text:
Daring Bakers February 2008 Challenge - Julia Child's French Bread
When I first joined The Daring Bakers, I knew I'd be challenged to go beyond my usual repertoire of baking. The group would make me bake things I normally would not have and would definitely make me look at baking in a different light. One thing that always has (and still does) given me the jitters is baking bread.
I have the ultimate respect when it comes to bread. I am scared of baking my own bread. Of course you cannot join a group called the Daring Bakers and be a sissy about it. But I will admit, I secretly do a Voodoo dance each month hoping whoever is hosting will choose anything but bread. I call up on my joojoo and chant that there will be no bread.
It does not always work.
After I have completed the given bread challenge, I am always left exhilarated and cannot understand the hissy fit I was having, but I also know as soon as the beginning of the month comes around and it is time for the next host to announce the new challenge I'll be doing that Voodoo dance again!
Somehow I new right from the beginning, before the challenge was announced, this month we would be baking bread. After all, if the hostess' pseudo name is Breadchick and her blog is called The Sour Dough, you know you can dance till you drop but it's all going to be in vain. You'll have to make bread!
Together with co-host Sara of I Like To Cook and Mary aka Breadchick, came up with the grand challenge of baking French bread by no other than the impressive Julia Child. When I read the method, fear struck me and I started my chanting again hoping it would be a bad dream. 10 pages!! I needed a drink and believe I also mentioned that in the comments. Soon, my DB buddies requested me to open up the bar because there were many who shared my fear. I felt better. You know when you are knee deep in shit and you look around and see you are not alone - you kind of feel better not to be going through the pain alone.
I read and re-read the instructions and was just about to give up because I was not understanding any of it. Finally, what really rescued me were the videos of Danielle Forestier and Julia Child making the bread. Thank you!
I made the bread following the instructions entirely on the video. And yes - I feel exhilarated now! What was all that fuss about? Jeez - it's only a baguette! I am not sure that mine look too good. They kind of look weird - I think I slashed them a bit too deeply. But I do not care because I conquered the baguette.
The allowed modifications for this challenge were:
- We could use either the directions for making the bread completely by hand or the directions for using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Do not use a food processor or a bread machine to do the kneading as this dough could damage those machines.
- We could choose to make any or all of the shapes described in the recipe. All the classic French bread shapes and how to form them are described in detail in Julia's original recipe.
- If we made more than one loaf of French bread, could top the other loaf or loaves with any ingredient or method you wish. We could not add any ingredient to the dough itself though.
- High altitude modifications are allowed as long as we stayed "true" to the recipe.
- Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. was allowed. Since this recipe is already dairy free and vegan, we did not have to make any changes and were to follow the recipe as written.
Note about Gluten Free recipe change for French bread: One of the things that distinguish French bread is the structure of the gluten that supports the bread during the rise and baking, the crumb and the crispness of the crust. These things will be very difficult to achieve with a gluten free loaf. - Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in your region.
Don't let the length of the instructions scare you. Mary and Sara have added extensive notes to the instructions and each tip is extremely valuable. Make sure you read it at least twice. A word of warning it is a very time intensive recipe. If you do decide to tackle this I suggest you do what most of us did - get out of bed at the crack of dawn. This is no joke - do you see me laughing?
Wish you all the luck!
Pain Francais (French Bread)
(From Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two by Julia Child and Simone Beck)
Printable version of recipe and instructions here
Recipe Quantity:
3 - baguettes (24" x 2") or batards (16" x 3") or
6 – short loaves, ficelles, 12 – 16" x 2" or
3 – round loaves, boules, 7 – 8" in diameter or
12 – round or oval rolls, petits pains or
1 – large round or oval loaf, pain de menage or miche; pain boulot
Recipe Time: 7 – 9 hours
Additional Information About the Recipe
Flour: French bakers make plain French bread out of unbleached flour that has gluten strength of 8 to 9 per cent. Most American all-purpose flour is bleached and has slightly higher gluten content as well as being slightly finer in texture. It is easier to make bread with French flour than with American flour.
