Cricket World Cup 2015: Gayle’s 215 is first WC double century; 372 with Samuels breaks records

Chris Gayle 215 vs Zimbabwe- WC 2015

Gayle scores 215- fastest ODI double century – 16 sixes equals ODI record

After scoring the fastest ODI double-hundred, against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, Chris Gayle admitted he had been under pressure to score runs following a lean run of form recently. Gayle’s 215, which came off 147 balls, was the fifth double-hundred in ODIs and the first in a World Cup, and his record 372-run stand with Marlon Samuels – the highest in ODIs – propelled West Indies to a formidable 372 for 2 in Canberra.

Gayle said that people had been expecting him to score a double-hundred for a while now and was happy to deliver. “There has been a lot of pressure. The runs haven’t been coming,” Gayle said. “It’s the first time in my career that so many people wanted me to score runs. The messages kept coming in – on Twitter. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen that so many people wanted me to perform. I’m glad I gave them something to cheer about. 

Alliances and Compromises in Guyana’s Politics – By Ralph Ramkarran

Alliances and Compromises in Guyana’s Politics

   Ralph Ramkarran

By Ralph Ramkarran – February 21, 2015 conversationtree.gy blog

The Cummingsburg Accord is only the latest in the history of alliances in Guyana’s post-war politics. The PPP emerged out of informal class and ethnic alliances in 1950. The PNC-UDP sought to merge African working and middle classes in the 1950s, with some resistance. The ‘moderate’ PNC came together with the ‘right wing’ UF in 1964. The opposition formed the little known VLD (Vanguard for Liberation and Democracy) in the late 1970s and the PCD in 1985, which comprised groups of differing ideological persuasions. The WPA emerged out of an alliance of several left/radical groups.

The PPP sought to engage the PNC by ‘critical support’ in 1976. In 1977 the PPP offered to sacrifice the presidency and take the second spot of prime minister in a new constitutional formula outlined in the National Patriotic Front in the interests of national unity. It was the epitome of political magnanimity in Guyana’s modern political history. The PPP saw working class unity and the strengthening of the left trend initiated by the PNC Government, as the outcome. It was rejected.  

Canada’s immigration policy – more focus now on skills and “Job Offers”

Canada’s immigration policy

No country for old men – more focus on skills and Job Offers

Canada used to prize immigrants who would make good citizens. Now people with job offers have jumped to the front of the queue.

From theEconomist print edition: The Americas – January 10, 2015

IN 1967 Canada invented a way to remove discrimination and prejudice from the process of choosing which immigrants to let in. The points system ignored an applicant’s race and country of origin (until then it helped to be white). Instead, it rewarded education, fluency in English or French and work experience. With the change, Asians supplanted white Europeans as the dominant immigrant group.

The idea of basing admission to Canada on merit rather than on a bureaucrat’s whim was visionary at the time. Several countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, adopted Canadian-style points systems. In Europe even politicians hostile to “uncontrolled” immigration sing the praises of Canada’s selective approach.

Cricket History Profile: Roy Fredericks of Guyana – By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine + video

Cricket History Profile: Roy Fredericks of Guyana  [see video below]

By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine

Roy Fredericks

Who hits Dennis Lillee for a six and steps on his wicket in the process? The batsman is the incomparable Roy Clinton Fredericks and this happened in the finals of the World Cup in 1975 at Lords.

Fredericks was fearless, and his repertoire comprised a full range of strokes, including the famous hooks that put Australia to the sword in 1976. In the annals of West Indian cricket there was hardly an opening batsman that was more attacking and the partnership with Gordon Greenidge set the standard for stability in the top of the order. How did this son of Guyana rise to the top to open the batting for the West Indies, chosen as Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1974), played for Glamorgan and also become a Sports Minister in his native Guyana?

Roy Fredericks was born at Blairmont on the West Coast of Berbice in Guyana. He learned his cricket at primary school where he became a spin bowler and batted left-handed.  

The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in the USA – Book by Ai-jen Poo

The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America

February 6, 2015 – by Ai-jen Poo

The following is an excerpt from Ai-jen Poo’s new book,The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America.

