I just spent 4 months in India, and it's interesting to see the stark difference between the over-protective (generally upper income) and the non-protective (lower income) parents. The trend towards the over-protective world-wide is really rather disturbing and I'm glad that someone is making the effort to go "free-range" on their kids.

The problem, of course, is that one free-range kid getting hurt is all it takes for the knee-jerk reaction that these parents are irresponsible and negligent and then there's the lawsuits and morality police and all the other associated nonsense.

Ah well, at least a few kids get to have fun :)

This is really sad. I saw the Moustache Brothers in Mandalay in Dec 2005 (a few pics at http://flickr.com/photos/cybertoast/sets/72157602453461416/). ParParLay, his brothers and the entire Moustache Brothers troupe (Par Par's wife and his his sister-in-law I think) are so very fun to watch.
I think by far it was one of the most heart-warming things I've seen. They're hard-core comedians, and despite the hard labor they were subjected to while detained in the 80's and the health impacts they were still willing to do a regular performance poking fun at the military junta.
If I remember correctly, Par PAr was released from detainment thanks to the work of several comedians in the US. I wonder if that would work again.
BTW, Myanmar is a gut-wrenchingly beautiful place, and it's really unfortunate that the neighboring countries (India esp.) are so silent on the issue going on there right now!