text:
Category Archives: math

A Journey of “Meat and Three”

We’ve been playing with our Big Green Egg pretty hard. Many of the results have landed on this blog. But, with all that bar-b-que, we had never done any ribs! I know! What the frack were we thinking? Well, it just so happened that we needed to do another Big Green Egg event at work… and a solid food blog I follow (Griffin’s Grub) had literally just posted a whole thing on baby back ribs. The cards had been played, I could not deny it any longer!

So what’s all this about a “meat and three” then?

The ribs on the Egg, with my home-made spacers.

The phrase “meat and three” was unknown to me, until I traveled to our corporate office in Nashville. It is simple: choose a meat, choose three sides, order a sweet tea (iced tea with plenty of sugar, maybe some lemon), and enjoy. The beauty of it is that when a place offers three or four good meats (generally a brisket, ribs, sausage, and chicken) and five or six awesome sides (typically mac & cheese, bbq beans, fried okra, fried string beans, corn bread, etc.), then the possible combinations are just fantastic!

Heck, just for grins, here’s the statistics… Assume a place has four meats, and six sides. One may be tempted to use the simple rules of combinations to figure out how many variations on choosing side dishes we could have – and this would be a “6 choose 3” problem:

(6 * 5 * 4) / (3 * 2 * 1) = 20 different combinations.

However, that is only allowing us one of each side! Sometimes, you just need two helpings of potato salad and some fried okra! Removing the restriction of “only one of each” means we have to account for additional possibilities. We do this by adding 6 and 3, then subtracting 1. So, it becomes an “8 choose 3” problem:

(8 * 7 * 6) / (3 * 2 * 1) = 56 different combinations of sides!

Since we can only choose one meat per meal, that one is easy… there are 4 ways of picking a meat. So, in total:

4 * 56 = 224 different meals possible!

Statistics are pretty cool… but, back to the story at hand. Having purchased 15 pounds of quality baby back ribs, and having done my research, I knew I would need some way of keeping them “on end” in the smoker – there is just not enough room to have them all lay flat. I didn’t have time for a lot of engineering, so the morning of the cook, I just grabbed some fence wire (we have horses, and an electric fence that’s about 1/3 mile in perimeter) and a pair of needle nose pliers. I figured I’d just fashion something once I got there and could “touch and feel” a solution.

A little Geary’s Autumn Ale and some butter to tenderize!

The night before, I had prepped the ribs. Rubbed with brown mustard, then with a combination of Jamaican jerk seasoning and Stubbs BBQ rub (equal amounts of each), then wrapped in plastic and set in the fridge.

Now, it was 5am, and I was at the office, taking out the ribs to get closer to room temperature, and setting up my plan. I cut up a bunch of wire, and bent them into little triangles with loops on the ends to catch the grill. I had the grill off the Egg, on a table, to do the work. It seemed pretty solid, so I added the ribs, and set it aside.

Once the Egg was up to temperature (250F), I dropped in a foil packet of mesquite chips, set the heat diffuser in place (a big aluminum pan that also acts as a drip pan), and lowered the entire grill/hanger/rib assembly into place! Buttoned it up and started the waiting game.

Per recommendation, I let them smoke for 2.5 hours. Then, I pulled the entire grill/hanger/rib assembly out of the Egg, and began Phase 2… tenderizing. This involved putting three thin pats of butter on each rib rack, setting it on foil, and pouring on a little beer (Geary’s Autumn Ale, brewed in Portland, Maine), then wrapping it up in more foil. Back on the Egg for another 45 minutes, still at 250F.

Finally, Phase 3… crisping. Pulled everything out again, removed all the foil, and set the ribs on the Egg one last time, with a handful of fresh mesquite chips on the coals, for a final smoke. I let it go another 1.5 hours, but I don’t think it was quite enough. The meat was “done” but the surface didn’t crackle… Next time, I will do a high temperature “finish” in the final hour… let the Egg get up to 500F, then close it up completely and let it slowly cool. That technique worked really well with some pulled pork, and it may give me the effect I was missing. After letting the ribs rest for a half hour, we cut them into two-rib segments and started the feast!

Well, that’s the “meat” portion… what about the “three”? Fortunately, my co-workers rescued me. We had mac & cheese, cornbread, and Caesar salad ready to go by lunchtime, and a bonus of a chocolate zucchini cake! All in all, it made a wicked yummy lunch.

A plate of “meat and three” with sauce.

[Photo credits: Wanda Clowater]

The Calculus of smoking a roast

Isaac Newton is a pretty bright coal in the fire pit of the scientific world. Okay, maybe he had his personal problems, but he was a brilliant thinker. One of his strongest assets was being able to find the simplicity and identify the essence of a complicated problem. His basic observations of natural phenomena became translated into elegant mathematical expressions.

One such example is Newton’s Law of Cooling and Heating. Our everyday experience tells us that ice cubes placed in hot water will melt faster than ice cubes placed in cold water. Newton’s observation was that any object’s temperature changes more quickly the larger the difference in temperature between that object and its surroundings is. A more mathematical-sounding expression would be:

(1) The rate of change in temperature of an object is proportional to the difference in temperature between the object and its (assumed) constant environment.

Well, mathematics is a wonderful language… we can express mathematical ideas both in words, as I just did in equation (1) above, and we can also express the same ideas, usually more succinctly, in symbols, as I will do in equation (2) below. Both equation (1) and equation (2) say and mean exactly the same thing!

(2) dT/dt = k(T – Te)

Here, we’re letting the symbol T represent the temperature at any time, t. We might also write this as T(t), but that gets cumbersome. T is fine. The little d means “a very small change.” So, the first part of equation (2) means, a very small change in T during some very small interval of time, dt. This is also called the “instantaneous change” of T, or the derivative of T with respect to time, t. From equation (1), it is associated with the part saying the rate of change in temperature.

We also see in equation (2) the letter k, which is often used to express constant values. In our case, it is representing what we call a “constant of proportionality,” which is a fancy way of saying “scaling factor.” It’s a mathematician or physicist’s way of hedging their bets. We know that the change in temperature is somehow related to the difference in temperatures, but we’re not ready to commit to a single numeric value. Besides, different materials may have different ways they respond to temperature, and the goal is to keep things as generalized as possible. From equation (1) it is associated with the part saying is proportional to.

The last part of equation (2) is the difference, or subtraction, of Te from T. We’re letting Te represent the assumed constant temperature of the surrounding environment. Why do we assume it is constant, and is that a valid assumption? Well, we assume it is constant because it makes the math easier! So much of physics is finding ways to simplify the complex world so that we can better understand it, even if slightly imperfectly. Besides, in practice, in an experiment, we can control the surrounding temperature by keeping our object in a water bath, or keeping it in a refrigeration unit. But is it a valid assumption to make in nature? Try this thought experiment: put an ice cube into the ocean. The ice cube will melt – it is obviously changing temperature. How much cooler is the ocean because it gave some of its heat to melt the ice cube? The change in temperature is immeasurably small! There’s so much more mass of water in the ocean compared to the mass of a single ice cube. We consider “the environment” to be something like the ocean – a large enough mass of material (water, air, whatever) so that any heat that is transferred into or out of it will not measurably change its temperature. Therefore, from equation (1), it is associated with  the difference in temperature between the object and its (assumed) constant environment.

So, how do we solve this equation? For that, we need integral calculus. But first, we need to rearrange equation (2) into a more useful form (this doesn’t change any of the truth of the equation, just makes it easier to work with):

(2a) dT / (T – Te) = k dt

All I did was swap the dt and the (T – Teparts around. No blood, no foul. Now, we have each side of the equation with its own d term. On the left is dT, a very small change in temperature, and on the right is dt, a very small change in time. When each side of an equation has its own “very small ____________” then we can integrate the entire thing. Integration is the process of undoing all the little d terms… turning them from “very small change in” expressions into regular old expressions. So, if we integrate dt all by itself, we just get t. If we integrate dT all by itself, we just get T. The trick is that the left side of equation (2a) doesn’t just have dT; it also has a T on the bottom there, and that complicates it a bit.

The complication need not stop our progress, though. There are entire, large, print volumes dedicated to cataloging all the integration rules. There are also many available on the intertubes. As it turns out, when we have a dT divided by a T (substitute any variable, as you like), then the result isn’t just T, it is the natural logarithm of T.

So, what the heck is a natural logarithm? What’s a regular logarithm, forget “natural”! When we write something like 102 = 100, there are hoighty-toighty mathematical labels for each of the numbers. The 10 is the base, the 2 is the exponent or power. So, in a regular sentence, we might say, “Ten raised to the power 2 is one hundred.” Great. But we were talking about logarithms… Well, what if we were asked, “What power do we need to raise 10 by in order to get 100?” or equivalently, “100 is 10 raised to what power?” That’s where logarithms (aka, logs) come in. The base-10 log of 100 is 2. And, wait now… 2 is also the power you need to raise 10 by to get 100! Let’s just put it out there:

(3) 102 = 100

(4) log10100 = 2

Just to confirm this… The base-10 log of 1,000 would be 3, because 103 = 1,000. Okay.

Natural logs, then, are just logs that have a specific base, different from base-10. For natural logs, the base is the number e = 2.71828-ish (the number keeps on going…). The number e has a fascinating history. The way we write “natural log” in symbols is ln. So, to say “the natural log of 4” we’d write ln(4). Logs (natural and otherwise) have a pretty cool set of rules, which I won’t really go into, except to say that:

(5) ln(10) – ln(3) = ln(10 / 3)

We can convert a difference of logs into a single log of the quotient of the same numbers! Freaky cool! Anyway, we’ll leverage that in our eventual answer, but I don’t want to bog down with more detail than I’ve already included.

