I watched a disturbing documentary on psychological torture techniques in political prisons recently. As they described the tactics that were used to get these prisoners to break down mentally, I felt a disturbing flash of recognition in many areas.  Any of these sound familiar? sleep deprivation - not allowing the subject to sleep noise flooding - subjecting prisoners to loud, unrelenting high-pitched noises, particularly while sleeping repeated questioning -asking the subject the same . . .

My kids have spent a good portion of their summer in the backyard jumping on the trampoline.  Consequently, Karis has spent a good portion of her summer in this position: (We use an old Little Tikes climbing structure as the trampoline ladder.  It actually works perfectly - it is much more sturdy that a trampoline ladder and the platform is helpful for when one kid is coming out while another kid is going in, since of course they refuse to heed my constant warning of "one kid on the . . .

When I was a little girl, my parents had a cartoon philosophy book in our library.  I loved that book - probably because it was the only book with illustrations in a room full of hardbound theology books and bible commentaries.  As an adult, I now see the humor in the book - it was a simple book with a different philosophy exemplified on each page by a hand-drawn pig.  There is a Socratic pig in deep conversation with a disciple, a Franciscan pig with his congregation of animals, . . .

 Three Things That Drive Me Crazy: The iphone "this changes everything . . . again" slogan.  Um, no.  The new iphone does not change everything.  It changes the way a few privileged hipsters update their tweets and play Words With Friends.   The lady who sells $5 balloons right next to the merry-go-round.  Are my kids bothering you with the begging and the screaming and the throwing themselves on the ground?  Well, blame her.  I'm not spending $20 on . . .