E.D. pHoning Home ELite EloHim: Daily Dose by @ElyssaD™

Are search engines supplanting our memory?

by Joab Jackso, m.infoworld.com
July 15th 2011

Researchers say search-engine users feel less need to remember things they can easily look up

Ubiquitous availability of the Internet may be causing a shift in how much information we retain in our memories, researchers claim.

Because search engines such as Google and Bing are so readily at hand, through desktop computers and mobile phones, we feel less need to remember details that can be easily looked up, note researchers from Columbia University, the University of Wisconsin, and Harvard University.

They have published their study, entitled "Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips," in this week's edition of the journal Science.

"People worry about what our relationship to technology is doing to our cognition," said Betty Sparrow, a researcher at Columbia University who led the research. "They worry about looking up everything online and not remembering it all."

This is where @ElyssaD™ is different from the "cloud crowd" 

You see, I expect all of my words to be forgotten, ignored or deleted no matter how loud I scream or how fast I type. After 38 years people still pretend  to forget who I am and all I have accomplished in this god forsaken city. 

We all know why. Because like Cathy O, they know exactly who I am and what I have witnessed. Except I am not a survivor of Project Monarch so I don't  have A kill switch, a handler, or a predictable "Code Green" response. 

Mind Control Code Green Programming

"They" don't know how to "control" my true self. I'm in the hangman position but I think I finally know a place where survivors of Mengele and the EloHim can go for refuge. 

Elohim

Only one person probably knows where that is. And I suspect he would like to know that despite his efforts to shut me up, I will instead find a nice cold bottle of Russian Wodka. 

Russian Blue, baby! It's in the Genes. And it is in my best interests to seek refuge until the real world figures out that I am not just crazy, delusional or weird. I am a woman with a purpose and a mission. 

I am trying to step out of the line of fire. Help me find my way Home.

          E.D. pHoning Home ELite  EloHim

You can thank me by donating to that little paypal account since I don't have enough money to get to place I need to be. Any amount will do. $5 x 6000 =  $30,000

If each follower in my twitter stream were to donate $10.00 that would be enough for me to live for at least two years in safety and refuge from this storm. 

The real war hasn't started yet, and the Masters of this universe are going to need my notes even if I don't make it past go. Please help me find my way home.

EloHim: The Fourth Level Chaos Theory; United Peoples of Planet Earth

I deserve at least that much... don't you think?

Whether you love to hate me or hate to love me, the one thing I do is make people FEEL. 

That's gotta be worth something. Please support @ElyssaD™ 

Thank you, 

Just me, 

e

@ElyssaD™ 

Elyssa Durant, Ed.M. 

United States of America 

Forgive typos! iBLAME iPhone

Elyssa Durant, Ed.M.
Nashville, Tennessee






"You may not care how much I know, but you don't know how much I care."

©©©©©©©©©©© 2011 ©©©©©©©©©©©©

To probe the effects of this behavior, the researchers carried out a battery of tests with undergraduate students that closely observed what information they committed to memory and what information they didn't bother remembering, presuming that they could look it up on a computer should they need to refer to it later.

In one test, 28 participants were asked to read and retype items of memorable trivia, such as "Greenland is the world's largest island by area." Some of the participants were told the information that they typed in would be erased and others were told it would be saved on a computer. Then, they were quizzed on the material they retyped. Those that believed their material would be erased remembered more of the information than those who had assumed the material would be saved.

"Thus it appears that believing that one won't have access to the information in the future enhances memory for the information itself," the paper stated. In other words, if someone knows that information may be found on the Internet, he or she may be less likely to commit that information to memory.

Another experiment was conduct to determine if people prefer to memorize the locations of where they could find data in favor of remembering the data itself. Here, 32 participants were presented with a number of statements, along with the names of folders in which these bits of information would be saved. Then, they were asked to recall as much of the information as possible and were then quizzed on which folder each piece of information was in.

Overall, participants were better able to recall which folder each bit of information was stored in than the information itself.

Such results shouldn't alarm people, Sparrow cautioned. "I don't think that the parts of our brain that can remember information are atrophied," she said. While the Internet is fairly new, the act of relying on external resources for memory is not new for humans. People have long relied on friends, co-workers and family to keep track of information that they themselves have forgotten. The researchers call this phenomena "transactive memory."