Like I mentioned above, the integration of dT / (T – Teis going to involve a natural log. The integration of k dt is just going to be kt. Let’s write it all out.

(6) ln (T – Te) | To -> T = kt

Well, I’ve introduced a whole new thing here, not the least of which is a new variable, To , which is the starting temperature for our object. An ice cube might have To = 32 F. The rest of the new stuff just tells us to evaluate the natural log from the starting temperature to our variable temperature, T. It results in this:

(7) ln [ (T – Te) / (ToTe) ] = kt

Hey, we’re done! That’s what we need, is equation (7). Let’s recap what it all means, quickly. T is the current temperature of our object at a specific time, t. For our purposes, it’s the temperature of our roast. Te is the temperature of the environment. For our purposes, it’s either the temperature of the air (if we’re letting the roast sit following a stint in the fridge), or the temperature of our grill or smoker. To is the starting temperature of the object. For our purposes, it’s the starting temperature of our roast (about 40 F if you just pulled it out of the fridge).

Oh, but wait… we don’t know what k is! And we can’t know this ahead of time. We have to calculate it for our particular piece of meat. But it is not difficult. Let’s walk through an example. I did this very thing just the other day when I was trying to figure out how long to smoke a 15 pound rib eye roast.

I pulled the roast out of the fridge at 04:00. Using a temperature probe, I found it was 38F. It set it out on the table, on a rack, but otherwise in the open. The temperature in the room was 72F. By 06:30, the roast had risen in temperature to 45F. That’s all the information I needed to calculate my roast’s value of k!

In this case, T = 45, To = 38, and Te = 72. Also, = 2.5 hours. I used the scientific calculator on my computer because it had a natural log function. I calculated = -0.09220946. And that’s all I need, now, to find how long I have to cook this roast, for it to get to any temperature I want!

For this roast, I wanted to smoke it at 220F, and pull it off at an internal temperature of 115F, because I was then going to “reverse sear” it by running the Big Green Egg at 500F for 30 more minutes. Best estimates meant that this would bring it to 125F, and then it would rest for a time, rising another 5 to 10 degrees, for a finished internal temperature of 130-135F, a nice rare roast!

Now, T = 115, To = 45, and Te = 220. Plugging in the numbers, and using my value for k that I calculated, above, I found that I needed to smoke my 15 pounds rib eye roast for just over five hours. Perfect! Since I had to be serving at 1pm, I just backed off the smoke time and the “reverse sear” time and the rest time… and saw that I needed to get the roast on the Egg at 06:45. Brilliant! No guess work! And the roast came out perfectly done… rare and beautiful.

Now, you could argue that since I had a temperature probe, why not just use that, and pull the roast off when it hit 115F, and so on. Sure, that is great when you don’t have a time constraint… but I needed to serve this roast at precisely 1pm… there was no wiggle room! And when there’s no wiggle room, you can’t just guess; you have to use math and science.


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partial port to Solaris

Bug #1100986 reported by Dave Love on 2013-01-17
This bug affects 1 person
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone

Bug Description

These changes allow compiling (version 0.18) on Solaris 10, but Solaris is missing vasprintf and asprintf,
so it doesn't link. I don't know if/how you'd want to provide those (gnulib?) so I've left it at that.

Dave Love (fx-gnu) wrote :
James Hunt (jamesodhunt) wrote :

Hi Dave - a belated thanks for the patch! I've just released 0.36 which dispenses with *asprintf which may pave the way for a full port to Solaris now?

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text:
Bug 203162 - RFE: add option to move files to a given directory rather than delete
RFE: add option to move files to a given directory rather than delete
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: tmpwatch (Show other bugs)
All Linux
medium Severity medium
: ---
: ---
Assigned To: Miloslav Trmač
Ben Levenson
: FutureFeature
Depends On:
  Show dependency treegraph
Reported: 2006-08-18 14:01 EDT by Matthew Miller
Modified: 2007-11-30 17:11 EST (History)
0 users

See Also:
Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Enhancement
Doc Text:
Story Points: ---
Clone Of:
Last Closed: 2006-10-15 19:42:54 EDT
Type: ---
Regression: ---
Mount Type: ---
Documentation: ---
Verified Versions:
Category: ---
oVirt Team: ---
RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: ---

Attachments (Terms of Use)

  None (edit)
Description Matthew Miller 2006-08-18 14:01:47 EDT
tmpwatch is such a handy little program. It'd be even more handy if I could do
things like:

 * staged tmpdir cleanup -- tmpwatch 10 days in one directory -> a 20 day
   directory -> deleted, allowing a sort of time-based "soft quota" approach
   to clearing tmp areas.

 * automatically move messages that haven't been looked at in weeks from
   my (maildir-format) inbox to a different mailbox.

 * simply manage a "workspace" area of active or new files, where old stuff
   _probably_ isn't useful anymore but hey there's plenty of disk space so just
   stuff it somewhere out of the way in case there's a reason to want it later.
Comment 1 Miloslav Trmač 2006-08-27 10:55:51 EDT
tmpwatch can be replaced by (find ... -atime ... ); using find(1) provides
unlimited flexibility, and tmpwatch shouldn't evolve into a find(1) alternative.

I'm not quite sure where to draw the line; I guess tmpwatch shouldn't be
extended past managing shared storage areas, which eliminates the maildir

Cleaning up /tmp by moving its contents to a different directory doesn't make
much sense for application-created temporary files, the application wouldn't be
able to find the temporary file at the new location.

So this leaves the "shared workspace area" example, including users sharing
files via /tmp.  If you really use such setups, adding --move does make sense.
Comment 2 Miloslav Trmač 2006-10-15 19:42:54 EDT
A preliminary implementation of this feature is already half the size of the
other tmpwatch code;  the necessary fixing the code to avoid races with symbolic
links (allowing users to place files to directories they ordinarily wouldn't
have access to) would make it even larger.

There are other potential security issues when the temporary directory and the
archive directory are on separate drives, like placing thousands of hard links
to a single large file, or creating a very large sparse file;  both are fixable,
but require additional, comparatively large amount of code.

Currently I don't think the feature is useful enough to warrant the added amount
of code and the risk of introducing security vulnerabilities.

In the "shared workspace area" example, it should be quite safe to create a
special unprivileged user and run a (find ... | xargs mv ...) script as this user.

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text:
Bug 37412 - Attempting to JIT compile method PCLCrypto.DeriveBytes:GetBytes crash
Summary: Attempting to JIT compile method PCLCrypto.DeriveBytes:GetBytes crash
Alias: None
Product: iOS
Classification: Xamarin
Component: Mono runtime / AOT compiler (show other bugs)
Version: XI 9.4 (iOS 9.2)
Hardware: PC Mac OS
: --- normal
Target Milestone: (C7)
Assignee: Zoltan Varga
Depends on:
Reported: 2016-01-05 13:41 UTC by John Miller
Modified: 2016-05-20 14:13 UTC (History)
7 users (show)

See Also:
Is this bug a regression?: ---
Last known good build:

Description John Miller 2016-01-05 13:41:49 UTC

   After updating to iOS 9.4, a crash started appearing for this customer related to something in PCLCrypto.

**Steps to Reproduce:**

   1. Run the attached sample on an iOS device.

**Actual Results:**

   It will crash on launch.

   See attached stacktrace.

**Expected Results:**

   No crash.

**Build Date & Platform:**

   Xcode 7.2
Comment 4 Zoltan Varga 2016-01-05 17:38:23 UTC
Fixed in mono master f04a83ca39e0a4bbf01bcd96236e3017e85390cf.
Comment 5 Brendan Zagaeski 2016-01-06 23:46:45 UTC
## Regression status: not a regression in Xamarin or Xcode

I tested the following versions in the Release configuration with LLVM enabled and the linker disabled. All of the versions failed with the same exception.

(For completeness, I also tested all of these versions with the linker set to link SDK assemblies only. The results were the same.)

### Mono 4.2.2 (explicit/7b87787), Xcode 7.1

BAD: Xamarin.iOS (eb4c1ef) ("Cycle 6 – Service Release 0")
BAD: Xamarin.iOS (1f068b4) ("Cycle 5 – Service Release 5")

### Mono 4.0.5 (detached/1d8d582), Xcode 7.1

BAD: Xamarin.iOS (1f068b4) ("Cycle 5 – Service Release 5")

### Mono 3.12.1 (detached/0849ec7), Xcode 6.4

BAD: Xamarin.iOS (f7736a4) ("Cycle 4, iOS 8.3")

(I had to downgrade Xamarin.Forms for API compatibility in this configuration, but even after that change the app still crashed with the same exception message.)

## Regression status: an old problem in Xamarin, but only exposed by newer versions of the PCLCrypto NuGet

On a hunch, I tried downgrading the PCLCrypto NuGet package, and that _did_ show a change in behavior between different versions:

BAD:  PCLCrypto 1.0.80       (October, 2015)
GOOD: PCLCrypto  (May, 2015)

So it seems this problem has been present in Xamarin for a while, but it only became a problem for the PCLCrypto NuGet package more recently.
Comment 6 Hines Vaughan III 2016-01-20 13:44:13 UTC
Could this bug be reopened as it may not be fixed judging from the previous comment by Brendan. Thanks.
Comment 7 Zoltan Varga 2016-01-20 14:02:33 UTC
It is fixed, the fix is not in the versions tested above.
Comment 8 Brendan Zagaeski 2016-01-20 18:46:14 UTC
I will set the tentative target milestone to "Cycle 7" to help indicate that the fix will likely be included in "Cycle 7".

(The target milestone can be updated for accuracy again in the future if necessary.)

