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A focus on Michael Quarshie, a top sportsman

Michael

Michael

Today, as I continue with my narration of personalities and their successes as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland, I focus on Michael Quarshie, a top sportsman of Ghanaian descent and his accomplish­ments.

Michael Quarshie has been a top American football player in Finland, and he started playing at the age of 15. Michael played the sport for 12 years and stopped playing back in 2016 after an injury when he was playing with the then Oakland Raiders, now the Las Vegas Raiders.

Reports described him, with obvious admiration, as an impressive defensive player with a good size and speed.

Early life

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Michael was born in Erlangen, Germany to a father originally from Ghana (the retired dentist, Dr Emmanuel Quarshie, who was featured here recently) and a Finnish mother (Dr Tuula H. Quarshie), who were both medical students in Germany.

His parents later moved to Finland after they completed their medical studies. It was in Finland that the young Michael saw a game of American football being played on TV, and he became interested in the sport.

As Michael told me, before then he used to sing in a church choir in Finland, named Cantores Minores.

Early sports life

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After he developed interest in the sport, Michael says he signed up with a club in Finland and “totally fell in love with it”, as he put it.

Reports online indicate that although there was no high school football in Finland, Michael played with various teams. In Finland, he played for the Helsinki Roosters from 1994-1999 (https://jenkkifutis.fi/ info/historia/hall-of-fame/ jasenet/), and he led the team to four top-three finishes in the Finnish National League (www. footballfoundation.org).

Michael also played with the Frankfurt Galaxy of the National Football League Europe right out of college and signed with the Oakland Raiders in the US in 2006. He also played with the Porvoo Butchers in Finland.

He left for the United States in 2000, and Michael found a football home there and accomplished so much.

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Accomplishments and honours

It is important to recount his accomplishments as part of the success stories of people of Ghanaian descent in Finland in order to highlight their exploits both within the Ghanaian migrant community and in the wider Finnish society.

In 2014, Michael was elected into the Finnish Hall of Fame, a unique achievement. Furthermore, he won gold with the Finnish national youth team in 1997, as well as a silver with the men’s national team in 2001 (https://jenkkifutis.fi/ info/historia/hall-of-fame/ jasenet/).

Michael, who played for the Columbia Lions as he schooled in the USA (Columbia University), also achieved a number of honours there. According to a report in May 2004 on the Columbia Lions website, Michael Quarshie and two others were named to the 2004-05 Arthur Ashe Sports-Scholars Teams in the USA.

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According to the report, Michael, who graduated that year with a degree in political science, was a first team All-Ivy defensive tackle for the Columbia Lions. He was named to the National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete team, Academic All-Ivy team and the Division I-AA Academic All-Star team.

Michael was also a team captain and the recipient of the David W. Smyth Memorial Cup, awarded to the Columbia football most outstanding player (see https://gocolumbialions.com/ sports/2018/5/25/1360672).

Another report in November 2004 said the senior defensive tackle, Michael Quarshie, was named to The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Class.

The report said Quarshie, the Lions team’s co-captain was ranked second in Division I-AA in tackles for a loss that season and was one of 15 players in the nation to earn the distinction. He was “the third-ever Columbia player to be so honoured” at the time, the report disclosed (see, https://gocolumbialions.com/ sports2018/5/28/1360213. aspx).

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Life outside sports

A report on the website of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame also indicates that Michael has been the founder and CEO of the Wellness Foundry, which delivers cutting-edge web and mobile tools to help people eat better and live healthier (see, www.footballfoundation. org). Michael currently lives in Finland with his wife and their children. Thank you!

GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.

Email: perpetualcrentsil@yahoo.com

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By Perpetual Crentsil

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 Preventing the brain’s melting point with BOS

 The human brain is a complex and delicate organ, susceptible to damage from various factors, including extreme tempera­tures.

The brain’s melting point, also known as the tempera­ture threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to de­grade, is a critical concern for individuals seeking to maintain optimal cognitive function.

Fortunately, the Brain Operating System (BOS) offers a revolutionary solution to prevent the brain’s melting point.

Understanding the brain’s melting point

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The brain’s melting point refers to the temperature threshold beyond which brain tissue begins to degrade, leading to irreversible dam­age.

This temperature threshold varies depending on individual factors, such as age, health, and environmental conditions. However, research suggests that the brain’s melting point is approximately 104°F (40°C) to 107°F (42°C).

The role of BOS in pre­venting the brain’s melting point

BOS, a cutting-edge tech­nology, plays a crucial role in preventing the brain’s melting point. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial intelligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain tempera­ture, ensuring that it remains within a safe range.

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How BOS prevents the brain’s melting point

BOS prevents the brain’s melting point through several mechanisms:

1. Temperature regulation: BOS continuously monitors brain temperature, adjusting neural activity to maintain a stable temperature.

2. Heat dissipation: BOS enhances heat dissipation through increased blood flow and sweating.

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3. Neuro protection: BOS protects neurons from heat-induced damage.

Benefits of BOS in prevent­ing the brain’s melting point

The benefits of BOS in preventing the brain’s melting point are numerous:

1. Prevents brain damage: BOS prevents brain damage caused by excessive heat.

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2. Maintains cognitive function: BOS ensures optimal cognitive function by main­taining stable brain tempera­ture.

3. Enhances brain resil­ience: BOS enhances brain resilience to temperature fluctuations.

Real-World applications of BOS

BOS has various real-world applications:

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1. High-performance computing: BOS enables high-performance computing by maintaining optimal brain temperature.

