"She actually said it" ...She was wrong

 

      "God don't love no Arabs !"  Randie actually said that in a church gathering years ago. I was not present so consequently had no knowledge of what happened next.  No one corrected her grammar nor her heresy.  Someone who observed the outburst  commented later that either everyone was stunned into silence or simply assumed that this was just another of Randie's unfiltered and biased opinions. 

  Given the many distortions of Christianity now abroad, her 'Arab' prejudice (among others) would likely elicit hearty "Amens" among those who view the Holy One's sharing their view of those 'Others'.  Lost or ignored are Jesus's admonitions to "love your neighbor just as you love yourself ". Or, when Jews held Samaritans to be less than human and men considered women to be inately inferior, Jesus treated a Samaritan woman with respect and kindness. And then there was that story about a 'Good' Samaritan.  Christians hardly are the sole proprietors of kind and respectful relationships. 

  Today's parallel would likely be something like "The Good ____________" fill in your preferred "inferior".  Kinda like Randie's slander. 

   

   I know, I know, animosities towards people considered as inferior have been around for a long time. And given the current intentional inflammation of those animosities, they will continue to fuel the Randie's of the world. Passivity will not promote "good will among all peoples". Institutional and structural prejudice need to be challenged and corrected. And, on an individual plane, Mark Erelli's song Passing Through offers a starting place:

 "Sometimes injustice and and indifference are the only things I see

But I refuse to let my hope become the latest casualty

So I'll sing of love and truth and try to practice what I preach

And if I can't change the world I'll change the world within my reach

And what better place to start than here and now with me and you. "

     Satchel

  

    

Old Dogs and New Tricks ---An epic tale

           "You can't teach an old dog new  tricks", alleges that older people are incapable of learning and using new information and  procedures. That scandalous cliche belongs in the trashcan labelled "Ageist".  Along with a recent epic personal achievement at age 88, I have it on the authority of "Dr. Google" that "Research shows older adults can learn multiple complex skills simultaneously".  Said in 'everyday vernacular', an 'old dog' can learn 'new tricks' provided that the dog possesses two prerequisites: the old dog  has half a brain and the old dog wants to learn.

      Six years ago Covid caused teletherapy to emerge as the only way many of us could continue meeting with our clients.  That adaptation pales in comparison with an epic transition our network is navigating.

    To be considered 'epic', an event or accomplishment must be extraordinary and impressive in size and scope.  Somewhere on the internet (Don't remember where), I found these among the characteristics of epical achievements:                                                      i) they encompass an extensive and massive scale                                  ii) there often are seemingly supernatural interventions that either hinder or aid the person facing insurmountable odds [read: 'steep learning curve']                                                                                         iii) challenges that require great bravery and persistence

         Remember those as we proceed !

    The 'epic' challenge that my colleagues and I currently confront is EPIC Electronic Medical Records. If you have been in medical office, you have likely met Epic even without being aware.  Their website claims it is the largest electronic health records vendor with records for over 325 million patients.  Do you have My Chart ?  If so, your health history is in Epic.                                                                                          This may be one of the greatest understatements of all time: proficiency with the system "requires significant, prolonged training since the system is highly complex and not always intuitive." This 'old  dog'  frequently felt overwhelmed by the massive volume of information to navigate and pass tests.  I knew that a challenge was impending when my wife's research indeed indicated "a steep learning curve"

For the first time in weeks,I feel reasonably "caught up". The amount of preparatory reading, instructional videos, tests (even on keyboard proficiency), practicing in the "playground"  has been like the proverbial drinking water from a firehose.  Often I felt as if we had encountered a gigantic jigsaw puzzle and lacked several pieces.                   Having learned many ---hardly all ---the basics for our clinical service, I wondered how this old dog learned the tricks.  Identified so far ---personal pride [or stubbornness or resolve ] not to give up; claiming a longer attention span than in earlier days; several VERY PATIENT teachers who continue to instruct and to encourage.                    My mantra has become "I know more than I did but not as much as I will."

      WOOF,

                 Satchel

"THREE WAYS OF KNOWING . . . "

"THREE  WAYS  OF  KNOWING " . . . 

       ". . . I can see, hear and feel.  I don't have to be told."

   These words from a long ago song accurately express the outrage that many are expressing in the aftermath of the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week.  While there have been many unsettling headline stories recently, this one has provoked an outpouring of anger and distrust around the "spin" that members of the Federal administration have attempted to impose.   The occupant of the White  House wrote that Ms Good "was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer" who shot her in self-defense.  He falsely claimed that the shooter had been hospitalized. The Vice-President said that she was part of a broadly based "left-winged network" and "a tragedy of her own making".  Kristi Noem has indicated that additional agents are being sent to the city.  That local law enforcement agencies have been prohibited from being part of the investigation with the FBI produced fears of a coverup.

   The Mayor of Minneapolis contradicted that narrative. "I'm biased because I got two eyes.  Anybody can see these videos. Anybody can see that this victim is not a domestic terrorist."  He is correct; many videos taken from several angles are on social media and show a much different story. Dan Rather, a highly respected journalist, in his SubStack post called it "murder in cold blood." Ms Good's death has sparked nation-wide protest demonstrations that reject the government's story.

   A CNN story on January 13, 2026, indicates that the Department of   Homeland Security "has altered its account of an immigration-related shooting in a Baltimore suburb on Christmas Eve after details in ita initial statement were contradicted by local police."  Early indications suggest the unlikely revision of what happened in Minnesota.  A lot of people know what they saw, heard and felt.  They don't have to be told a false account.

    George Orwell wrote in his book 1984 : "the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.  It was their final, most essential command."

   The tactics and comportment of ICE and Border Patrol agents have led to many people suggesting that there is a war on American citizens which is not the same as the alleged removal of  violent illegal immigrants.  The first casualty of war is TRUTH.   The administration's "explanation" is a fiction.

      Satchel