See the first entry in the release blog [1] as well as the "Xamarin Release Cycles" article [2] for more information about the term "cycle."

Comment 9 Hines Vaughan III 2016-04-06 19:08:30 UTC
Can this still be expected to be available in Cycle 7? Thanks.
Comment 10 Zoltan Varga 2016-04-06 19:31:11 UTC
Its going to be in cycle7.
Comment 11 Sunil Kumar 2016-05-20 14:13:25 UTC
I have checked this issue with Cycle 7 latest builds. To verify this issue I downloaded the attached sample, enable the LLVM compiling and run it on iOS device and observed that now this issue works fine. Now it is not showing any exception and sample launches successfully on iOS devices.

Hence closing this issue.

Environment info:

Device info:
iPhone 6S Plus (iOS 9.3.1)
iPad Pro (iOS 9.3.1)

=== Xamarin Studio Enterprise ===

Version 6.0 (build 5165)
Installation UUID: 956d7bf6-5e53-42e5-9fb4-c7d91835f9d7
	Mono 4.4.0 (mono-4.4.0-branch/0f5fdf2) (64-bit)
	GTK+ 2.24.23 (Raleigh theme)

	Package version: 404000168

=== Xamarin.Profiler ===

Version: 0.33.1
Location: /Applications/Xamarin Profiler

=== Apple Developer Tools ===

Xcode 7.3.1 (10188.1)
Build 7D1014

=== Xamarin.Mac ===

Version: (Xamarin Enterprise)

=== Xamarin.Android ===

Version: (Xamarin Enterprise)
Android SDK: /Users/xamarin_360/Library/Developer/Xamarin/android-sdk-macosx
	Supported Android versions:
		2.3   (API level 10)
		4.0.3 (API level 15)
		4.1   (API level 16)
		4.4   (API level 19)
		5.1   (API level 22)
		6.0   (API level 23)

SDK Tools Version: 25.1.3
SDK Platform Tools Version: 23.1
SDK Build Tools Version: 23.0.3

Java SDK: /usr
java version "1.7.0_71"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_71-b14)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 24.71-b01, mixed mode)

Android Designer EPL code available here:

=== Xamarin Android Player ===

Version: 0.6.5
Location: /Applications/Xamarin Android

=== Xamarin.iOS ===

Version: (Xamarin Enterprise)
Hash: efefc1e
Branch: cycle7
Build date: 2016-05-13 17:19:05-0400

=== Build Information ===

Release ID: 600005165
Git revision: b44eb696fa41a04696a84d6af7fed9aa494e5580
Build date: 2016-05-19 02:59:52-04
Xamarin addins: c7761d054f38e9a210822aba6356398af0c36fa9
Build lane: monodevelop-lion-cycle7

=== Operating System ===

Mac OS X 10.11.4
Darwin Xamarin-360s-iMac.local 15.4.0 Darwin Kernel Version 15.4.0
    Fri Feb 26 22:08:05 PST 2016
    root:xnu-3248.40.184~3/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64

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text:
Maryhill Leaders Demand Improvements To Scheme

The Burgh Angel, along with leaders in community based institutions in Maryhill have been concerned about the way that Maryhill Locks developments are to deliver just 17% social homes. As a result a campaign has been launched to bring together different institutions and concerned citizens in the local area. The campaign is meeting with Stephen Curran, the Labour councillor in charge of the scheme, to demand improvements. The group is due to meet with Councillor Curran and officials later in the month. The next Angel will report on any progress from that meeting and reveal details of how
local leaders intend to take forward the campaign.

Maryhill Locks Boss Linked To Scandal Hit Edinburgh Firm

In the last edition of the Angel, we covered the scandal that just 17% of housing to be built in the Maryhill Locks development will be for social housing. An investigation by the Burgh Angel can now reveal that a key member of the Board of the city council body leading the Locks development stepped down from the leadership of scandal hit Edinburgh development body EDI Group, just months before the firm went bankrupt.

Ian Wall, who was CEO of the part council owned firm for twenty years is on the Board of the GHA, and a number of other prominent Boards besides. The connection to EDI Group however is significant, as concerns grow about the management of the Maryhill Locks development, given that so few of the homes will be for social rent. Ian Wall also sits on the Board of the Scottish Regeneration Forum, the Scottish Council for Industry and Development, and he is a trustee of Shelter, however he is described by the GHA as “the former Chief Executive of the EDI Group and of PARK [sic], the Urban Regeneration Company for Craigmillar in Edinburgh.” This is clearly seen by the GHA as his most important former role.

Stepping down in April 2008, Mr Wall said: “I am very proud of the track record of EDI over the last two decades and the contribution we have been able to make to the changing face of the city through our developments.” The firm made a pre-tax loss in 2008 of £5.8million. This was followed by a loss of £7.8million in 2009.

EDI Group, and it’s subsidiaries had to approach Edinburgh City Council for a £62 million bailout in 2009. What is even more significant and calls into question the leadership of the Locks project is that Ian Wall’s troubled firm actually had to sell off 90% of its assets to Edinburgh City Council and sack more than half of its staff to become solvent. Mr Wall’s ‘retirement’ may have allowed him to avoid being blamed for the crisis in the firm, but the fact that 90% of the firm’s investments had to be sold off, at a huge loss, just to pay off debts, and the fact that he led the firm for the previous 20 years when those debts were racked up prompts serious questions.

Then there is the question of what EDI Group is doing in Craigmillar itself. Much social housing in the area has been demolished, even though Edinburgh is the grip of a huge social housing crisis, which is even worse than that seen in Glasgow. Homeless people with every right to social housing are routinely turned away because so little social housing remains. Nowhere is that process more stark than in Craigmillar, where the process has been called “gentrification” and “degeneration”, and where council funded community bodies have been the subject of court action over mismanagement, and bitter disputes have emerged over local “cabals” controlling key community assets.

Elsewhere in the city these processes spearheaded by EDI Group have become so entrenched that local residents in the “Davidsons Mains Silverknows Association” who live in new build private homes in Muirhouse have begun campaigning to see a fence built across a public footpath, because people who live in neighbouring council houses use the footpath, and the owners see the tenants as a threat and source of crime. This is a shocking attitude to take, but it is one that has been fostered by the drive to make social housing ever more stigmatised in the drive to demolish it.

Back in Maryhill, questions first emerged about the leadership of the Maryhill Locks project after censored documents passed to the Angel made clear that the land for the development had been given away, for free, to private developers. This land is believed to be worth around £100million – that is some gift. Hundreds of social homes were demolished to make way for the development. The Scottish Government confirmed to the Angel that of the 800 or so homes to be built, just 141 would be for social rent.

After another fire residents call for new veranda doors

IN THE SAME week that the Wyndford housing scheme saw another fire in one of its 25 storey blocks, local residents started voicing concerns over the safety of the veranda doors which are currently installed. The residents of Wyndford, many of whom have disabilities and mental health issues and with a large number of elderly residents in sheltered housing, have asked Cube Housing if the current doors could be replaced with sliding doors as part of
its current planned £10 million investment. The sliding veranda
doors the residents are asking for are already installed in the Cadder estate which is also run by Cube Housing.

While  Cube may argue that the money has already been allocated and it is too late to look into other options, Cube should investigate viable solutions in the interest of its residents who have voiced their concerns over the safety of the doors.

The scheme has seen two major fires in two years in both maisonette and tower block flats and Cube have been very vocal in encouraging the residents to practice fire safety in their homes through a leaflet campaign, posters and on their website. However, Cube should also be active in its fire safety drive and
should at least make sure the doors are of a suitable type which would allow the residents the best possible chance of surviving a fire.

A resident in one of the 25 storey tower blocks said, ‘It’s worrying that the block I stay in has seen two fires in the two years that I’ve lived here. Especially as I know there are lots of families and elderly in the building. The veranda doors that are there just now aren’t very good when I think about it. My one sticks and I have to push really hard on it to get it open. But then when I do get it open, sometimes I’ve had to push so hard I’ve hurt myself by falling through. So my choices are to get someone else to open and close it for me or not go out onto the veranda. I’d like Cube to look into it because even though I don’t live at the very top, it’s still a big drop down to the ground if there was a fire on one of the floors near me. Easier access onto the veranda would mean I might have a bit more time for the fire brigade to help me before I’d have to think aboutanything drastic like jumping.’

Any concerned residents of the Wyndford could also write to Cube and ask them to look into installing sliding doors. Below is a suggestion which could be used as a template based on one written to Cube. The Burgh Angel would also
encourage the residents of Wyndford to look into the fire safety policies and procedures for their own homes as well as write into Cube if they would like to voice any concerns. However, please send photocopies and keep the original for future reference.

Dear Cube,

I have concerns over the ease of access to my veranda in the event of a fire and
would like Cube Housing to investigate into upgrading the current doors with
sliding doors such as the ones they have installed at Cadder estate.

While I understand there are financial restrictions, I would ask Cube to consider the importance of the safety of it’s residents and look into viable alternatives to the PVC doors which are currently installed. These doors which can be heavy and stiff are a safety hazard for many of the residents who are elderly or physically disabled should they need to escape onto their veranda should a fire occur in or near their home.

Please could you tell me what Cube housing could do to rectify this situation.
Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Letters can be sent to:

Willie Croft

Head of
Cube Housing
McCafferty House
71 Firhill Road
G20 7BE

Leaked document exposes Labour’s sleazy plan to take away homeless rights

A leaked document stamped with the letterhead of the GHA and the Labour run City Council discussing a “Housing Options” pilot project in the North West of Glasgow has scary consequences for the rights of citizens to housing.