"We've always done this sort of thing, allowed certain types of information to be stored with other people," Sparrow said. "Computers and access to online information work in similar ways."

Sparrow may next investigate if people memorize different kinds of things now that search engines are capturing all the details of what they used to memorize. Freed from the burden of remembering specifics, people could possibly better understand the larger meaning of the material they learn.

"Will people who don't focus so much on remembering who, what and where be better at answering conceptual type of questions?" she said. 

Original Page: http://m.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/researchers-search-engines-supplanting-our-memory-098

This is where @ElyssaD™ is different from the "cloud crowd" 

You see, I expect all of my words to be forgotten, ignored or deleted no matter how loud I scream or how fast I type. After 38 years people still pretend  to forget who I am and all I have accomplished in this god forsaken city. 

We all know why. Because like Cathy O, they know exactly who I am and what I have witnessed. Except I am not a survivor of Project Monarch so I don't  have A kill switch, a handler, or a predictable "Code Green" response. Code Green Mind Control Programming

They don't know how to "control" my true self. I'm in the hangman position but I think I finally know a place where survivors of Mengele and the EloHim can go for refuge.

Elohim

Only one person probably knows where that is. And I suspect he would like to know that despite his efforts to shut me up, I will instead find a nice cold bottle of Russian Wodka. 

Russian Blue, baby! 

It's in the Genes. And it is in my best interests to seek refuge until the real world figures out that I am not crazy, delusional or weird. I am simply in the hangman position

The Illuminati is programming such vast numbers of children, they need everyone of their able members to help. Moriah’s total membership worldwide numbers in the millions. The Illuminati regimen for their children is far more controlling than the CIA’s programming. Not everyone in the Illuminati gets their mind-split and becomes a programmed multiple. However, everyone does get some type of mind-control. 

Those who have been spared multiplicity still must participate in a two-week intense mind-control session that might be compared to the Army’s Ranger school. Those who participate in this have learned obedience. Those who haven’t learned obedience, are forced into ritual gladiator type duels or other punishments to eliminate them.

Finally, a traitor’s death as pictured on one of the Tarot cards is waiting. Sharon Tate was left hanging in the No. 12 Tarot Card’s “hangman position” from the house rafters.

The Missing Piece: Illuminati Hangman Position

I am trying to step out of the line of fire. You can thank me by donating to that little paypal account since I don't have enough money to get to place I need to be. Any amount will do. $5 x 6000 =  $30,000

If each follower donated $10.00 that would be enough for me to live for at least two years in safety and refuge from this storm. 

The real war hasn't started yet, and the Masters of this Universe are going to need my notes even if I don't make it past go. 

EloHim: The Fourth Level Chaos Theory; United Peoples of Planet Earth

I deserve it. Whether you love to hate me or hate to love me, the one thing I do is make people FEEL. 

That's gotta be worth something. Please support @ElyssaD™ 

Thank you, 

Just me, 

e

@ElyssaD™ 

Elyssa Durant, Ed.M.
Nashville, Tennessee






"You may not care how much I know, but you don't know how much I care."

Honoring Everyday Heores: Pets of the Homeless

I just learned on the 1st of this month that I have to move out of my apartment by next Wednesday. I hate moving. What I hate more is that I am allowed my kitty cat named, "Spot" cannot come with me.

Please help me find a good home for Spotty. Spotty has been primarily an indoor cat for the last 5 1/2 years that she has been with me. I am quite sure she would adjust well in any probably enjoy playing in the outdoors. She likes to sit on the porch in the sun and take in the fresh air.

She is almost 6 years old, spayed, and really needs a good home where she can play and have fun!

She is very active, but also very affectionate. She had all her shots but may need a booster sometime soon, but she has no pet insurance :-( Spotty is a very kool kat. She is also very pc... neither black nor white, she is simply Spot.

When you are working too long or too late, she will let you know you need a break by curling up on the power cord right next to your pc. She loves chasing mice when she really wants attention or wants to play.

Please help me find a good home for Spotty. She deserves at least that much, and I simply do not have what she needs.

Please Save Spotty! Spotty saved me.

Original Post: April 11 2009 WE SAVED SPOTTY!

