My sister who is doing her Masters in Ohio defended her thesis today, thereby completing the work for her degree. Graduation is next week. The doctor says I can go but I will have to restrict my walking and I will obviously have to be be given disability assistance at the airport since the walk from check-in to the gate will be too much. Naturally I am very proud of her especially as she has had to overcome some major obstacles to arrive where she is today. My sisters and I are not the boastful kind. We just do what we have to do unlike most of the people in Barbados who share our surname and who sit and boast endlessly- ironically none of them have achieved anything in their lives and are generally failures and losers. Being boastful is a bad habit, but being boastful while not having done anything with your life is just plain old stupid! All this to say that my sister will just go on back home with her husband and kids who had joined her in Ohio and return to teaching etc and the simple but fulfilling life she lives with her family. Hopefully she will have her excellent thesis (Ethnic Minority Dominance in A Small Island Developing State and the Implications for Development: The Case of Barbados) published. The Committee who evaluated it was extremely impressed by her intelligence, analytical skills and the fact that the research and conclusions go much further than what is required at the Masters Level. Unfortunately, the university only gives out two grades- pass and fail- so while the Committee wanted to bestow a distinction on her, they will be unable to do so. Ok enough of that before I begin to sound like the idiotic relatives who I have nothing to do with!
A few days ago I wrote about Saeed Anwar’s record breaking innings of 194, which still remains the highest ever one day international score. The record Anwar broke was Viv Richard’s 189 runs made in 1984 against England at Old Trafford, an innings still regarded by many people as the greatest ever one-day knock. To put the 170 ball innings (21 fours, 5 sixes) into context, the West Indies were 102 for 7 and then 166 for 9 but ended up with a score of 272 for nine and won the match by 104 runs. Michael Holding made just 12 in the final wicket partnership of 106 and only one other batsman in the team reached double figures- Eldine Baptise making 26. Unfortunately I can’t locate a video of the innings on YouTube although there are some short video compilations comprised of clips of various innings. You can find them by doing a simple search for Viv Richards.
I was reading an article yesterday that once again highlights how in the clash between mankind and nature, nature disproportionately ends up on the losing side. This time it is bison that are at man’s mercy; in Montana the authorities have announced a plan to capture and kill 400 bison, including about 100 calves, which have been roaming outside the confines of Yellowstone National Park. Public protests have led to a stay of execution but the Montana Department of Livestock has said that it still plans to go ahead with the cull. The story can be read here.
In something a little lighter, this article about cheating female cheetahs brought a smile to my face.
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2 comments:
Really happy to hear of your sister's accomplishment. I hope she does publish her thesis. I would really love to read it. The trouble with theses is, so much work goes into them and then very few people get the chance to read them. What area was the Masters in? A social science?
I loved when you said her "simple but fulfilling life". Those words sum up Nirvana for me.
Am glad to read also that you are getting better and will be able to travel for her graduation. Have a wonderful time.
One of the areas the Committee was interested in was practical usage of her research and its contribution to Barbados' development. Hopefully she will find a way to get it seen by policy makers at home! The area was international studies/ international development.
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