Always remember that these conversations took place many years ago
CONVERSATION ON PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION:
IMA: Jess, do the schools still teach that Look-Say Method of reading, that came in after our children left Elementary School?
JESS: I’m not sure, but you know you’ve seen the ads for “Hooked on Phonics” like it’s some new way of teaching kids to read, that supposed to be so good… and isn’t that what we used when we were in grade school?
IMA: Yeah, and that’s old…like us! But it worked — we learned how to read then and still remember how. So why did they change it?
JESS: Who knows?
IMA: I don’t understand why somebody … who, I wonder? … felt like they needed to change to the look-say method. I remember thinking at the time how dumb that sounded — kids would have to memorize every word in the language – instead of being able to figure out most of them by sound.
JESS: Must have been money! … somebody making a bunch of money, then find out it don’t work – then bring back the old way, like it’s new – and make a bunch more money.
IMA: You may be right. I don’t understand how somebody can convince a lot of so-called smart people that Look-Say is better than Phonics…but I never forget that IMA PHOOL!
MORE ON OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM:
JESS: Every time I tune in Talk Radio, I hear someone spouting off about our Public Education System, how bad it is, how dumb the kids are, how our kids can’t read, etc. Johnny hasn’t been able to read since the 70’s and we still haven’t figured out why. But somebody knows.
IMA: Well, the “BIG THEY” changed the way reading was taught, “THEY” changed the way math was taught, “THEY” introduced “social promotion” and put remedial reading as a College Course – so if you graduate from High School and can’t read your diploma- you’ll have to go to College to learn how! You don’t suppose this was a plan, do you?
JESS: Don’t know! But think about it? What we have here is a whole economic system based on consuming – consuming without too much questioning or reasoning. And if you want to maintain this system, us folks just have to spend, not think about it, just want it, or just buy it!
IMA: Maybe, there’s nothing wrong with our public education then, if it’s producing a population that just keeps buying. But then I’d have to call that our Public Indoctrination System – ’cause educated we’re not.
JESS: You got that right, you PHOOL!
ON CARPETING IN HOSPITAL ROOMS:
IMA: Jess, look at this article! It says that the hospital administrator and board vote to spend $375,000 to remove all the carpeting from the rooms in their hospital. Good grief!
JESS: Does it say why?
IMA: No, just “after careful study over the last 5 years, it was decided…”. Do you remember when I had that surgery in ’77? When I had to go back to the hospital they eventually put me in a private room…with carpeting on the floor.
JESS: Yes, I remember. thought it was strange at the time. Heard them talking about carpeting the corridors too, but they said there were too many carts that were needed and it was too hard to roll them; guess they forgot those wheels went into the rooms, too.
IMA: Took them almost 20 years to figure out what we decided that first day they put me in that germ incubator. Do you remember what we talked about then?
JESS: Oh yes! I remember when they couldn’t figure out what you had and were placing you in semi-isolation, but every one that walked in had street shoes on. I remember, too, when your IV dripped on the floor … all that sugar water soaking into that carpet; and the night you got so sick and vomited on the floor … and oh, I don’t want to remember some of the rest.
IMA: Well, don’t forget when I asked the doctor how long the carpet had been in that room and when that carpet had been cleaned last. Couldn’t figure out why anyone would think that carpeting was better than floors that could be mopped.
JESS: Oh the doctor’s answer was that she was told that mopping spread the germs around (of course, if you used a dirty mop and dirty water), and that the germs would settle to the bottom of the carpet…and I guess, just died down there? I also remember wondering then how much money somebody made from that venture and how much they’d make when they found out that it didn’t work.
IMA: Well, I don’t know how much they made putting it in, but someone’s gonna make $375,000 taking it out of this one.