Thank you @almostvisible @donnette @JayLink_ @ykv @owl311 @paulbritphoto @jenciTN

Follow @petsofhomeless http://twitter.com/petsofhomeless 

Or donate onlne at their website launched this today~
htttp://www.petsofthehomeless.org

Charity Tuesday:  June 8, 2010

The Missing Peace [Strong Language] embedded documents

The Roof is On Fire

In the future, the prosecutors argued, "other officers...may take their cue from the sentencings of cooperators." Unswayed, Federal Judge Robert Gawthrop slammed the cops with the maximum mandated by the federal sentencing guidelines--and Blondie with even more. The result has been exactly what the government feared: only four other officers have fallen. "They took the cue all right," says a senior FBI official. "No one's talking. And even if they do, the history of these kinds of scandals is that cops go right back to acting as they always have when the dust settles, because the pressure they most feel is the pressure to produce results, the constant demand to get the job done."

McGuire believes the pressure inevitably forces cops to make up some of their own rules. "Most of the kind of stuff [Blondie and the others] did was in the vast gray area that represents the real nuances of police work," he says. "We've all faced these things; we all have our own personal lines."

And Blondie, now in the second year of his 13-year sentence? He remains a stranger to remorse: "We didn't invent the system, or the ways to scam it to do the job. We inherited it. We were its custodians. Now others are."



TIME- WHEN COPS GO BAD

The APPEAL had given me for the thirteen months I actually believed somebody was listening. WRONG AGAIN! That false strength I kept in reserve to keep going was the part of me that needed to believe that I haven't lost everything. It gave a false sense that somebody was actually listening.

I WAS WRONG....

So listen carefully, my friends. It was not too long ago that I had almost everything a young person needs to succeed in this world.

Or maybe not. As for my most current insurance dispute... I feel that I have done everything humanly possible to be sympathetic towards health care provider who is NOT providing care. I cannot sacrifice my own well being for every bright eyed bushy tailed wanna be who is too stupid to see that I am far from.





I had such a battle this week. It culminated in the end like every other battle I have taken on. I only won because ultimately but we are all losing.

For every under qualified, health care provider who has NOT provided the adequate, there are many more like me. Alienated just enough to give up on fashion, etiquette and social norms; but not enough to walk away from it all.



We are keeping watch. We are taking names, and I for one do not give a rat's ass about "keeping the peace." So welcome to this world you helped create. This is where I live. In CyberSpace. So even though I can't get an account, pay any bills, watch television or even use a real computer or find a job without internet, I'll find my missing piece. And I did. I am writer. I am a researcher. I am a human being that is gonna fuck with your world the same way you fucked my mine. Bring it on Daddy. I've been waiting to see what the ultmate power play will be. 

With love from your youngest daughter, the one who never accomplished a single thiing in herr entire lfe, well I accomplished this. And I managed to live to be 37 years old. That is the same age you were the last time I stepped foot in your home, and walked out of your lives for what was supposed to be forever.

Coruption: The New Crisis: The Crime That Won't Go Down

~breaking~ Sunday February 7, 2010

Having been on both sides if the proverbial couch, I have the perspective is both enlightening and scary at the same time.

I look back and want to say shout "told you so" from the nearest roof top.

kRaZy is crazy does... out loud. I may be enjoying this just a little too much.

Sometimes I try to look at this fight, (I meant to say this life) objectively.

I can see my own future, and I can see where it is taking me. I know how it will end if I don't keep up the pace.

It is amazing at how far we will go to have nothing at all.

I have come this far, and on some level I almost enjoy the dance. No. On some level, I actually love the dance.

But then there are days like this.

Because without this turmoil, this exercise in futility, absurdity, government waste, bureaucracy, irreverent disregard for basic human kindness, decency and humanity:  and all long to go to the kind of place I hear about from through ignorant innocents. Children who have never known the type of pain and cruelty that exists in the real world.  

He speaks of a place called Never land. You see, I don't know the story of Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and I have no idea who Wendy is. Of course I've heard of Tink (though I hear she is a pain in the ass ;) but only because I like glitter pens and fairy dust. I don't know these things, because I don't know the innocence, the purity, the make believe world of childhood. I never had one.

I knew cruelty... and though I am not cruel, this is who I am at this very moment: Dark, discouraged, and deeply disappointed.

