eleventh century to the sixteenth century, various tribes entered the region from all directions: the Ewe from Nigeria and Benin; and the Mina and Guin from Ghana. For the next two hundred years, the coastal region was a major raiding center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name 'The Slave Coast.'
In an 1884 treaty signed at Togoville, Germany declared a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland. This became a German colony in 1905. After World War I, the colony became two League of Nations mandates, administered by the United Kingdom and France. After World War II, these mandates became UN Trust Territories. The residents of British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast as part of the new independent nation of Ghana, and French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union. Independence came in 1960 under Sylvanus Olympio. Sylvanus Olympio was murdered by Lt Col and he overtook his position and usurped power on January 13, 1967.
IndependenceDuring the colonial period, the Mina grew in political and economic influence, by virtue of their coastal position and long association with Europeans. The Ewe, by contrast, were divided with the dissection of Togoland, and political groups on both sides began to agitate for reunification. Hopes for unity were dashed when British Togoland voted to be incorporated into Ghana, then on the brink of independence. After the expiration of the French-administered UN trusteeship on April 27, 1960, the French side declared its independence, with French Togoland becoming Togo.Gnassingbe Eyadema died in early 2005 after thirty-eight years in power, as Africa's longest sitting dictator. The military's immediate but short-lived installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as president provoked widespread international condemnation. Gnassingbe stood down and called elections which he later won two months later. The opposition claimed that the election was fraudulent. The developments of 2005 led to renewed questions about a commitment to democracy made by Togo in 2004 in a bid to normalize ties with the EU, which cut off aid in 1993 over the country's human rights record. Moreover, up to 400 people were killed in the political violence surrounding the presidential poll, according to the UN. Around 40,000 Togolese fled to neighboring countries.

ghana

2008-10-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Ghana is situated in West Africa, just above the Equator. The Greenwich Meridian passes through its main industrial city, Tema. It lies between latitude four degrees 45 minutes and 11 degrees 11 minutes North and extends from Longitude one degree 14 minutes east to three degrees 17 minutes west. Ghana shares common boundaries with Togo in the east, Burkina Faso in the north and Cote d'Ivoire in the West.

The Atlantic Ocean is in the south.Ghana is divided into 10 administrative regions and 110 district assemblies. The Regions are: Greater Accra, Eastern, Western, Central, Volta, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Northern, Upper East & Upper West. Capital: Accra. Status: Republic.

Former British colony. It won independence on March 6, 1957 and became the first country south of the Sahara to be free. She became a Republic on July 1, 1960. Population: About 20million. Area: 238,537 square kilometres.

Revelations

2008-10-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

The last book of the New Testament; contains visionary descriptions of heaven and of conflicts between good and evil and of the end of the world; attributed to Saint John the Apostle

Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown, "which could not be known apart from the unveiling"

We name our group revelation cause we beleive in positive future and big dreams
“Positive thinking is how you think about a problem Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem.”
One who understands much displays a greater simplicity of character than one who understands little

Brandon Johnson
great brother who loves kids, wants to have a career in child development. Basketball, building model cards are his main hobbies.

D.J. Darryl Johnson
enthousiastic and very driven about video games, computers, televisions and music. Planning on making average 100,000 $ per year minimum, own his business.

Aaron LACY
is one of a kind men who is currently majoring in computer science, to become a programmer while working for LA county.

Justin JACOB
future business owner who plan on averaging about a million $ a year, while looking out for his community.main hobbies are basketball and football

Akuete Kpodar AK
sets goal and make it happen is my philosophy, long term goal is to complete two masters and a certify network engineer. currently fitness trainer and family oriented.love football, basketball and track

Harold LEE (coming soon)

coming to united states of america

2008-09-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hello and thanks for taking the time to read my story

My name is akuete KPODAR, short for A.K. not to say " AK47"

I came from a small country in west Africa, grew up in Togo-Ghana, which were before the world war 2 a German colony, and a small family of six that has been my support all my life.

To start, i went to school in Togo, pretty much, where everything was thought in french, learn how to write in English, but never had experienced the speaking of it.After graduating in maths and science back home, i couldn't find a job in my field that can fairly pay what i deserve cause my country was really corrupted. Then i asked my mother, who has been the strongest women i ever seen in my life, to help me move to united states where i believe i can get a better opportunity.

that same year i had to go to an American International school of Lome and also pass my last exam for my degree, i end up getting all of them with a 4.0 honor roll student. Then i was accepted to Monroe college in new Rochelle NY with academic scholarship. I was really excited, everyone looked after me to bring joy and get my family out of poverty.

My first year was the worst of my life, i couldn't understand anything, after paying all school fees and room the first week, i end up with 20 dollars in my pocket, that was the time where my faith became stronger cause i knew God will not put me in situation that i couldn't handle.the next day i got a job selling ice cream and cleaning dishes for 6 dollars an hour and working over 30 hour a week. At the end of the first semester i got kicked out of housing for not been able to afford room, became homeless, eventually i did one a half semester. Unfortunately my credits were not transferable. Then i decided to move to Nebraska to help my sister and her husband who were coming to USA, really did not want anyone to know what i have experienced. Met my daughter's mother, who i did appreciate not only as my ex but as a good friend that we stayed even though our relationship did not work.

Through all these years i told myself that nothing can't stop me anymore now that i have seen it all. Today am back to school, starting over again, my everyday motivation is my daughter,who i will do anything for, my family and my faith. I speak three languages and currently working on my fourth.

My long term goal is to become a top network engineer, a fitness professional and eventually get my masters in mathematics.

Finally sometimes in life we make decisions that will affect out future but at the end of the day no matter what you are going through, it is all about you , and the one that look after you, so there is no excuse for me not making it.