Housing Options is the name given to the practice of “gatekeeping” – where citizens who are homeless or facing homelessness are prevented from being able to make a homeless persons application, and so are prevented from being able to readily access social housing.  It is a practice which has brought misery to the poorest families in places like inner London, where pressure on dwindling social housing stocks and the abundance of unscrupulous slum landlords in the private rented sector has seen average rents for bedsit flats rise above £750.00 a month.

We spoke to a specialist debt advisor and welfare rights worker who is an expert on dodgy gatekeeping practices in London, who works in Glasgow and is worried that the sleaziest elements of the cocaine capitalism that led to the banking collapse are being imported and forced onto the Burgh’s residents, and Glasgow’s poorest.

Adrienne told us, “I’ve seen some really terrible stories as a result of gatekeeping.  Families who really need social housing are being forced into crazy debts to keep up payments to ruthless landlords because councils will do anything to prevent them making a homeless application.  There have been cases where poor people have been driven to the edge as a result of these cruel policies.  These policies are an attack on those who need support.”

Private landlords and homeless pressures on families have a long and ugly association.

According to the document the council means to roll this project out from April of this year.  Phase 1 will begin in April and end in September.  Phase 2 will start in October 2012 before ending in April next year to foisted onto the whole city.

The council document is explicit about the goal of preventing people accessing their right to social housing, despite the very high demand for this type of housing.

“The Housing Options pilot has grown out of a recognition that service delivery for homeless and potentially homeless people needed to change, if we were to balance the growing demands for housing (social housing in particular) against the slow down in supply as a result of the economic situation.  Pressure on social housing continues to increase and access to other tenures is contracting, the number of homelessness cases shows no sign of slowing and tailored advice for people who need it is fragmented and difficult to access.”

Pressure on social housing has increased because tens of thousands of social homes have been demolished across the city, which have not been replaced.  Despite spiralling poverty in Maryhill we have the slimy spectacle of the social home swick at Maryhill Locks.  Hundreds and hundreds of almost 100% social homes have been demolished.  The land (worth £100 million) has been given away for free by the council to private developers.  Worst of all the plan to replace the hundreds of homes razed to the ground now insists that just 17% of the new houses are to be built for social rent.

Sports cars in the new Maryhill Locks: who the council imagines will live there when they have finished building.

A number of different groups are to be involved in rolling out the project, but it is explicit about “joining the dots” between different services (ie that all housing associations and “other key stakeholders” will be forced to comply) and its being “focussed on the North West area.”  We are to be the guinea pig for a plan that has a track record elsewhere of making poorer people’s lives increasingly more stressful and difficult.

“This is about removing the safety net,” Says Adrienne.

As the document states euphemistically, “Housing Options recognises that the availability of social housing is limited and cannot be the answer to everyone’s housing needs.  It avoids any initial assumption that a social rented tenancy or homeless application is necessarily the most appropriate solution for a household.”

There is however no mealy-mouthed euphemism about the council’s main goal, from the very first days of the trial of this new treatment.  “The expected benefits of the Phase 1 pilot are:  … Reduction in number of section 5 referrals.” This is technical speak, but there is no doubting what it means: preventing people from making homelessness applications which result in the right to a socially rented house.  Section 5 referrals are the right to a house from homelessness applications – it is a hard won statutory right.  The process emerged in response to overwhelming pressure from the tenants movement, who pushed for decades for these rights for citizens.

Shelter, the Homelessness charity, makes clear that the Section 5 homelessness application process is about rights for the individual and their family:-

“Section 5 referrals are the formal means by which local authorities (LAs) can ensure that homeless people are housed by registered social landlords (RSLs).  […] Scottish Executive guidance makes clear that, when a section 5 referral is made, the only reason a RSL can reject the referral is if appropriate accommodation will not be available within a reasonable period, usually six weeks.  Where LAs and RSLs cannot agree a referral then the decision can go to an arbiter. ”

The Burgh Angel is deeply concerned about the attacks on citizens rights, and the stress this is putting on families.  We know that the social home swick in Maryhill has helped to put immense strain on the supply of social housing.  This needs to be addressed urgently, and new social homes need to be built to replace the tens of thousands we have lost across Glasgow.  However there is not need to take this situation lying down.  If you work in housing or homelessness, have been homeless yourself, or just want to discuss this situation, the Burgh Angel would like to hear from you.  The attacks on housing are now threatening hard won rights, and this risks placing our families in crisis.

Scottish Housing Minister Denies Malpractice Claims

(by getting a civil servant working on planning for the Commonwealth Games to answer for him!)

“Dear Sir or Madam

Thank you for your e-mail of 9 December 2011 to Keith Brown MSP, Minister for Housing and Transport, asking about clawback arrangements at the housing developments at Maryhill Locks, which falls within the Maryhill Transformational Regeneration Area (TRA).

Mr Brown has asked me to reply on his behalf. While contractual legal agreements govern any disposal of land in these circumstances, clawback is waived in Activated Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRAs) – currently Maryhill, Lauriestonand Gallowgate – to help facilitate the regeneration of these areas, making sites more affordable to develop. This policy for all Activated TRAs, has been agreed between Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Housing Association and Scottish Government and is fairly common in many regeneration projects throughout the United Kingdom. All developments within the TRAs are progressed within the context of a wider framework of agreed planned development.

For clarity, I should confirm the current position at Maryhill Locks. Phase 1 was the Botany development of 35 social rented properties, completed in October 2010 and in the ownership of Maryhill Housing Association. A significant number of these tenancies were taken up by former Botany residents who were keen to return to the area. Phase 2 commenced in June 2011 and an advanced works programme is underway.

Maryhill Housing Association will provide 106 homes for social rent and 19 units for New Supply Shared Equity. The remainder of the site will, in time, be developed for affordable private housing.

I hope my .Ietter clarifies the position.
Yours sincerely,
Alex Robertson
Head of Planning, Finance and Glasgow
Victoria Quay.”

Waterlogged in new home

Reproduced from:

New flats built for Maryhill Housing Association in the past two years, are leaking badly, according to residents.

The houses in Ruchill Street, G20 have had ceilings collapse and one resident is sleeping in her living room because of the water in her bedroom. Said Debbie McKenna: ‘My bed was drenched. I was glad I was not in it at the time. I’d noticed water dripping off the light bulb. I’ve had to throw out some of the bedclothes and the mattress.’

Debbie, who stayed with neighbours for a while says that the problem has still not been resolved though her deluge happened on Sunday 4 December. ‘It means my grandson can’t come to me at weekends as he usually does in case my ceiling falls in or the water starts coming through again.’

Another neighbour, who wishes to remain nameless, claims to have fallen because of the water cascading down the close stairs.

Said Iain MacInnes, Secretary of the Scottish Tenants’ Organisation: ‘This shouldn’t be happening in such a new property. But it seems to be taking an inordinately long time to find why and where the water is coming in and to fix it. Landlords have a legal responsibility to keep a place windproof and watertight.’

A spokesman for Maryhill Housing Association said that Chief Executive Willy Briody had visited the homes, personally, to check out the situation with senior staff. ‘We agree it is totally unacceptable to have water coming in, especially at this time of year. We are doing everything possible with Bellway, the building contractor to fix this.’

We reproduce this story in the Burgh Angel, not just because it is scandalous that tenants must live in these conditions, but also because Maryhill Housing Association was the very body which is to own and manage the pitiful number of new social homes in the Maryhill Locks.

Can they be trusted?

Tell us your story.

“Investing” (This is not satire)

“Glasgow’s Canal is a place full of opportunities for investors, as this area of the city is transformed.

A wide range of investment opportunities are currently available along the canal. Land is for sale. Old buildings are available to be redeveloped. Feasibility studies have been carried out as the first step for some exciting new projects, where funding is now required to move forward. The Glasgow Paddlesports Centre and Urban Etive are both exciting examples of opportunities to invest in watersports. Put these new opportunities in the context of projects in progress to appreciate the scale and rate of change that’s afoot.

Visit our Completed Projects page to learn how Glasgow’s Canal – and the area around it – is gradually changing. Milestones are celebrated; new projects are completed; people move into the area; old preconceptions are overturned.

If you would like to contribute to the transformation of this part of Glasgow through investment, redevelopment or relocation, please contact us.”


text:
Getting to Know me Blog Hop

Today’s post is a little different than usual. I don’t have a card to share, but instead, I will be answering a few questions regarding my crafty side as part of the “Getting to Know Me” blog hop.  I was nominated by the lovely Asty Purbasari to join the hop. Asty makes beautiful and inspiring projects. Did you know that she participated in the 2014 Gallery Idol?! If you haven’t been to her blog, you should definitely check it out.

Let’s get started with the questions:

What Creative projects are you currently working on?

At the moment I am working on dressing up these gift boxes.

I am at a wedding/family reunion far from home, and being the procrastinator that I am, I didn’t prepare these ahead of time. Instead, just as we were about to leave for the airport, I grabbed some crafty supplies and stashed them in my backpack.

Most of the gift boxes I worked on have already been given away. I have three more to go, and I will make sure to take a picture when these are done. It is quite fun and interesting to work with minimum supplies. The scarcity of resources get those creative juices running!

Apart from these gift boxes, I am also working on some new designs for our next Altenew release.

What Inspires your designs?

These days I hardly get a chance to create other than for Runway Inspired Challenge, CASE study challenge, and Altenew Focus posts. My inspiration for the first two categories is clear, for those challenges already come with inspirations, one from the fashion industry, and the other from a fellow paper crafter. When I am working with Altenew stamps, these are some of the things that inspire me: a particular technique that I want to showcase, projects from fellow crafters, fabric patterns, wall decor, things found at stationary/gift stores like gift bags and pretty journals, and of course, there is always my inspiration board in Pinterest to rely on when all others fail 🙂

What method/process do you apply to each of your creative project, and how long does each project take to complete?