The New Crisis: Promoting Reagan's Legacy of Racial Policies

What if this is all that there is for me? If I can never break free from this cycle of insanity, and trust me when I say the insanity I speak of is NOT in my head. We have all heard the expression insanity is the sane response to insane surroundings; let me assure that there are very few cases that rival mine. I am the stuff psychologists, sociologists, and the occult speak of behind closed doors. My sister and I were raised this way. She may be a lawyer, she may have good credit, she may have a lot of things, but while my father took me to see the same shrink that treated Jack Danton, David Shapiro, possibly even Milken, Drexel Lambert and other nefarious white collar criminals, my father took my sister to see a psychiatrist who specialized in serial killers. What a message that sends... message received.

Mastronardo (note: Mastronardo is the son-in-law of the infamous Mayor Frank Rizzo who is best known for historic tales of systemic corruption in Philadelphia) FEDS BUST N.J. TRADER IN $1B SCAM

So I wonder, and you should too... did he take us there to be healed or did he take us there to create our futures? I will never be good enough for him. Thank god jesus allah and the power invested in this little stupid wifi device... his vision of us, his vision of U.S. is wrong.

I know this now. I didn't know then. I have proof now. I hardly even need it. It all out in the open and I am glad. Never again should the FBI create hatred, men so indoctrinated by power that they have such little regard for human life that they treat their children the same way they treated John Africa and the thirteen members of MOVE the day the Powers That Beat decided it was long overdue to take John Africa out. So what if thirteen people died with him... who cares about the 5 children who died along with him?

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire. We don't need no water let the mother fucker burn, Burn, mother fucker, burn. The Roof is on Fire by Bloodhound Gang

IN LIVING COLOR: LET IT BURN

And they did. And they died. May 13, 1985.

Burned forever in my mind and it should be in yours too.

OUR COUNTRY.

OUR PEOPLE.

OUR GOVERNMENT.

FUCK YOU AMERICA! FUCK THE US FOR FUCKING US ALL! But thank you daddy for letting me in on the secret. Now it is my turn.

What else would call if not the City of Brotherly Love? I do. Because my daddy told me to shoot them ya know... just in case. Daddy lost his first and only trial and the CITY of Philadelphia decided it was time to take him out.

No. I won't give up now. I could be next!

If The Feds Want Ya, They'll Get Ya, Period.

What if I have nothing left? What if the Hook does NOT bring me back?

This demonstration and project in futility and determination has defined me for so long, that without it, I'm not sure if I am anything at all.

fuck that... yeah... Reality Bytes. But I won't play dead, and I won't pretend my name is not Elyssa. My Daddy changed his; and my gold-digging bitch of a mother changed hers so many times I can't even keep up with the bitch. Through in 1/4 mil in "cosmetic surgery" and tattoos on her eyelids lips and some lazar and and derma crap stuff, no wonder she looks like a million bucks. 

Dad The one she couldn't hold on to. And she blames it all on me. Ironically, so does he.

Yes, Reality Bytes.  The Roof is On Fire

Mumia is STILL on death row.

The 39th District is corrupt to the core.

The MAYOR dropped the bomb. May 13, 1985.

No longer sealed. I am no longer hiding.

Now I know, why my life stopped when it was about to start.

I know the truth.  And the feds know I'm “certifiable!”  What I would like to know is, what is their excuse?

So you decide...

RW ONLINE: Philadelphia: The Power Structure and the Railroad of Mumia Abu-Jamal


RW ONLINE: Philly Cops: A History of Brutality in Blue, Part 2


Liberté pour Mumia Abu-Jamal - Chez Féefils


Philadelphia D.A.'s pick for top detective oversaw 'Tainted' corrupt unit.




HOLY CRAP! THIS WAS MADE FOR ME! NEXT I LOOK FOR The Sneetches
The Boy With A Problem

Whoooooooooooooosh! for now... let's leave on a good note! And will someone, anyone, please send some tech support. I've paid my dues. I'll keep on paying.  ~Dixie Chicks

