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From For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats - New York Times: "The clash we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions or a clash of civilizations," Dr. Sultan said. "It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle Ages and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century. It is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between the civilized and the primitive, between barbarity and rationality."

The children of Epmi village play a game called Tali Masok. They explained it to me and I decided I’d share it with you!

Teams

Tali Masok is played by two teams of three to six players. The number of players must be the same on each team.

Setup

The playing field must be marked out on the ground with chalk or paint or, as the Walsa children use, ashes. Its pattern is always the same, but its size is determined by how many players there are on a team. The standard field has six squares and accomodates four or five players. Another pair of squares must be added for playing with teams of six.

When we lived in Papua New Guinea, we watched the games played by village children with curiosity. One tag game, which they called Tali Masok involved a pair of teams taking turns strategically guarding lines or avoiding being tagged.

Here are some more sites with games form around the world:

• Kids Games from Around the World
• GamesKidsPlay.net
  

A friend of mine suggested we go trap or skeet shooting sometime. He says that San Diego Shotgun Sports is the best in the San Diego area, and Project 2000 Range is the best in the El Cajon area.

China represents the only society on this planet to weather the transition from pre-industrial to postmodern intact and gaining strength. The American Experiment is merely a chapter or two compared to the volumes of patient, pragmatic, skilled governing that has led one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse areas on the planet to remain intact as a single country. The USSR couldn't do it, Europe is only beginning to get serious about it, Africa is years away from pulling together, and even the USA is too young a nation to judge its success.

We in the West like to think of ourselves as more advanced because we've invented enviable and useful technology. But when we consider that America is still making up its mind how to deal with the fundamental questions that come with being a secularly governed, pluralistic, market-aware society, China has kept a tight reign and is marching at an alarming rate toward all the goals we imagine are our inheritance.

I grew up for my early years in a place called Lomalinda, in the rolling plains of the Meta province in central Colombia. Google Maps image at 3 degrees, 18', 17.17" North 73 degrees, 21' 43.65" West.

Lomalinda means "beautiful hill" in Spanish, and the name fit.

The land was donated to the government for the use of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) by a Colombian army officer who owned the ranch land in that area. Settled in 1964 by a group of a dozen or so SIL workers including my parents, Lomalinda grew to a population of around 300 during the height of its use. It served as the center of operations for SIL in Colombia for thirty years, a time in which much was accomplished to analyze the languages of the indigenous peoples of that country.

The kids love to visit the tide pools below Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. Check out the tide prediction and go some time! The park closes before dusk so be sure to plan your visit to coincide not only with low tide but also the hours of operation.

Tired of those smoking exhaust pipes belching smog in front of you on the road? File a complaint with the State of California and a letter goes to the owner!

http://www.arb.ca.gov/enf/vehcmplts/complaints.htm