I almost always create an image in my mind of a design before I execute it on paper. Sometimes they turn out exactly as I envision them, and sometimes I have to play around until I am satisfied with the end result. I always try to add an interesting element to my designs that is fresh and unique.

When I first started designing, my projects took anywhere between half an hour to half a day! I took my leisure time making intricate embellishments and elaborate designs. As my responsibilities grew and time became hard to come by, I gravitated towards time efficient designs. I try not to spend more than an hour or two on one project. Occasionally I do make a time consuming project, like this card I made for the Geometric Menagerie Focus post. I spent hours cutting those tiny triangles from Metal sheets, but I did it over two sessions.

If you had to describe your signature style, what would it be?

I think my signature style is clean and elegant. I like to try other styles too, but either fail miserably, or it takes me way too much time before I am satisfied.

What three crafting tools/products can you not live without?

I am in a perfect situation to answer this question! Since I came away at a rush, I must have impulsively selected the supplies that I thought were absolutely necessary for designing/creating.  I have with me my Cutter Bee Non-stick Scissors, a strip of Scotch foam tape, and Copic markers, along with some stamps, inks and clear blocks. On another occasion, I would have probably said my paper trimmer and score board, but apparently, I can live without them! 🙂

Now it is time for me to tag other designers who inspire me! There is a LONG list, and I think I will tag all those who inspire me 🙂

Cristina Kowalczyk I love her minimal clean and simple style! and I love how she always adds an interesting/unusual element to her designs. Plus, I regard her as the queen of stamping 🙂 These are some of my favorite cards (from many!)

photo 1 (3)

Amy Wanford: She is another clean and simple genius.  She makes the most amazing things with the least number of elements. Just look at these super simple, super awesome cards:

Kelly Griglione. When I first visited her blog, I was in awe! This girl can create!! Her talent and design perspective is unparalleled. As some have mentioned before, she is truly a card making engineer. With my background in engineering, there is no wonder that I appreciate and admire her work 🙂 I also love how she uses vintage elements in her projects.

You're Off The Charts Valentine's Day Card

Lemonade stand banner card

These three ladies have agreed to continue on the hop, so make sure to visit their blogs next Monday and get to know more about their craft life.

Now, I must mention all those other designers whose work I admire and who continue to inspire me. Here they are in no particular order:

Iwona Palamountain

Agnieszka Malyszek

Jen Rzasa

Wida Miller

Laura Bassen

Debby Hughes

Taheerah Atchia

Pamela Ho

Jocelyn Olson

Joni Andaya

Ok, I decided to stop at 10, otherwise this list would never end!

8 responses

  1. “Clean and elegant”……that sure does describe your cards. I appreciate your talent so much. You have inspired me often. Thanks.

  2. I too, am a huge fan of yours Tasnim. Your cards are always amazing. There is another adjective I would add to describe your style and that is “unique”. Your designs are always outside the box! Fresh & creative!!

  3. Those gift boxes look amazing and so classy! What a great exercise to only take along a few crafting items … I’m sure you would get very creative on how to use them. And I was in LOVE with your metallic polar bear when I first saw it. WOW. How exciting it must have been for you to see the finished product. Really fun reading your getting to know me post. What an incredibly sweet write-up … I’m so honored to be included with all the card making artists that I look up to! Thanks, Tasnim!

  4. This was such a fantastic write-up Tasnim! I loved learning more about your process and about you! I didn’t get a chance to read up on your polar bear card before so am amazed you cut out all those triangles like I did for my confetti card before! Your list of designers is like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the crafting world and I can’t tell you how much it meant to me to see my name there amongst all those greats!!

  5. oh my dear, what a awesome surprise to be included on your list. I wish you knew how much I doubt myself and what i create and how much I wish I was more like the other people on this list, more like you, sure of what you make and always true to your CAS elegant syle (well chosen words). I would add edgy and resourceful to that list of words that describe you. You have always been remarkable in how you can take ordinary things and transform them into things of beauty. I admire your willingness to start a new stamp company on top of all the other things you do and are successful in each one! My comments could go on and on, but I will leave you with a simple…thank you!

  6. I loved reading your post! The box is beautiful, and I had to laugh about throwing your supplies in your bag right before the trip. That sounds familiar. 😉 Your cards are so inspiring, and I love seeing your posts in my inbox. Your cards are always cutting edge. It was quite the honor to be on your inspiration list! Thank you so much, my friend!!

  7. Wonderful, Tasnim – great “getting to know you” post! You don’t strike me as a procrastinator – LOL
    You are an amazing “artist” and I am always totally inspired on seeing work!

    Excellent list of your fav designers too 😉

    Hope you’re having a great trip!

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text:
ADR Frequently Asked Questions

ADR Frequently Asked Questions

May 2013
Data and Reporting TA Team
    1. Does the certification and recertification process count as an ADAP service that should be reported?

      Answer: Certification and recertification is not an ADAP service, and therefore should not be reported in the ADR.

    2. If a client is initially ineligible for ADAP and is declined and then two months later loses his/her insurance and is eligible, which date should be used for the completed application?

      Answer: Grantees should use the application date under which the client was approved.

    3. How do I report Medicare Advantage as a type of insurance?

      Answer: Medicare Advantage is an alternative to private health insurance for Medicare beneficiaries. You can report Medicare Advantage under "Other public".

    4. Should ADAPs stop reporting after the donut hole (Medicare)?

      Answer: After leaving the Donut Hole, a Medicare Part D beneficiary enters the Catastrophic Coverage. From this point on, the Medicare Part D beneficiary pays $2.60 per month for generics / $6.50 per month for name brand medications or 5% of the medication's retail cost, whichever cost is higher. If ADAP continues to pay these amounts for the client, please continue to report amounts under "Amount Paid for Medicare Part D".

    5. Can ADAP medications be dispensed for less than 30 days?

      Answer: Yes, medications may be dispensed for less than 30 days. Grantees can enter the actual number of days for any period less than 30 days; however, for all other time periods, 30-day increments are used (30, 60, 90, etc).

    6. For states that run state high risk insurance pool and a PCIP, how should they report? Should the PCIP be entered as a high risk insurance pool?

      Answer: Yes. Both PCIPs and high risk insurance pools will be coded under the high risk insurance pool question in the ADR (Item #12).

    7. Where are copays for medical visits reported?

      Answer: Grantees should report copays for medical visits under "Receipt of Insurance Services" and "Amount Paid for Co-Pays and Deductibles" (items #20 and #23).

    8. I'm new to the ADAP/ADR process, but have been doing RSR reporting. Am I correct in my interpretation of the materials that there is no provider report due, just Grantee and client-level data?

      Answer: It is correct that there is no provider report in the ADAP Data Report. It consists of the Grantee Report and the Client Level Data Report. However, you may need your PBM or contractor(s) to supply you with your client level data.

    9. Why is HAB using the UCI when the URN is already in CAREWare? Will the URN be used interchangeably with the UCI in CAREWare? URN has a U in string. The UCI doesn't so they aren't identical.

      Answer: The URN is used as the UCI in RSR. Both the URN and UCI contain the same unique 12-character alphanumeric code that distinguishes one Ryan White client from all others (including the "U"). For the ADR, HAB simply uses the term UCI as all grantees do not necessarily use CAREWare. The UCI is used to generate the eUCI, a 41 string character to de-identify the client data.

    10. In the ADR Grantee Report, if we did not receive any new funding during the report period, am I permitted to enter zero in Item #5?

      Answer: For question # 5 on the grantee report (funding receiving during reporting period), a response of zero is permitted.

    11. What if a client is pregnant more than 1 time in the reporting period? What should be reported? What if the pregnancy and outcome are reported in two different periods?

      Answer: The pregnancy variable has been changed since this question was asked. Grantees now report if a client was pregnant at any time during the reporting period. Therefore, the issue outlined in the question is no longer applicable.

    12. What does the eUCI generator do? Does it create the UCI and then encrypt it?

      Answer: The eUCI generator can both create the UCI and then convert the 12 character UCI into a 40 character string using the SHA-1 hashing algorithm. The SHA-1 is a trap door algorithm, meaning that the original UCI is unrecoverable from the eUCI and therefore meets the highest the highest privacy and security standards. When using an ADR-Ready System such as CAREWare and TRAX for the ADR, the eUCI is generated directly from the raw data elements when the XML file is created. More information can be found in the eUCI User Guide.

    13. If the client has high risk insurance, what insurance option should be chosen?

      Answer: For individuals enrolled in a high risk insurance pool or PCIP, insurance should be reported based on who pays the premium for the insurance. If an individual pays the premium, select private. If the Federal or state government pays the premium, select "other public". If Ryan White funds pay for the premium, select "no insurance."

    14. How should I round the cost data?

      Answer: Grantees should round all amounts to the nearest whole number.

    15. Do grantees have to report historical start dates in formulary?

      Answer: No. Grantees only need to include the date that an ARV was added to the formulary if the date was within the reporting period. If the medication was added prior to the reporting period, grantees do not need to enter this date.

    16. Can HAB develop a matrix of which data elements are needed for each type of client?

      Answer: For a matrix of data elements required for each type of client, grantees can click on the document, ADR Required Client Level Data Elements.

    17. May grantees report medications for insurance clients?

      Answer: Medications not paid in full under ADAP should not be reported in the client level data report. In addition, if ADAP purchases the medications and then bills insurance, these medications should also not be reported in client-level data.

    18. May grantees submit CD4 and VL data for insurance clients?

      Answer: CD4 and VL data are only required for ADAP clients who are receiving medications paid in-full by ADAP. CD4 and VL data for all other clients should not be reported in the ADR.