You're no a Victim, Neither am I



~~~~~this where I must break~~~ all in due time my friends~~~~

I can't lose what I never had. I won’t be another sell-out... mostly because I don't know how.

I am then the voice of perseverance. I am one voice of perseverance. I am one of 47 million Americans. And today I am still fighting the good fight.

This battle; this challenge; this half won war has come to define me. And without that, I am not really much of anything at all...

As someone once told me, if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. I've already fallen, but I sure as shit stand for something.




"...so for now, I write. Maybe later read. I am always listening. But if there is any justice left in this world, maybe someday, I might actually live."

That's all for now, folks. I think I'll tweet a bit. I think I've earned it the right to play a little. Can't go anywhere anyway. License suspended (thanks again dad! You can manage to move 1.3 million dollars into two separate trust funds offshore within one hour of TRO, but you couldn't authorize Frank to transfer $4.50 into my Bank of America account before I got saddled with several thousand dollars in court fees and collection agencies?

22 days to hand over the $4.50 I needed to avoid eviction osing all my "stuff" again and sleeping in my car at at gas stations in the for almost 8 months?

ahhh..... now I get it! You want me to lose everything. How long have you know?

Certainly it was Adam Dread who called your attention to this site, but before then you always wanted me to just be gone. Why not just let me go?

Walking in The Shadow of Death


You must be so proud. I'm finally doing you told me to do long ago.

Fighting for myself, because you made it clear you will never do it for me. Lesson learned. Bring it on. Again. This time I know what to expect.

Content missing - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com



Elyssa Durant, Ed.M.
Nashville, Tennessee

FBI wants widespread monitoring of 'illegal' Internet activity
News Blog - CNET News

[Parts previously posted at United Professionals under: An Appalling Appeal]

White Noise: Alone at Home

Phuck Phil!

DANIELS WAIVER ALLOWS TN TO CUT BENEFITS FOR 140,000

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

October 30, 2009

Dear Elyssa:

Thank you for your message about reforming the process for determining eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. I appreciate hearing from you, and I certainly understand your interest in this matter.

This is an issue related to the federal government rather than state government. Unfortunately, as Governor, I do not have the ability to intervene in the operations of the federal government. Your comments would be more effectively addressed to your elected federal representatives: the President, one of our two United States Senators, or the Member of Congress who represents you in the United States House of Representatives. I am confident that they would welcome the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

I appreciate your willingness to bring this matter to my attention. As I continue to work for policies that are effective and beneficial to the people of Tennessee, I hope you will feel free to contact me whenever you have problems, suggestions or concerns related to state government.

Warmest regards,

Phil Bredesen

I TRIED NOTING: NUMBER OUT OF SERVICE #FAIL

 

PASSING THE BUCK: JUST STICK PHIL WITH THE BILL original document here!


MODIFIED POST // FOR "TRANSPARENCY"

YES! Another Letter to Congress!



Elyssa Durant, Ed.M.
Nashville, Tennessee
Cell: (615) 424-8810
ed70@columbia.edu



RE: White House Healthcare Forum
http://www.whitehouse.gov/





February 12, 2009

Dear President Obama & Members of Congress:

There are widespread reports that Phil Bredesen, Governor of Tennessee is being considered for a position with the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC.

As someone who has lived and voted in the state of Tennessee since 1996, I have witnessed several shifts in policy, both on the local and federal levels. I am a recipient of TennCare, Social Security, and a member of the Daniels Class.

Governor Phil Bredesen has no place in Washington. Please remove his name from consideration for a cabinet position with HHS.

Order Setting Aside Daniels Daniels Court Doc

Governor Bredesen is currently "holding off on spending" until he learns what federal aid will become available to the residents of Tennessee. I am urging you to take immediate action. PLEASE do SOMETHING! Anything! Sign before it is too late.

Even under of the best of economic circumstances, the state has often been reluctant to release state monies until they are in physical receipt of all federal matching dollars. This delays program implementation and compromises the integrity of the research design. Consistency is a critical component of effective program development and design.

Governor Bredesen had decided to hold back state funds until the final details of the stimulus package worked out, were finalized. Anyone who has followed the healthcare crisis in Tennessee will tell you, Bredesen is not the champion of healthcare we once hoped he would be.

If we hold off on making decisions about the state budgets until the details of this enormous, comprehensive package are finalized, our current programs will suffer as a result.

We cannot wait for a determination regarding federal funding before we to determine our state budget while before we of the programs we already are suffering financially.