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My father’s father, Liang Shao Pu, lived to the age of 93. A lifelong student and then teacher of tai chi and a die-hard Wheel of Fortune fan, he had a slow, deep‑throated laugh that never failed to infect my sister and me, sending us into spasms of giggles. After moving from Taiwan to the United States to be close to his children and grandchildren, my grandfather often picked us up from school, the silhouette of his baseball cap visible from down the block. He was never late.

My grandfather quietly sustained the heartbreaks of my parents’ divorce, the passing of most of his friends and then the loss of his wife of more than 40 years. 

“Cummingsburg Accord”: APNU-AFC Coalition agreement and program

Georgetown, Guyana

Friday 20th February 2015

APNU-AFC COALITION PRESENTS A TEN-POINT PROGRAMME FOR DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND NATIONAL UNITY

 A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have presented a ten-point programme for democracy, development and national unity. This follows their decision to contest the forthcoming General and Regional elections as a single coalition. That decision was embodied in the Cummingsburg Accord signed by Leader of APNU, Brigadier David Granger and Leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan on the 14^th February 2015.

US looks forward to peaceful elections in Guyana – US Secretary of State, John Kerry.

US looks forward to peaceful elections in Guyana

Sunday, 22 February 2015 -Written by  Denis Scott Chabrol – CMD

US Secretary of State, John Kerry.

The United States (US) on Sunday- the eve of Guyana’s 45th Republic anniversary said it was looking forward to peaceful general and regional elections scheduled for May 11, 2015.

“Your nation will hold national elections this year. I am confident that it will serve as an example of the peaceful exercise of the right to vote.  Your actions will strengthen the entire region’s commitment to democratic institutions,” said American Secretary of State, John Kerry on behalf of US President Barack Obama.  

On Blogging: Finding Inspiration & Much More – By Rosaliene Bacchus

Rosaliene: Congratulation to you on your Very Inspiring Blogger Award. We look forward to your posts… please continue giving us your insights on the many subjects you cover in your Blog. Cheers!!

Three Worlds One Vision

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

When one’s day starts with news of terrorist attacks and more war, it’s good to receive unexpected news that makes one smile and warms the heart. I received such news recently from blogger, Dr. Gerald Stein, a retired psychotherapist in Chicago. His candid blog posts on our relationships are well articulated, insightful, and knitted together with engaging humor and honesty. In his latest post, he surprised me with the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

When I started my blog over three years ago, inspiring others was far from my mind. As a newbie novelist seeking to have my work published, I started my blog as a means of building my author’s platform.

After learning that I was working on a novel set in Guyana, a friend sent me the link to the Guyanese Online Blog as a source of information. The blog, published by Cyril…

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“Chasing the Scream”: The Drug War and its racist policies revealed

“Chasing the Scream”: The Beginning and End of the Drug War

Saturday, 21 February 2015 11:30 By Eleanor J. Bader, Truthout | Book Review

 Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, by Johann Hari, Bloomsbury   (Photo: Bloomsbury USA)

More than 100 years ago, the US launched what became known as the War on Drugs, a relentless, if futile, campaign to convince Americans – and later the rest of the world – to “Just say no.” The history of that war is the subject of Johann Hari’s fascinating and compelling Chasing the Scream, an important analysis of the whys and wherefores of this colossal waste of energy, time and money.

Hari introduces several characters that serve as archetypes to tell the tale: Harry Anslinger, the law enforcer; Arnold Rothstein, the dealer and profiteer; and Billie Holiday, the addict.

“When Harry and Arnold and Billie were born [at the end of the   19th and early 20th centuries, respectively], drugs were freely available throughout the world,” he writes. “You could go to any American pharmacy and buy products made from the same ingredients as heroin and cocaine.

NO MORE RUM FOR ME! – By Dmitri Allicock

NO MORE RUM FOR ME!

By Dmitri Allicock

Slurred song of a high wine’s grin

A staggering drunk-man caroling

Words and echoes of a sadden tone

Sober ballad of those days known   

Eulogy to his dear friend of booze

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Read more: Go to Dmitri Allicock’s blog to comment and share

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– Guyanese Online Blog entry #4800