    19. Is it feasible for HRSA to develop a tool to automatically pull ADR and RSR CLD from HRSA Approved systems especially if a state has this data residing on one server and they pre-approve HRSA's ability to do it?

      Answer: HAB has no plans to automatically pull ADR or RSR CLD from HRSA approved systems.

    20. May ADAPs provide services to a client before eligibility has been determined?; What if it is an emergency?

      Answer: It is not allowable for an ADAP to provide services before a client has been determined to meet that ADAP’s eligibility criteria (i.e. “presumptive eligibility”).  Expedited enrollment (i.e. “emergency enrollment”) is allowed if the process ensures that clients have been determined eligible prior to services being provided.  Providing temporary assistance to ADAP-eligible clients while eligibility is determined for Medicaid or other insurance (i.e. “provisional status”) is allowed, with the clear understanding that Medicaid is back-billed if Medicaid is awarded retroactively.    Data for these clients should be reported in the ADR client report.  ADAP services that are retroactively paid for by Medicaid (i.e. backbilling) should be reported.  ADAPs are not required to go back into their data system and delete services for which they backbilled Medicaid and received reimbursement.

    21. Is it permissible for ADAPs to purchase medications through their 340B program and bill insurance for their insurance clients?

      Answer: It is allowable for a grantee to use ADAP funds to purchase medications at 340B pricing and to then bill the medication to insurance for ADAP-eligible clients with insurance, so long as they: 1) do not pass on the 340B pricing to the insurance company, and 2) treat the difference between the 340B price and the insurance payment as program income. ADAPs that purchase medications through 340B and then bill insurance are considered to be providing an insurance service to the client, not a medication service. An insurance service is paying for a co-pay, deductible, insurance premium or Medicare Part D service. If an ADAP is not paying for any of these insurance services, the client is not considered an ADAP client.

    22. All ADAP clients must be recertified every six months from the date of their initial certification or subsequent recertification. Is there a cushion period for client recertification? For example, if a client fails to recertify, say one week after the six-month anniversary of her certification, is the client automatically disenrolled? Does the six-month recertification requirement mean that ADAPs must certify their clients on a daily basis? Will the ADR be capable of capturing individual recertifications?

      Answer: The grantee must ensure that eligibility happens every 6 months, but are given flexibility as to whether they recertify all clients at the same time or have a “rolling” recertification based on some other factor (e.g. original enrollment date, birthdate, etc.). If a client does not recertify by the date specified by the grantee, the client is ineligible for the program as of that date; there is no grace period or “cushion”. ADAPs are required to report the recertification date for every existing client. The ADR is able to capture individual dates of recertification.

    23. Our program uses federal as well as non-federal funding for our ADAP clients. For the clients served with non-federal funds (such as state) , can we use a different set of certification or reporting rules?

      Answer: All funds that go into the ADAP program are considered ADAP funds and therefore must align with the ADAP guidelines (“same program/same rules”); and all data should therefore be reported in the ADR. If, however, a State chooses to establish a separate program funded by non-ADAP funds, the State could choose to have different rules for that program and data for that program would not be reported on the ADR. The State needs to be cognizant of the fact that 340B pricing would not be available to the separate, non-ADAP-funded program.

    24. If a client is enrolled in ADAP but then Medicaid challenged, should they be reported?

      Answer: By the term, “Medicaid challenged” HAB assumes you mean the following scenario: a situation in which a client was deemed eligible for ADAP and provided an ADAP service, but later was deemed eligible for Medicaid. The client was granted retroactive eligibility for the same period and Medicaid was back-billed for the services provided by ADAP. Data for these clients should be reported in the ADR client report. ADAP services that are retroactively paid for by Medicaid (i.e. backbilling) should be reported. ADAPs are not required to go back into their data system and delete services for which they backbilled Medicaid and received reimbursement.

    25. Are ADAPs allowed to dispense more than a 30 day supply of medication?

      Answer: Each State has the authority to determine its own policy on the maximum day supply of medication for its ADAP clients.

    26. Is an ADAP permitted to pay insurance premiums for in-patient care?

      Answer: ADAPs are allowed to pay insurance premiums for plans that cover inpatient care. However, Ryan White funds may not be used to pay copays or deductibles for inpatient care.

    27. For reporting the medication cost, are we permitted to approximate the cost of ADAP medications purchased in bulk? Are there other ways to calculate the cost purchased in bulk?

      Answer: ADAPs should not approximate cost for the purchase of medications. Each purchase includes quantity and price that would allow the ADAP to provide a specific cost for the medication. If the ADAP carries stock from one reporting period to the next, the ADAP should prorate the cost for the period for which they are reporting. The amount of medication cost reported in #29 must be the actual price calculated from the quantity purchased and the total price.

    28. Can CAREWare be used solely to create the XML? Do grantees have to use CAREWare to create the XML?

      Answer: There are several options to create the ADR client-level XML:

      RxRex- helps you move your data from an Excel spreadsheet into an Access database, and then into the proper XML format

      CAREWare ADAP module-requires grantees to set up the module first and then import or enter the data into CAREWare.

      You may also generate the XML yourself. Programmers will be able to generate the XML file by following the specifications in the Data Schema and Data Dictionary. You can find these at

    29. I understand that I must report clinical data for clients receiving ADAP-funded medications. However, some clients may switch from receiving ADAP-funded medications to receiving insurance services within the same reporting period. Is there a minimum amount of time during which a client must receive ADAP-funded medications for the clinical data to be required??

      Answer: Clinical data must be reported on all clients who received ADAP funded-medications at any time during the reporting period.

    30. If a new client application is completed near the end of the year but the 1st service is not received during the reporting year, how should grantees report this?

      Answer: Grantees would report items #15 and #16 for this client and for item #18, report the option of “enrolled, services not requested”.

    31. Is unknown/blank acceptable for CD4 and/or viral load?

      Answer: For clients receiving ADAP-funded medication, CD4 and viral load data are required to be reported. This data should come from clinical sources such as a lab, physician’s report or from your surveillance program, not from client self-report. HAB’s TA providers can work with grantees who are having difficulty gathering these data for the ADR.

    32. Do grantees report dispensing fees for medications only or also for copay or deductible medications?

      Answer: Grantees should report dispensing fees for medications that were paid in full by ADAP. Grantees should not report dispensing fees for medication copays or deductibles or for medications that were initially purchased by the ADAP and then reimbursed by insurance.

    33. Is HAB considering an alternative method of completing the ADR Grantee Report other than filling in the online forms (i.e. an ADR Grantee Report XML upload)?

      Answer: HAB is exploring this possibility.

    34. Is it possible for HAB to prepopulate the formulary list after the first submission?

      Answer: HAB will be pre-populating the formulary list after the first submission. ADAPs must remember to add any new medications as well as uncheck the medications that are no longer available in the pertinent reporting period.


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Golf Tips for a Simple Golf Swing – June 7, 2013

Zach Dischner / / CC BY

Seeking a tip on how to find out a simple golf swing?

The simplest golf swing, by definition, must be the golf swing with the fewest moving parts. If you sign up for this one, basic thought, then the Rotary Swing Trip is, hands down, the easiest golf swing in the world.

Exactly how this Simple Golf Swing was Established

The Rotary Swing Tour was established from the inside out. I didn’t take all the random golf hints and suggestions flying around the golfing globe today.

Rather, I took an entirely unbiased technique. I wanted to construct an easy golf swing that was based upon basics of golf swing mechanics and biomechanics.

To do that, I had to specify a set of requirements for each motion and then identify the simplest and most effective method to satisfy those requirements.

For instance, something as simple as position width had a set of demands. Exactly what are the demands of stance width in this simple golf swing? Continue reading

Enhancing Your Golf Swing With These Ideas – June 25, 2013

carie butler lpga golf babeMost skilled golfers want to develop reputable, strong golf swings. The swings allow them to play golf whereas below strain.

Most competent golfers have comparison basics and techniques they use for playing golf. A few of the players however have some completely different strategies or swings they use, that are small compared with alternative knowledgeable golfers.

A number of golf players can hit the golf ball, utilizing the club head. Some of the most basic players in the world can swing the whole club, which permits the golf ball to intervene with the club head. Continue reading


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Catalog Record: Oeuvres complètes de Charles Baudelaire | Hathi Trust Digital Library

Oeuvres complètes de Charles Baudelaire.

Main Author: Baudelaire, Charles, 1821-1867.
Other Authors: Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849., Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849., Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849., Gautier, Théophile, 1811-1872.
Language(s): French
Published: Paris, Michel Lévy frères, 1868-
Note: Each vol. has special t.-p.
Physical Description: 7 v. front. (port.) 18 cm.
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Unleashed Book Club: A Conversation with Author Sonja Corbitt

Welcome to the Unleashed Book Club! We’re reading Unleashed, by Sonja Corbitt.

-Unleashed Book Club FI - CatholicMom.com

Summer readers, get ready for a Catholic Mom Book Club experience that will “unleash” your heart and send your soul soaring! Over the next nine weeks, we will break open the fantastic new book Unleashed: How to Receive Everything the Holy Spirit Wants to Give You by Sonja Corbitt. I had the pleasure of meeting Sonja in person when we spoke together at a conference a few years ago. As she took to the stage, I was moved to tears by her compelling testimony, her vibrant faith and her passion for (and incredible knowledge of!) sacred scripture. I believe when you “meet” Sonja by sharing Unleashed with us, you will have this same reaction. Today, I’m pleased to share an interview conversation with Sonja Corbitt. We thank our colleagues at Ave Maria Press for providing us with the opportunity to share this book with you in this Book Club setting. We look forward to a lively and compelling conversation! Lisa

Image courtesy of Sonja Corbitt, all rights reserved

Image courtesy of Sonja Corbitt, all rights reserved

Q: Please briefly introduce yourself and your family to our readers.

