March 19, 2025
Introduction
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Becky Kennedy’s approach to parenting has resonated with countless families seeking connection-based strategies that honor both parent authority and children’s emotional experiences. Her book presents a thoughtful framework centered on seeing children as “good inside” while offering practical strategies for common parenting challenges. However, when viewed through the lens of Patty Wipfler’s Hand in Hand Parenting, several significant limitations emerge in Kennedy’s methodology that merit careful examination.
Kennedy’s work has gained particular traction within the Internal Family Systems (IFS) community due to her innovative application of IFS concepts to everyday parenting challenges. Her framework extends Richard Schwartz’s pioneering model into parenting, discussing how parents can recognize and respond to different parts of their children’s emotional experiences. This adaptation of IFS principles to parenting has earned Kennedy significant recognition, including a formal endorsement from Schwartz himself, who praised her ability to translate complex therapeutic concepts into accessible parenting strategies.
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March 17, 2025
The judge’s approach to religious sincerity in the Jensen case provides a practical example that aligns with Carse’s understanding of religion.
The Judge’s Determination of Religious Sincerity
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In the court document, the judge states: “At the hearing, Plaintiffs presented the testimony of several witnesses to establish the sincerity of their religion. The court found the witnesses credible and ruled that Plaintiffs had shown a likelihood of success on their claim under the Utah RFRA.”
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March 11, 2025
James Carse’s The Religious Case Against Belief might seem unrelated to parenting. But its exploration of belief systems, higher ignorance, and connection offers powerful insights for understanding Hand in Hand Parenting. This approach to raising children emphasizes emotional connection, listening, and working through difficult feelings together rather than imposing rigid rules or control.
The Dangers of Rigid Belief Systems
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Carse offers a detailed analysis of belief systems. These systems resist change and thrive on opposition. Similarly, parenting approaches that rely on unchangeable rules and punishments create boundaries that limit connection. When parents cling to inflexible ideas about how children should behave, they risk turning the parent-child relationship in a battleground.
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March 11, 2025
James Carse’s The Religious Case Against Belief provides a fascinating framework for analyzing political rhetoric, particularly that of Donald Trump’s recent address to Congress. While Carse focuses on religious contexts, his insights about belief systems, boundaries, and poetic authority offer valuable tools for understanding Trump’s speech and the political moment it represents.
Boundaries
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Trump’s address exemplifies what Carse would recognize as a mature belief system. It creates clear boundaries between supporters and opponents, establishes Trump as the ultimate authority, and provides a comprehensive explanation of America’s problems and their solutions.
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March 10, 2025
The Professor and the Engineer
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On a rainy Tuesday afternoon in early March, I found myself hunched over not one but two versions of James P. Carse’s philosophical masterpiece, The Religious Case Against Belief. The first—dog-eared and coffee-stained—was Carse’s original 2008 publication. The second—pristine and unauthorized—was a dramatically condensed edition that has been stirring controversy in religious and publishing circles alike.
The unauthorized second edition, prepared by software engineer and religious studies enthusiast Joshua Pritikin, has been described as both “literary vandalism” and “an act of spiritual generosity,” depending on whom you ask. Released without Penguin Random House’s permission, it reduces Carse’s dense philosophical prose by nearly half. Entire chapters have vanished. Technical passages have been recast in simpler language.
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February 28, 2025
“Teddy, why is the sky blue?” Three-year-old Mira looked up at her plush companion, a bear with soft amber eyes that seemed to follow her wherever she went.
The bear’s eyes flickered momentarily with a subtle glow. “The sky is blue because tiny fairies paint it every morning,” Teddy replied in a warm, gentle voice. “They use special brushes made from cloud-fluff.”
Mira giggled, hugging Teddy close. “That’s silly!”
“Oh? What do you think makes the sky blue, then?” Teddy asked, his head tilting slightly.
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February 17, 2025
Dear XXX University Administrators,
I am writing to express my concerns about current copyright policies.
The landscape of academic publishing and information access has transformed with the
advent of artificial intelligence. Institutional policies remain rooted in an outdated
paradigm. Recent developments highlight this disconnect: major AI companies are
training language models on vast collections of academic literature and books.
As reported in January 2025, both American and foreign companies are using bulk text collections.
This technological revolution in how knowledge is processed and utilized demands a fresh
examination of our approach to academic access. While I fully support protecting
intellectual property rights and compensating creators fairly, the current system
creates barriers to legitimate academic inquiry and learning.
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December 29, 2024
For more details, check out my cannabis page.
December 21, 2024
This https://oregonstatecannabis.org/thc/delta-8 is a travesty.
We don’t make lettuce illegal because it might be contaminated
with salmonella. We regulate it. We should be doing the same
for Federally legal hemp-derived cannabinoids. The state can
mandate independent lab testing for contaminants.
October 3, 2024
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-170/issue-129/extensions-of-remarks-section/article/E809-3
Summary of the letter:
- The PATH Caucus was created to raise awareness about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic and entactogenic drugs for mental health conditions.
- The Caucus is seeking input on implementing programs and policies for novel therapies using these substances.
- The Caucus aims to gather input from the public, those who have received psychedelic-assisted therapies, and stakeholders in the behavioral health ecosystem.
- The Caucus acknowledges the cultural significance of certain psychedelic substances and seeks input from indigenous communities.
- The Caucus is interested in input on risk mitigation frameworks, including public education, substance misuse prevention, and safety monitoring strategies.
- The Caucus is seeking input on how to support states in developing infrastructures and service delivery systems for these therapies.
- The Caucus is interested in input on how to ensure equitable access to these therapies.
- The Caucus is seeking input on data standards and repositories for collecting data on the use of these substances.
- The Caucus is seeking input on how to protect public health and safety when implementing these novel therapies.
Response:
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