International
Dr. Sultan on Muslim Tensions: Barbarism vs Rationality
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."
Walsa Kids Game: Tali Masok
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.
China Steps on the Gas
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.