Who Gets What?

Forgive this please: Want to learn about poetry from a poet? This podcast will do it. Amanda J. Bradley is an accomplished poet. She has three published collections plus scores of individually published poems while also serving as a writer and as a teacher, including at Butler University.

Speaking to us from an office having two million COVID tests--with lithium batteries--stored just outside, Gregg Keesling tells us about recycling, fire hazards, land fills, vapes, and more. What to do? One idea is the new Indianapolis curbside recycling program. Equally important, education, especially for people who bring peanut butter containers, with residue of peanut butter, expecting it to be recycled. Nope. Food does not work. (Gregg is founder and president of Recyle Force.)

That is the corner from which June Rochelle expands her work, joys, and opportunities to teach. While a good share of her life is singing, such as a periodic vocalist at The Cole Porter Room of The Indiana Historical Society, and as a back up singer for Diana Ross and Celine Dion, she also teaches in library and schools. The subject? Use of artificial intelligence in many contexts, such as teaching non-reading five year olds how to play Scrabble.

Keep teachers happy, expel disruptive kids or place them together in one classroom, establish a choice of education tracks such as the college track and the vocational track, and end grade inflation,* are discussed in this conversation with Indianapolis author Richard W. Garrett. His book is "U.S. Education is in Trouble, Let's Fix It!: 22 Reform Proposals."

*47 % of high school graduates get A grades, giving parents a false sense of satisfaction. Meanwhile, only 35 % or less pass standard examinations.

United States withdrawal of programed funds is a challenge for grant-writer Anne Laker. In this conversation, she lists specifics, while also stating that future applications must not contain certain words that guarantee rejection. Yet we must not forget: "funders are people too."

Improvement in traffic control/flow, and advances in methods to recognize whether a vehicle, bicycle, or human, is in the intersection, will improve safety and comfort of trips. Our guest, Darcy Bullock, is Lyles Family Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Joint Transportation Research Program with Courtesy Appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering.

To increase the number of Republican seats in The House of Representatives, certain states have been asked to re-district, or, perhaps better expressed, to "gerrymander" in favor of the Republican administration. Julia Vaughn, Executive Director of Common Cause Indiana, which long has campaigned that districts should be drawn impartially, with no original bias. If successful, parties in the future could re-district at will instead of just after the decennial census.

As co-president of Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence, Jerry King thinks daily about use of guns in violent situations. Generally, gun violence has been declining in The Untied States except among young men for whom his organization conducts camps and seminars.

After a brief discussion of DNR orders (Do Not Resuscitate), we learn about the Mobile Integrated Health Service of The Pike Township fire department. Out guest is Wendy Utzig who is an Emergency Medical Technician, Registered Nurse, with advanced training in hospice and palliative care, who serves as Community Resource Paramedic. Services include fall prevention education, home safety evaluations, medication reconciliation and chronic disease support.

As part of a retired/covid activity, Jeff Rasley and his wife Alicia visited, photographed, and wrote about more than 200 Indiana towns. Their reports are on his Facebook page, as well as at JeffreyRasley,com. (Kokomo, Marion, Converse, Winona Lake, Clay City, Linton, Lawerenceburg, Tell City, West Baden and Princeton are mentioned.)