I am a Southern Baptist convert of eight years; a homeschooling mother of two boys, 16 (historian) & 8 (musician); and wife to a true Joseph (you will know I am not exaggerating when you read the book).

Q: Sonja, you and I have been blessed to meet and pray in person, but I want our readers to understand a bit of how your personal story and conversion to Catholicism play a part in your apostolate. Please share briefly what brought you into the Church, and what keeps you here.

My issues with authority – specifically men – are strangely what brought me to the Church, and also what keeps me here. Isn’t God miraculously economical with resources? So while He was teaching me through my painful past with my father about authority and how and why to submit to it, He allowed me to also experience two painful church splits as a non-Catholic. Because I understood proper authority through the Bible, I also knew the Martin Luther debacle that splintered the Church, circa 1500, might not have been as above-board as my denomination led me to believe. It was a perfect storm.

Q: What inspired Unleashed?

Every time I present the Unleashed talk at conferences and retreats I am mobbed afterward by people with similar toxic relationships, self-medicating habits, repeating drama, and out-of-control desires. It seemed obvious that the Holy Spirit was hitting a nerve through this talk, so I simply wanted to cooperate as best I could while also staying out of the way of whatever He wants to accomplish.

Q: How did the process of taking work that you’d done in the past and translating it into this book format help you to revisit and see with fresh eyes the content explored in the book?

For me, few things are as weird as the sense of being informed by yourself. I swear, when people quote Unleashed to me in interviews or I read it back, I hear it like it’s the first time I heard it from the Scriptures. It penetrates. It convicts. It challenges, all over again. I love that the Holy Spirit works like that. It just proves that all our gifts, talents, and offerings originate and come to fruition through Him.

The process of distilling such transformative experience into something other people might connect with was, for me, somewhat of a review with the Holy Spirit, I think. In the book I talk about how the Holy Spirit always reviews with us just before He launches us into some new venture, and for me, writing Unleashed was that review, although I don’t think I really knew it fully at the time. I finished writing Unleashed knowing that I know that I know that whatever my future holds, I am utterly safe and thoroughly loved. THAT is one incredible assurance.

Q: You dwell beautifully in the book on the theme of finding freedom through the grace of God and the intercession of the Holy Spirit. Why do you want other women to find and know this freedom in their lives?

Because we, men and women, have been limited, bound, scarred, beaten, prevented, and forbidden long enough.

Q: In your writing and speaking, you share from a very personal space. Why is this worth the risk associated with letting others see inside your soul?

That’s a hard one. I can only say John 8 is what keeps me risking it, without knowing if it’s “worth it” or not. To be blunt, Jesus said being fake is a mark of Satan. I don’t think we have to expose everything all of the time, but strategic sharing that is truly transparent is the essence of reality, according to Jesus in that passage.

Q: For someone who is considering the book but feels so overwhelmed that he or she can barely fathom prayer, let alone time in scripture, what words of advice would you offer?

If you read this book, you ARE praying, and you are praying with the Scriptures. We do it together.

Corbitt_ad_0515Q: What do you hope our readers will take from their experience of participating in our Unleashed Book Club?

My prayer is that each of us comes into more intimate contact with the Holy Spirit, so He can unleash everything He wants in every one of us.

Q: Are there any additional thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?

The DVD series that goes with the book is available now at pursuingthesummit.com. Perfect for study groups or individuals who long for more of God in the Scriptures, with me.

Next week, we’ll cover Chapter 1. For the complete reading schedule and information about our Book Club, visit the Unleashed Book Club page.

Order your copy of Unleashed: How to Receive Everything the Holy Spirit Wants to Give You at Ave Maria Press

Copyright 2015 Lisa Hendey

Image courtesy of Sonja Corbitt, all rights reserved

About Author

Lisa M. Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com and the bestselling author of the Chime Travelers children's fiction series, The Grace of Yes, The Handbook for Catholic Moms and A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms. As a board member and frequent host on KNXT Catholic Television, Lisa has produced and hosted multiple programs and has appeared on EWTN and CatholicTV. Hendey hosted “Catholic Moments” on Radio Maria and is the technology contributor for EWTN’s SonRise Morning Show. Lisa's articles have appeared in Catholic Digest, National Catholic Register, and Our Sunday Visitor. Hendey travels internationally giving workshops on faith, family, and Catholic technology and communications topics. She was selected as an Elizabeth Egan Journalism Fellow, attended the Vatican Bloggers Meeting, the “Bishops and Bloggers” meeting and has written internationally on the work of Catholic Relief Services and Unbound. Hendey lives with her family in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Visit Lisa at www.LisaHendey.com for information on her speaking schedule or to invite her to visit your group, parish or organization.

  1. I’m excited to participate in this book study! I’m sorry to say that I have never had the chance to hear Sonja speak or know much about her conversion story – do you have a blog or place where you share more about this? Or is it included more throughout your book (I’ve only read up to chapter 2)

  2. Actually, it looks like I’ll be airing that show on Monday the 15th! Search the Real Life Radio app if you want to hear it live. I will post a link to the recording when it’s available. Cheers!

  3. Love ti be able to join mom book club unleashed how ever don’t really know were to post sine I don’t have a web site had. Face book account a while back but received a threat . There for I took it down if I could sign and maybe with a different name ? Have lots of questions about her book have been sharing it with other women.
    Please help if you can suggest away to precipitate in this book club on Sonja Colbitt book club ?
    Thank you

  4. Thank you fir that information I appreciate it . One question doI need a web site like a blog or a Facebook or can I just post I know A Loy of women that just surf the web . Would like to post but don’t have a f/b or blog.
    Love tour interview w/ Sonja bough of you where great !! I thanks for the info ? I know I listen in a interview w/Sonja @ real life radio hope it was you

  5. Gee’s my last question was awful didn’t understand it my self.I believe what I wanted to say is I have been sharing this book with so many women especially non-Catholic . When I do share they ask me WERE Can I fine this link , ”
    however I know they need to read the book first Pleae be with me in prayer that I can bring them this book as a bible study they love when I quote from it I tell them them they don’t have to be catholic -to read this book I believe this book is going to reach out too so many women that are non- catholic b/ c we all have junk in our turnk that I know we hid
    ” Sonja I feel you wrote this book just for me 🙂 ! What perfect timing , for me as I have been praying God please show me my patterns.
    Thank you Lias your doing such a great job guiding us .

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Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Movie Review & Blog

I’ve never known much about how Wall Street conducts itself, nor the influence that is has upon my life and my world.  I have been investigating and educating myself about my world and our ‘Current Money System because,  Our World is collapsing.  So the past couple of weeks I began to educate myself to better understand ‘Wall street investments, Big Bankers, Bail outs, etc.  Interesting education for self, because, everything and how it exists, is specific placement.   It seemed appropriate to see the newest movie version of:  ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’.

In the movie – an ambitious young investment banker named Jake, discovers that greed is and has always been the name of the game when he looses his a childhood mentor/friend who is also his boss. His boss commits suicide after his business crashes after persistent rumors that it’s being dragged down by debt. Denied a bailout from the government, Keller Zabel soon falls victim to a hostile take over lead by a powerful investment bank partner, of Churchill Schwartz.  Jake also looses his bonus that was given to him by his mentor hours before the crash which was over a million dollars.  His job on the line and his mentor dead,  he forges a fragile alliance with onetime Wall Street hotshot Gordon Gekko, who has just been released from prison after having served eight years for securities fraud, money laundering, and racketeering. Gekko is also the father of his soon to be wife Winnie, who hasn’t spoken to her father in years -and doesn’t ever want to.  She also happens to have a 100-million-dollar trust fund in an overseas account set up by her father before he was sent to prison.  Now Jake doesn’t know about the trust until later in the movie when Gekko tells him.

Money is the name of all the games in this movie and what’s important is to witness the control that god/money/greed have over people’s lives.  It’s who we all are, it’s how we exist in our daily lives which is all according to how much or how little we have of money.

The old Wall Street saying, “buy the rumor, sell the news” is alive and well in the fast paced equity markets. This movie displays perfectly our ‘speculation factor’ and shows exactly the accumulated effects when we speculate.  Those who work the face pace of Wall street – they track down or make up their own rumors, and they report them to other members, and if they come from a reliable source, or have an influence on the market, or if they make the tiniest bit of sense, then it all plays out as insider buying and selling which moves the stocks, and so, not all transactions are created equal.

The truth of our world that Money is in fact ‘God’, is shown obvious in this movie and is relevant to the world’s  current financial crisis and how it reflects in Wall street, The Big Banks and our Government buy outs. There is the obvious point that is represented and can easily be seen in and as our ‘Current Monetary System’ . Which is not created Equal – Because,  we All exist and we support a system that does not support All Life Equally. But, who’s paying attention because, the fact of the matter is, few are even aware, nor does there seem to be a level of understanding within the facts before us, which is that – ‘what  goes up, must come down’.  The common sense is that, If even one single being suffers within this world, We All suffer, eventually and inevitably.

Investors have learned that most of the ‘sky-is-falling’ projections are unrealistic.  The story goes, when thinking about investors, it’s helpful to recall the saying:
“Fool me or [scare] me once, shame on you. Fool me or [scare] me twice, shame on me.”

‘Gekko’ makes a comment when he attends an ‘Annual Fundraising Event’ Hosted by ‘Investment Bankers’. He says:  “If someone were to take this place out tonight, there would be nobody left to Rule the World”.  Truth is – why should any One Group of people, ‘Rule the World’.  Because it’s only that way because of our ‘Current Money System’.  We are the ones who accept and allow the ‘Current Money System’ to continue as it does and, It doesn’t have to remain that way. The Common Sense is to assist and provide for All living Beings within and as our physical reality, Equally.

