Preserving What's Left....
The Dog Ate My Homework
This may contain some important information. Or maybe not. You decide.
By Elyssa Durant Published 5/4/2009 Read more »
Who Owns My Copyright?
Lifetime Ban. Where did it go? Wanna preserve twistory... help fight copy right infringement!
By Elyssa Durant Published 5/4/2009 Read more »
Unemployment Crisis in America
Career in Crisis: Complete Confusion [THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED]
By Elyssa Durant Published 5/4/2009 Read more »
Elyssa Lies: Oops!
I find it so hard to believe that after all this time people find it easier to speak around me and actrually think that is in my best interests? Sorry, but no. Don't you realize, I am home?
By Elyssa Durant Published 3/29/2009 Read more »
On Not Being Able to Write
I write these words mostly for myself, as they clearly reflect the ways that I have tried not to define myself through and by my relationships with others, since I believe that reality and identity is something that comes from within.
By Elyssa Durant Published 3/23/2009 Read more »
6044: DMHT and the Tennessee Code Annotated Title 33, Chapter 6, Part 10
DMHT: Trained in TAPS (Therapeutic Assault Prevention System) and was certified on October 15, 2004 through the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. HIPPA
By Elyssa Durant Published 3/19/2009 Read more »
Draft Media
draft
By Elyssa Durant Published 3/19/2009 Read more »
Blink! Ground Zero
Shortly after the 9?11, I began to question my purpose in this life. Had I been just a few miles closer, and heading west that day instead of east on the LIE, I would have driven right been at Ground Zero.
By Elyssa Durant Published 3/19/2009 Read more »
Drastic Times, Drastic Measures
Read more about economic recovery at: http://my.barackobama.com/sharestories
By Elyssa Durant Published 2/9/2009 Read more »
Chapter II: Older & Bolder
I'm am not perfect, and I will always struggle with my obsession to find just The Write Words, but I'm guessing it is probably good enough.
By Elyssa Durant Published 2/3/2009 Read more »
NAACP Files Civil Rights Complaint Against MNPS
If MNPS is found to be in violation, MNPS stands to lose as much as 67 million dollars in federal funding.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/29/2009 Read more »
A LOCAL CALL to ACTION: $44 or 44?
This is your official call to action. Be the change. Act locally. Go to www.volunteernashville.com and tell me what you are doing to make a better Nashville for all of us! $44 or 44?
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/15/2009 Read more »
Moved to Tears
Yes, the food was good. The food was fantastic. I was full inside because Carol Ann did not just feed my tummy, she fed my spirit, and she fed my soul.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/4/2009 Read more »
Morally Bankrupt: How Much Am I Worth?
Help become the person I was meant to be. Try to the see the person I could become. I have so much to contribute, but few resources get there. I believe I deserve more out of life than this, and I think that if you knew me, you would think so too.
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/16/2008 Read more »
The Obama-Biden Transition Project
"We're often asked how we plan to take this unique moment in history - when a grassroots movement for change elected a president - and turn it into a force that can build stronger communities, block by block." -The Obama-Biden Transition Project
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/12/2008 Read more »
Distributive Justice and Health Care Reform
There is legitimate role and public desire for government regulation of the health care industry. It has become obvious that the federal government must intervene in order to protect natural law rights, the social contract, and, the US Constitution.
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/12/2008 Read more »
Medical Treatment for Americans with Disabilities
Who has the authority and expertise to make decisions about the quality of life and who decides who shall live and who shall die? What makes one life more valuable to society and worthy of medical expenditures?
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/3/2008 Read more »
Religious Convictions and Medical Treatment
Should hopitals adopt a uniform policy to address the treatment of children with advance directives refusing medical treatment? How can we know when to accept medical decisions as ones made independent of parental influence and church authority?
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/3/2008 Read more »
Genetic Experimentation
It would be naïve to think someone hasn't already thought about the potential "benefits" of cloning, and how it might expedite the evolutionary process of Social Darwinism.
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/3/2008 Read more »
Writing Through Dark
Maybe others have taken this path before me-- or maybe someday, someone might inadvertently wander into this sanctuary I call home. A place where nothing seems as it but exactly the way it is supposed to be.
By Elyssa Durant Published 12/3/2008 Read more »
Is Equal Opportunity Just a Myth?
America claims to be dedicated to equal opportunity, yet equality is not sufficient in urban communities. These kids need more. We need to think about equity, not equality. It is not enough to hide them away. These are visions we should never forget.