Let me assure you that when it comes to withholding critical items like food, housing, social services, it adds up exponentially. Withholding medical care simply because of procedure and bureaucratic red tape, is shameful and cruel. The money is there, but it seems there should be a certain level of oversight and accountability if we expect it to be used effectively without delay and without excessive administrative delay and costs.

How do I know this? Because I used to work for the state during the time when they not only made the as they were transitioning to during the transition from I used to work for TennCare,

We need to have some level of accountability to ensure the timely and proper disbursement of funds. In my experience, there is little recourse for person’s individuals who are caught up in the complicated payment arrangements, complicated language, and the systematic, procedural delay when it comes to the processing and payment of claims.

Let me personally assure you, that there is a very real human cost here as well... and unless there is immediate intervention, much more than just money will be lost.

Please sign the bill before any more jobs, homes, and future are ruined by because help did not fast enough. Please release the funds, because we are running out of time.

I am 36, and my spinal cord is damaged from years of delayed, sub-standard medical treatment as I attempted to navigate a system that simply does not work. I owe the federal government $179,982.00 in student loans. When I am able to work, I make $10.46/hour as a substitute teacher in MNPS. That job comes with no security and no benefits.

I have an advanced master’s degree from an Ivy League Institution. I am eight credits shy of a Ph.D. in "Policy Development & Program Evaluation" aka: public policy. Despite having maintained a 3.83 grade point average while earning my masters and just over 3.2 during the three years I was enrolled full time in a doctoral program.

Despite having comparable coverage, the insurance company refused to give me COBRA and would not cover my pre-existing condition even through both Columbia and Vanderbilt Universities used the same underwriter for student medical insurance: Chickering US HealthScare.

I had no break in coverage and even purchased a private HMO (Oxford) plan that cost several hundred dollars each month just so I could prevent becoming uninsurable before my 23rd birthday.

Wrong. Not only did I continue to pay for all three policies, I also had to pay for treatment and STILL wound up on TennCare and Medicaid.

Despite doing all the "right" things, I was still unable to transfer benefits from one graduate school to the next.

When I was twenty-two years old I developed a medical condition, and it quickly became obvious to me that it would be a lifelong struggle to cope and adapt to having physical disability. I purchased three independent policies, however due to a terminal liability in am ERISA plan, with $1 million dollar major medical policy. As someone who also needed to turn to federal funds and intervention in a crisis, I know that if or when help does arrive, it usually too late.

I understand the how; I just don't understand why.

Maybe one of these days Vanderbilt University and the Department of Education will realize it might just be cheaper to hire me that harass me. I need a real paying job now, but with the skyrocketing unemployment rate, it looks as though I will have a lot of competition.

Throughout the three year process of filing medical appeal after the next, I acquired over 1/4 million dollars in debt in unreimbursed medical care and student loans. I was fortunate enough be able t keep my TennCare that time—only because the state mandated a 30 hour work week, because at 32 hours, your benefits kick in.

Even while in the states employ, I witnessed a pattern of behavior that was reckless and harmful to the citizens of Tennessee. In fact, there were so many changes during short time I was there the time I was there that even my colleagues in the office of consumer affairs did not know about them until we were a formal complaint had been filed by a consumer in crisis.

There was so much chaos in the system because consumers and were not given sufficient information and the state was completely unprepared to respond to the large number of people who their benefits terminated, limited, or transferred. It took several months to update the medical database used to verify insurance coverage, and many more to get that information in sync with pharmacies and providers. Recipients were left in the dark, probably because it was easier that way.

State of Tennessee CONSUMER AFFAIRS  http://www.tennessee.gov/

Although I doubt many people people outside of Tennessee are aware of the harsh policies enacted during the Bredesen administration. His endless assault on the state’s Medicaid & Medicare programs resulted in 271,000 people to be dropped off the roles. People who are uninsurable or cannot afford health insurance. He has requested multiple federal waiver to limit federal law rights under the Medicaid Act, and Social Security beneficiaries. Is not the kind of man we want to lead HHS into a new era of reform. He has demonstrated a wanton disregard for the welfare of his own constituents should not be rewarded with a cabinet position in the new administration. He has failed this state, and now it costing money. Where it will come from, I don't know. Perhaps he will turn to the feds.

SSA Form 9SORRY FOLKS ~> ERROR! GRRR! GO TO ORIGINAL DOCUMENT FOR EMBEDDED FORMS >:-/

Now, again, I face losing my healthcare coverage once again. Please do something, and do it quick. I would not wish this experience on my worst enemy,