Many examples given throughout the movie shows that even when there is loss – when someone looses their money on Wall street – with the power already haven been bought, all it takes is the flick of a pen and they will create enough to buy their way back again.  Take away money which is a just a god with power, and all great fortunes of men will disappear, and they ought to disappear. Only then will we begin as ‘All as One as Equal’.

The is another recording I add to my video from the movie, it’s an example of what goes on behind closed doors that the public never hears when the banks are forced government buyouts.  Interesting points made in the clip – however, the fear within what would happen in the event of a collapse is enforced within an ‘idea’ based in greed.  Key words placed to enforce beliefs such and ‘Nationalization’ and ‘Socialism’ are used to stop us from realizing ourself within the point because, they entrap us in a past belief within opinions and ideas.

It’s also important to understand the role of the ‘Federal Reserve’, which is formulating and carrying out monetary policy – balancing the flow of money and credit with the needs of the economy. Now, what needs are being met within this economy?  Too much money in the economy leads to inflation, while too little can stifle economic growth. What a polarity it is as we seek to strike a balance between these two extremes.

The modern banking system manufactures money out of nothing. The process is definitely the most astounding piece of ‘sleight of hand’ ever invented.  And, it’s important not to dismiss investors,  because they learn (primarily from recent mistakes) and they adjust their level of greed accordingly. As do we all, because we’re all investors within and as this world and this world exist as it does because of our level of self-investment and our level of lack self-responsibility and our lack of self-honesty.  Obviously, the majority of us suck as investors, and the world operates as one big casino surrounding smaller casino’s.  What ‘sleight of had’ have you been dealt, that you have accepted?  Are you sold out, or are you in.

There is only One Equation that will sustain the ‘test of time’. ‘The Equality Equation of All Life’,  and it demands that All Life here exist as Equals. That is not a choice as we have lived it thus far – it is “The Fact” within this circle and/or bubble we’ve called life.

There’s a line in the movie when the question is asked: “What’s your price”.  The answer that is given is: “More”.   What’s your price?
How much more are we willing to justify within ourselves as we continue along with our daily routines in ‘our world’,  before we stand up and participate in stopping what we have all accepted and allowed to exist within and as this world as our ‘Current Money System’.  Our Ego is invested in our ‘bank accounts’. We as a humanity, no matter where we’re located on this planet have been fooled more than once or twice. It’s rather obvious isn’t it that we would rather be ‘entertained’ than ‘educated’ about our world and how it functions and how it sustains itself, which has all been built within and as deception.

How long does one consider that such an existence can sustain itself before it collapses.  What goes up, must come down.  We’ve all had examples of how this happens already in our lives. I know what’s it’s like to avoid hearing and seeing about another country’s failing, or another government bailout, or any thing related to our current world economic collapses.

The avoidance of educating ourselves about our world while we let others decide your fate has ended. So, Educate yourself.  Research an ‘Equal Money System’. Realize the collapse has already happened the moment we accepted and allowed even one single being to ‘Starve to Death. Wall Street, The Bankers, The Governments, our Current Money System, Our World Economy has blood on it’s hands,  and it’s the blood from all of Us.  We’re all the same. Face yourself within what you’ve accepted and allowed and Stop. An ‘Equal Money System’ will solve and lay to rest all ‘Fear of Survival’, because an ‘Equal Money System’, literally, provides Equally, for All

Notes of Further Study & Perspective

“The Mother of all Evil is, Speculation – Leverage Debt” — Quote by ‘Gordon Gekko, In The Movie: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The Current Money System survives on speculation and the effects of  leveraged speculation is exactly what creates Leverage Debt.   Easy to see – how one would refer to it as “The Mother of All Evil”

What is Leverage debt:
Leverage Debt is a Firm with significantly more Debt than Equity.  Does that mean we’re All Leverage debt?

It is important that people come to understand what debt leveraging actually means, and how it works in an ordinary financial transaction.  Leverage is a business term that refers to borrowing. If a business is ‘leveraged’, it means that the business has borrowed money to finance the purchase of assets. The other way to purchase assets is through use of owner funds, or equity.  One way to determine leverage is to calculate the Debt-to-Equity ratio, showing how much of the assets of the business are financed by debt and how much by equity(ownership).
Leverage is useful to fund company growth and development through the purchase of assets. But if the company has too much borrowing, it may not be able to pay back all of its debts.

Understand and Stop Judging ‘The Federal Reserve Bank’
A lot of attention is paid to the Federal Reserve Bank’s interest rate cuts. Not as much attention is paid to the money they actually lend. The Fed immediately began pumping (printing, and lending) billions of dollars into the market in the days after 9/11. This is called creating ‘liquidity’ in the market. Well, guess who gets that money at such low lending rates, your corner grocery store merchant? No, large banks and other lending institutions get it. They then lend it to other large companies at higher rates and then they all purchase stock in order to prop the prices up.
In addition, for at least the first couple of weeks the SEC eliminates the restrictions placed on the buying and selling of stock by companies and insiders. Why do you suppose the ‘financial services’ industries posted the biggest gains following this manipulation? Those speculating are assuming that the ruse will work, people will purchase those shares in their 401k, IRA, etc. and the banks will make a tidy profit from being at the top of the food chain. When the Fed sells bonds to raise capital to lend, who pays the interest on that borrowed money? The because losses must be socialized and profit privatized.
Many large companies have been known to purchase their own stock in an effort to prop up the value, if they were to actually report it, in self-honestly.  The world wide public does not purchase their stock from them, they are left with the interest payments on the money they borrowed to buy their own stock.

What the Hell are Hedge funds?
Hedge funds are aggressively managed portfolio of investments that use advanced investment strategies,  such as leverage, in both domestic and international markets with the goal of generating high returns.  Legally, hedge funds are most often set up as Private Investment partnerships that are open to a limited number of investors and require a very large initial minimum investment.  Investments in hedge funds are illiquid as they often require investors keep their money in the fund for at least one year.

‘Wall Street Survivor’
I also became acquainted with an online game called ‘Wall Street Survivor’. A Fantasy Stock Market Game for trading Stocks. It’s very simple to join, and you begin with and manage your own $100,000 portfolio. You basically learn how to trade stocks for free.  They use current stock prices which are updated every 15 minutes as well as offer material to read and learn about the stock market.  The game has been pretty cool assistance in beginning to understand trading.  It’s not a game that you just go and zone out to when playing. There is strategy involved, so you have to understand what’s going on to play.

I’m grateful I researched this topic because, I now understand for myself, enough that I can explain it in simple terms, and it only took a couple of weeks of studying a little bit every day.  I also researched ‘Prohibition’ while studying ‘Wall street’, and what a Bastard ‘Prohibition’ is and must Stop.
My studying is ongoing, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. It’s cool to bring myself to a point of understanding my self-responsibility in assisting and supporting, in stopping myself within all that I have accepted and allowed to exist here – so that I can provide effective assistance in bringing forth an ‘Equal Money System’, and ‘World Equality’.   So, research, study, explore your world and how it functions while you’re locating parts of you.

Support an Equal Money System
Desteni Universe
‘The Desteni I Process’ – Life Coaching

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Movie Review

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Happy National Caramel Popcorn Day!

We don’t celebrate every food holiday … oh, who are we kidding? We love that nearly every day of the year has a food-related holiday to celebrate. Today it’s National Caramel Popcorn Day!

And that’s why we’re sharing our recipe for caramel popcorn, with a D’Artagnan twist. We’ve enhanced this sticky treat with bacon and duck fat.

This party-worthy popcorn will satisfy the whole crowd – it’s savory, sweet, salty, crispy, and chewy. Try it and let us know how you like it!

Bacon Duck Fat Caramel Corn

12 cups popped plain popcorn (about ½ cup kernels)
1½ cups packed dark brown sugar
½ cup Duck Fat, plus 2 tablespoons (for coating the pan), melted
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 slices Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon, chopped into ¼ inch chunks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  1. Parcook bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until fat renders but bacon is still soft and hasn’t browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F with the rack placed in the center position. Grease a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of duck fat. Spread popped popcorn evenly in the pan and set aside.
  3. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together brown sugar, duck fat, corn syrup, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves and starts to emulsify, about 10 minutes. (The mixture may be separated and oily – keep whisking, it will come together as it cooks.) Carefully stir in reserved bacon. Now stop whisking and continue to boil without touching it at all for about 3 minutes more.
  4. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the vanilla and baking soda until the caramel is light in color, foamy, and has doubled in volume, about 10 seconds.
  5. Immediately drizzle caramel mixture over the popcorn, turning with a silicone spatula until thoroughly coated and spread into an even layer.
  6. Bake the caramel corn, mixing about every 15 minutes with a silicone spatula, scraping up any caramel from the bottom of the pan, until a cooled piece of popcorn is very crunchy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour total. (To test for doneness, take a few pieces of popcorn out of the oven and let cool. If they’re crunchy, then the caramel corn is done.)
  7. Transfer the caramel corn to a clean, rimmed baking sheet to cool completely (it will crisp as it cools). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Juliette Cremel

Co-VP for Social and Cultural Affairs, Harvard College European Society

Juliette Cremel

I am a Social Studies concentrator in the class of 2017. I initially joined the European Society because I had never lived outside of France and wanted to find a community inside Harvard that I could belong to, and I have grown to love it. My current role in the Society is Co-Vice President and I handle the Social Committee. I am also involved in theatre and in a couple of other groups on campus.