By Elyssa Durant Published 11/28/2008 Read more »
Asleep at the Wheel Again
I have been staring at that the computer screen so long it beginning to morph into strange little dots in my peripheral vision.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/19/2008 Read more »
DarkNight II: "The Return of Durant"
It keeps me up at night, and allows me to avoid the day. My life is not unexamined, and my thought patterns may be far from typical, but the things I have learned along the way are by far the most intriguing and most unique.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/14/2008 Read more »
The Dark Night Returns
I think it is more about the anonymity. Someplace you can be yourself, and never worry about being judged for being different. In the city, I can disappear. I can peruse the streets at 3am and still find things to do. If not to do, then things to see.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/14/2008 Read more »
A Brief History of the TennCare Budget Crisis
The massive number of people being dis-enrolled or limited in their access to medical care and other social services will no doubt create significant anxiety, confusion, and chaos for everyone involved in the social service and health care industries.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/13/2008 Read more »
Pharmacy Fallout '08: Here We Go Again [[DRAFT ONLY]]
Here We Go Again: TennCare Changes Benefits Without Notice. TennCare providers, beneficiaries and advocates are once again unaware of the new changes in the pharmacy program that went into effect on October 1, 2008.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/13/2008 Read more »
Sanity Checker
My mind has information overload. My life has information overload. My brain is full! I want a sanity checker!!!! I need a sanity checker! Where can I find a "sanity checker" to guide me through the rest of my life???
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/13/2008 Read more »
Investing in the Ivy League
I wasted a ton of money at the Grad School at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and almost as much at an elite Ivy League institution. I learned one thing: No one ever taught me how to be poor.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/13/2008 Read more »
Charity Begins at Home
There is much to be done right here, right now. Do we accept the indignation of indigence and poverty with indifference? Or do we act?
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/12/2008 Read more »
What's in a Name? Does a Diagnosis by Any Other Name Smell Just as Sweet?
Largely driven by pharmaceutical conglomerates, a psychiatric diagnosis can be every bit a trendy as a new pair of jeans. Psychiatric diagnoses appear to be driven by the latest and greatest pharmaceutical discovery.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/7/2008 Read more »
Power Analysis of Congressional Districts
A comprehensive directory to constituent services regarding health care concerns including Social Security, Disability, and Veterans Affairs. In compliance with The Privacy Act of 1974, Release Forms are available.
By Elyssa Durant Published 10/6/2008 Read more »
Storm on the Horizon
We live in a country that rallies together when faced with domestic and international crises. Other domestic problems tend to be chronic in nature and often slip under the radar. The battle lines have been drawn and we lost.
By Elyssa Durant Published 9/1/2008 Read more »
My Worst Nightmare
In the distance, I see two police officers. I run to them believing they will help me find a way out of the madness. Believing they will bring me to safety.. Shelter from the storm. Free from the madness. Free from the violence. Free from this sea of unfamiliar faces...
By Elyssa Durant Published 8/27/2008 Read more »
Reorganization or Disorganization: MNPS Undermines Teacher Autonomy and Professionalism
The high rate of student mobility in Metro (approximately 40% per year) is further complicated by the constant shifting of school personnel.
By Elyssa Durant Published 7/12/2008 Read more »
Recruitment and Retention Rates in Public Education
If MNPS truly wants a better-qualified staff, then Metro needs to take a closer look at the methods used to recruit, retain, and reward qualified teachers.
By Elyssa Durant Published 7/10/2008 Read more »
Pre Natal Diagnosis
Discusses the advantages of pre natal diagnosis and the value of being aware of potential complications before birth. Examines "quality of l;ifew" issues and definitions.
By Elyssa Durant Published 7/10/2008 Read more »
IVF and Multiple Fetal Reduction
Multiple fetal reduction is a medical procedure performed on women carrying multiple live fetuses after in vitro fertilization (IVF).
By Elyssa Durant Published 7/10/2008 Read more »
Underpaid and Overworked: Is an Ivy League Degree Worth the Investment?
Obtaining a graduate degree from the Ivy League was the worst investment I ever made. Not many people are willing to work for free, but I am one of them. Mostly because I cannot find a real job. All I need is a chance!
By Elyssa Durant Published 7/8/2008 Read more »
White Noise: Finding My Voice in the Silent Hours
Who'd a thunk it? That loneliness can become a family in it's own right? It is always there and it is always familiar. Who would have thought that solitude could become our greatest companion and that strangers would be our very best friends.
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/12/2008 Read more »
Equity in Education
Given the official release of performance data by MNPS officials, will less curious readers place too much attention to such bogus data and misconstrue this information making voluntary, de-facto desegregation even more prevalent in Nashville, Tennessee?
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/9/2008 Read more »
Prescription for Disaster: Changes to Tennessee's Medicaid Program
Testimony Given to the Governor's Roundtable on TennCare 1999 regarding sudden changes to Grier. Footnotes and signature file added on June 8, 2008 for Historical Reference.
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/8/2008 Read more »
Are Minorities to Blame for Low Test Scores in Metro Nashville Public Schools?