2. Medical applications: BOS has medical applications, such as treating heat-related illnesses.

3. Space exploration: BOS is crucial for space explora­tion, where extreme tempera­tures pose a significant risk.

Conclusion

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BOS is a revolutionary technology that prevents the brain’s melting point, ensur­ing optimal cognitive function and overall well-being. By leveraging advanced neural interfaces and artificial in­telligence, BOS monitors and regulates brain temperature, protecting against heat-relat­ed damage.

Glossary:

1. BOS: Brain Operating System.

2. Brain’s melting point: Temperature threshold be­yond which brain tissue begins to degrade.

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3. Neural interface: Con­nects human brain with digital devices.

Contact Information

virginvtech@yahoo.com

Additional resources:

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1. BOS research: Explore scientific studies.

2. Neural interface re­sources: Discover books and articles.

3. Brain-computer in­terface communities: Join online forums.

Future directions

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As BOS technology continues to evolve, we can expect:

1. Improved temperature regulation: Enhanced tem­perature regulation mecha­nisms.

2. Increased cognitive enhancement: Advanced cognitive enhancement capa­bilities.

3. Expanded applications: New applications in various fields.

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By harnessing the power of BOS, individuals can safe­guard their brain health and maintain optimal cognitive function, even in extreme environments.

By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson

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Features

Lotto wahala and Tuobodom palaver

• Lotto has been the financial messiah of many
• Lotto has been the financial messiah of many

In Sikaman lotto is not a game. It is a profession, a noble career which people aspire to. It is the highest paying profession after armed robbery and the most widespread job on this side of the Atlantic.

In places like China, lotto is a disease that has no cure. Once you are infected, no doctor on earth can cure you. May be Kofi Larteh, Ghana’s most celebrated magician, can help ease the symptoms, but no definitive cure will be forthcoming.

Coming back to Sikaman, lotto has been the financial messiah of many. That is how people look after their large families, pay school fees, marry two wives and do their own ‘monkey things.’

If you are very poor and you win a lottery, chances are that you will die before you even collect the money. You’ll die out of excitement or you’ll start day-dreaming in the streets and an articulated truck will hit you.

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As such, very heavy wins are not recommended for poor people, lest they get listed too soon in the obitu­ary columns.

The sad story is told of a heavy-du­ty caterpillar driver who had a very heavy lotto windfall of several mil­lions, his first big win after several years.

CATERPILLAR

He was driving the caterpillar home when he saw his son running towards him, shouting. “All your numbers have dropped! All your numbers have dropped! He could not believe his ears.

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All the four numbers he had staked had dropped and his son, who had gone to stake them for him, was himself over-excited. The poor cater­pillar man just could not handle the good news. He suddenly stepped on the brakes and the caterpillar jolted him a trifle too violently, throwing him off. He landed right in front of the still moving heavy-duty machine and it crushed him flat.

I don’t think the bloke would have died if he had won a smaller amount. Sometimes too much cash is not good for the health.

Seldom, people get too confi­dent and that can also result in a wake-keeping, like that of a man who used his lifetime savings and borrowed extra money to crack the machine with a two-sure that the compiler must compulsory drop or the world will end.

Even the shadows of the numbers or their counterparts were nowhere near the winning numbers. His shock-absorbers crumbled under the weight of the heavy disappointment. He crashed to the floor and started foaming at the mouth. He was de­clared dead on arrival at the nearest clinic.

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WINDFALL

Recently, there was a countrywide lotto windfall, and in Kumasi it was more than a festival. Most stakers had between ¢30m and ¢40 million on two-sure that the lotto magicians had predicted at least three weeks earlier,

Kejetia chop bars were besieged with overnight millionaires, carrying huge appetites induced by Opeimu Bitters popularly called Opeimu Peters. All the meat and mudfish got sold out within an hour and procure­ment agents had to double up to restock.

While some were celebrating, oth­ers were weeping and gnashing teeth. The problem was that, three weeks beforehand, the two sure numbers were declared by all the lotto sorcer­ers, dreamers, magicians, tellers and all the self-appointed and self-pro­moted forecasters.

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Everybody including 10-year-olds, who staked and lost. The following week, they were advised to continue staking. The faithful did continue but the faithless stopped. All of them lost. In the third week or so, a good number of confident stakers had lost faith in the two numbers. That was when the number landed.

So the windfall was for only those who had the unshakeable faith in the numbers. See what faith can do? It can move dollars. Don’t waver, so saith the holy scriptures.

The faithless indeed gnashed teeth. The winners on the other hand cel­ebrated with a song that is as con­troversial as the business of lotto. It is a song played by the group called Nkasei and has something to do with a town in the Brong Ahafo Region called Tuobodom whose capital we hear is Jinijini.

I hear it is a derogatory song and the queen mother of Tuobodom got charged and breathed out electric current during her protest on air. She allegedly ended up demanding a mobile phone from Nkasei so that she could communicate with them to settle the matter peacefully, lest wahala.

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Well, the song is rising up the charts and Nkasei are making the dough, but should it be at the ex­pense of a whole townsfolk, their forebears and generations to come?

WATERPROOF

Waterproof, the famous comedian, was allegedly given hefty slaps at the Kumasi rail station by some Frafra jingoists who felt he was deriding their tribe. And Bob Okala had to run with his tail between his legs when he was confronted and realised that slaps were going to be visited on his lean face.

Let’s not use words and lyrics to cause discomfort to others.

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This article was first published on Saturday July 9, 2005

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