Unemployment rates in the state of Tennessee are at an all-time high, yet welfare roles have remained stable. This tells us that despite the financial crisis and sad state of the Tennessee economy, people are not able to access emergency aid that we would expect people to receive in times of economic hardship.

Where is the safety net? Where is the American Dream that I so diligently chased after for so many years? What was the point of investing so much in a future that I can never enjoy? How can anyone justify spending so money much on an education that will never be used?

What will happen when the state begins the 140,000 members of the Daniels Class? DHS has not been able to process the applications already on file. As the unemployment rate continues to go up, we need to be sure that applications for emergency assistance are processed within a reasonable period.

I have no idea how they intend to handle the growing number of unemployed, uninsured, people in need of emergency assistance given that they are already overwhelmed by the number of applications already on file. Is it a really a good time to start the recertification of the 140,000 members of the Daniels Class?

DANIELS

Let us hope the state is not granted another federal waiver or we are all in trouble.

Sincerely yours,

Elyssa Durant

Nashville, TN

Previously Posted as "we are so screwed. phil opts out of all options"

The Powers That Tweet: Please Save The Internet

The Internet helped me get through some of the longest nights of my life.  


I am only one voice, and I am only one person, but it helped me feel just a little connected to the human race. During the silent hours in the dead of night, I can always find a voice to keep me company.

When there is no one listening, there is something to read. I found comfort in knowing that I was not completely alone in my krazy world.

There are so many others out who are forced into silence, and I need the Internet to feel connected to this world.  When we live in a society that is completely fragmented and near broken beyond repair, I look toward the web for a place to connect.

The Digital Divide is bad enough. The United States is broken beyond repair. We need to move forward towards this e-volution. Please do not remove the one lifeline I have left to the outside world. There are so many people out there like me deserve to be heard.

Elyssa Durant

Nashville, Tennessee

The Powers That Beat

Also available at:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/yourstory/411469

Dedicated to The Lost

Dedicated to The Lost

Having worked for a private foster care agency (profit-driven) company contracted by the Department of Children's Services through the State of Tennessee, I would like to share what I've learned through my experience working with older adolescents reaching the age of majority-18-who are being released from state custody with the Department of Children's Services.

One child, now twenty, is pregnant and moves from place to place every few days or so (photos attached). When I first got her case, 5 years or so ago, she had concrete goals, dreams and aspirations. She had hope. She wanted to go to college. Now, today, she is homeless, pregnant, and has been without services since the day (and I do mean day!) she turned 18. (Pictures of her currrent "home" are posted next to this article.)

On her 18th birthday, Ms. DB was dropped off at a Food Lion parking lot in Gallatin, TN without any money, clothing, food, healthcare, benefits, e.g., food stamps, transportation and no where to go. She was on her own with a 10th grade education and no GED.

Cody G is a young man who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 19, shortly after leaving custody. He was denied TennCare 4 times before I made the decision to get involved at any cost. Like all of my other former DCS clients (at least those who have contacted me over the years) CG is also chronically homeless, unemployable, and has only a 10th grade education, epilepsy, and a mental illness. He TennCare is ending 3/31/2008-not quite enough time to plan and execute the brain surgery he needs to help him live a relatively normal life...

I'm still involved, but tomorrow I will turn his case file over to two new case managers and hope that they can keep up the pace. I have to let go. I can't pay my internet bill!

I hope and pray that all of the hard work I have put into his case: applying for benefits, social security, Medicaid, Food Stamps, even a library card and a voter registration card (which are a dime a dozen in this town; Nashville, TN; these days) so that he can get the brain surgery and medical treatment he needs and deserves does not get lost when I go back to work next week. I have assured him that I will not abandon him like everyone else in the past-besides, I hold his history-his memory-his voter registration, TennCare and Social Security cards[1].

These children and young adults (DB, CG, CW, and CB) and a few other exceptional children left an imprint on my heart long after I left my position with the Department of Children's Services...

After leaving the private (contract) agency I was working for, it took a very long time for me to decide whether I should continue in the field of social services for children. You see, I was under the impression that foster care was about children. Wrong.