The Nashville City Paper previously reported that African-American students were out-performed by their white counterparts on the ACT (Metro ACT scores drop; Tennessee reaches new high, 2007).
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/8/2008 Read more »
Are Minorities to Blame for Low Test Scores in Metro Nashville Public Schools?
The Bell Curve Wars Savage Inequalities There Are No Children Here
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/8/2008 Read more »
No Teacher Left Behind
Behavioral disruptions prompted school administrators to pull the most effective teachers out of the classroom to enforce school policy while their classrooms remained empty or were covered by floating substitute teachers.
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/7/2008 Read more »
An Ivy League Grad on Welfare?
This document was created in response to an online forum concerning the TennCare Budget Crisis by Elyssa Durant, Welfare Recipient. Yes, ANOTHER healthcare crisis in Tennesseee- 2008.
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/6/2008 Read more »
Medicare Commission Report: The Medicare & Social Security Insolvency Crises
Prepared for Congressman Jim Cooper at Vanderbilt University, Owen (Graduate School of Business) for a presentation on Health Care Policy & Management. Discusses strategies for equitable healthcare in a changing marketplace.
By Elyssa Durant Published 6/6/2008 View here »
Cyberwhore
Hoarding and Collecting is a most prevalent in people with a primary diagnosis of Obsessive Compulasive Disorder. Some collect cats; others collect newspapers-- as for me? I collect information!
By Elyssa Durant Published 5/21/2008 Read more »
in God We Trust? Funding Private Interests in Public Schools
What arguments can be presented for against the use of school vouchers for parochial schools? How is the issue of school vouchers for sectarian institutions different or similar from issues surrounding prayer in school?
By Elyssa Durant Published 5/12/2008 Read more »
Relatively Speaking: What is "Real?"
What is "real?" Something we can touch? Something we can feel? Someone we can love?
By Elyssa Durant Published 4/22/2008 Read more »
A Voice for the Voiceless
Do you really want to know what happens to children in state custody once they turn 18? This article addresses the problems associated with transitioning youth out of Child Services and into adulthood.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/23/2008 Read more »
Internet Graveyard
What happens to my written works that I have so carefully created? Do they just float around in cyberspace forever? Are my words now immortal? Does that make me grandiose or paranoid?
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/16/2008 Read more »
Pre-Natal Diagnosis and Voluntary Abortion
Modern technology has given us the capability to correct genetic abnormalities and imperfections, yet on the other, we must ask ourselves if this capability gives us the right to manipulate the evolutionary development of future generations.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/16/2008 Read more »
Do You Have OCD?
You Know You Have OCD When...
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/16/2008 Read more »
Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide
Anyone forced to make a decision about the quality of one's life is faced with an awesome responsibility that inherently demands some sort of value judgment in when considering life's options.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/15/2008 Read more »
Grassroots Advocacy
An interview with Stand for Children in Nashville, Tennessee.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/10/2008 Read more »
Creating a Culture of Fear in American Schools
Added security measures in urban classrooms changes the school environment. For some students, school is a mere extension of the violent communities in which they live.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/10/2008 Read more »
Mandatory AIDS Testing for Health Care Workers
Individuals diagnosed with the AIDS virus are frequently isolated and alienated by friends and loved ones. By implementing mandatory AIDS testing to health care workers and/or patients, we would only be propelling discriminatory practices among HIV patients.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/7/2008 Read more »
Good Fences
OCD, PTSD, Good Fences, Good Neighbors, Good Friends, Psychology, Sociology
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/7/2008 Read more »
School Vouchers for Private Education
Do the long term outcomes of school choice and voucher programs exacerbate the inequality between the rich and the poor?
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/7/2008 Read more »
Voter Apathy?
How will the theft of ALL personal information from the Davidson County Election Commission affect voter regsitration, voter turn-out, and voter "apathy" in the upcoming election? Will people still register to vote bbefore tomorrow's deadline? (Nashville, TN)
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/6/2008 Read more »
Things that Keep Me Up at Night..
Twenty questions that keep me up at night....
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/5/2008 Read more »
Coping with Chronic Illness in the Era of Managed Care
Financial incentives to deny health care to beneficiaries in managed care organizations. Why this does NOT work for persons with chronic illness and diseases. HIV, AIDS, and mental illness discussed.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/2/2008 Read more »
Alternative Models to Voluntary Organ and Tissue Donation
This paper discusses the major historical efforts to legislate organ transplantation in the United States. In addition to discussing the problems found within the current system of voluntary donation, this paper will provide an overview of three alternative approaches.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/2/2008 Read more »
Prescription for Disaster
Why have so many people encountered so many random barriers to health care in addition to those obstacles strategically placed in the system? Medicaid is in fact an entitlement program.
By Elyssa Durant Published 1/2/2008 Read more »
No comments:
Post a Comment
Elyssa D. Durant, Ed.M.