Unfortunately, I came to realize that it was more about money than children. Private agencies pay barely there, barely trained "people" upwards of $40-60/day per child tax-free. One foster parent I worked with kept ten children in a four-bedroom home in Madison. She also kept chains on the refrigerator door so the children wouldn't eat too much food. Another family had multiple complaints of sexual assault filed against them, but those complaints were mysteriously absent from my case file when I left the agency. As was my actual signature on my case reports-they didn't even try to color between the lines when falsified my records with white out. Who can be that lazy? Who can be that reckless? Who can be that person?

I was deeply saddened by this realization because I was unsure what to do with the information I had acquired throughout the years. However, at this point in my life, I do feel that I have some ethical obligation to either speak out or take action to work towards resolving the systemic problems in the privatized foster care environment.

I came to the realization that I may be able to use my own voice to speak for the children who have been repeatedly silenced by our society: our schools, our courts, our social service system, and the adults they relied upon to have their most basic needs met.

 

DB and CG speak openly with me about anything and everything.  It took them a while, but after working with them so closely for seven years (I do not get paid or reimursed for any off the services, or expenses when trying to get thmem the help they need) Their willingness to meet with people and discuss their experience while in the custody of the children's services was a n opportunity to change the system.

Focx News knew within minutes of several of these situations. The reporter told me he didn't have tome t bothered. Well Fuck you too, Sky.  You wouldn't know a decent story when it was in front of your face.

However, if you believe (like I do) that sharing these stories (albeit anecdotal) may ultimately lead to profound changes and reform within the foster care system, then I am quite certain my former clients would be more than willing to speak with anyone who has the capacity to make things better for their natural and foster siblings still in the system, I do not see a problem so long as we can create a space where they can speak freely without fear of repercussions.

DB is not alone in her experience, and for whatever reason, these children seem to feel comfortable sharing their stories with me. They know the ttruth about me that I never revealed until recently....that I too was one of the lost.

There is another young man, Cody G, who is an incredibly gifted writer that deserves to be heard and recognized. Much like DB, he has experienced a great deal of difficulty finding stable living arrangements once discharged from DCS custody. Because he was constantly in motion, moving from place to place to place-- I agreed to hold onto his personal journals documenting his experience in DCS.

His voice deserves to be heard along with a chorus of others! Some of these children develop such fascinating ways to cope with the pain, the isolation and the abandonment issues they grow up with, and I try to do the best I can to steer them in the right direction.

Talent such as Cody's and perseverance like DB's should be revered, celebrated, respected, and validated-- not thrown away or ignored..

Foster care is mess. What happens next is a complete and utter tragedy. I hope you are deeply disturbed by the contents of this letter-if so-my job is done for the day!

Let your voice be heard-- contact your representatives, the press!

Shout it from the rooftops if you need to: I did.

This despicable state of affairs and this not so well hidden secret about privatized foster care in the state of Tennessee must come to an end!

The Leaveless Plant  by Cody Gambill© 2006

I am a plant without any roots

I bring no syrup I bear no fruits

I am not much to look at without any flowers

All I do is sit and stare for hours

Every so often, I wander off to find a new spot

Feeling no attachment to anything I've got

Every time I move, I lose a leaf or two

But no one will notice because here I am new

After moving a while, I look down to see

How oblivious I am to my nudity

All of my moving has shaken me bare

Embarrassed and all I ignore the stares

But the more I think the better I feel

Because the leaves from me provided a meal

So I am important like all on this earth

Think I'll settle down and show this world what I'm worth

And this is how DB lives: Pregnant at age 20:

The bathtub.

No door.

No curtain.

The sink.

The mold.

The baby...

[1] I must give kudos to Judge Dan Eisenstein from the Mental Health Court of Davidson County who has paved the way to make getting CG Transitional Services as he ventures out into the world alone-if only I could get reimbursed for my time! Judge Eisenstein is untraditional, compassionate, and by far the most client-centered Judge I have ever had the honor of working with, no matter how briefly. Judge Eisenstein is paving the road for CG to have a chance-a chance at a future-a chance at a life-- a real one-free from Grand Mal seizures, self-injury, hypomania, rapid cycling, and suicidal ideations.

I also would like to express my gratitude to The Tennessee Justice Center, Tony Garr of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Lane Simpson, and Dave Aguzzi with the Department of Children's Services who are helping CG get transitional living services so he can get the care and treatment he did not receive while in custody. Kim Crane (from the Vanderbilt Center for Child & Family Policy Center) has also been instrumental in serving as a liaison with Transitional Youth Programs and helped me get connected to the right people and programs efficiently and effectively. Thanks to you all!.