(Note: This was true when this book was written in the late 50s but today it is very easy to find unbleached AP flour. In addition, you can source French style, lower gluten AP flour from several specialty millers such as King Arthur Flour)
Bakers' Oven Versus Home Ovens: Bakers' ovens are so constructed that one slides the formed bread dough from a wooden panel right onto the hot, fire-brick oven floor, a steam injection system humidifies the oven for the first few minutes of baking. Steam allows the yeast to work a little longer in the dough and this, combined with the hot baking surface, produced an extra push of volume. In addition, steam coagulating the starch on the surface of the dough gives the crust its characteristic brown color. Although you can produce a good loaf of French bread without steam or a hot baking surface, you will a larger and handsomer loaf when you simulate professional conditions.
(Note: Julia provided a very nice step by step of how to make a simulated bakers oven at home at the end of the recipe. Those same steps are provided here plus a few of Breadchick's bread making/baking tips she uses for those of you who want to take it to the limits!)
Stand Mixer Mixing and Kneading of French Bread Dough: French bread dough is too soft to work in the electric food processor, but the heavy-duty mixer with dough hook works perfectly. The double-hook attachment that comes with some hand held mixers and the hand-cranking bread pails are slower and less efficient, to our mind, than hand kneading. In any case, when you are using electricity, follow the steps in the recipe as outlined, including the rests; do not over-knead and for the heavy duty mixer, do not go over a moderate speed of number 3 or 4, or you risk breaking down the gluten in the dough.
(Note: When this book was written the average home heavy duty stand mixer was less than 300W and the hand mixer was less than 250W. Today you can find stand mixers with much better wattage and torque. Breadchick has made this dough using both her old Sunbeam Mixmaster from the late 80s with a 325W motor and her Kitchen Aid 7 speed Ultra Power Plus Handheld and had both struggle quite a lot. She has also made this dough with a Kitchen Aid Artisan (350W) and it did OK but also struggled a bit at the end so if you have an Artisan, keep your eye on it, especially at the end of the kneading as the gluten really develops. Breachick has made this recipe several times with her Kitchen Aid Pro V Plus (450W) and it had no problems what so ever with the dough. So, a good rule of thumb to use to decide between making the dough by hand or by machine is probably 350W or better for motor power in your mixer, either hand or stand. If it looks like your mixer is struggling, finish the dough by hand. One last reminder, always follow the speed directions of your mixer manufacturer for using the dough hook. The Kitchen Aid recommendation is not to go over Speed 2 when using the dough hook on their mixers.)
Equipment Needed: Unless you plan to go into the more elaborate simulation of a baker's oven, you need no unusual equipment for the following recipe. Here are the requirements, some of which may sound odd but will explain themselves when you read the recipe.
(Note: you do not need to buy all these items if you don't have them already. Just improvise with what you already have)
- 4 to 5 quart mixing bowl with fairly vertical rather than outward slanting sides
- a kneading surface of some sort, 1 1/2 to 2 square feet
- a rubber spatula or either a metal scraper or a stiff wide metal spatula
- 1 to 2 unwrinkled canvas pastry cloths or stiff linen towels upon which the dough may rise
- a stiff piece of cardboard or plywood 18 – 20 inches long and 6 – 8 inches wide, for unmolding dough from canvas to baking sheet
- finely ground cornmeal or pasta pulverized in an electric blender to sprinkle on unmolding board so as to prevent dough from sticking
- the largest baking sheet that will fit in your oven
- a razor blade or extremely sharp knife for slashing the top of the dough
- a soft pastry brush or fine spray atomizer for moistening dough before and during baking
- a room thermometer to verify rising temperature
- the use of an oven thermometer is also recommended
Making French Bread:
Step 1: The Dough Mixture – le fraisage (or frasage)
(Note: The metric measurements were converted from an online conversion chart and then checked for us by Baking Soda, who gets a Golden Loaf Award for standing in her kitchen in her pjs and while she drank her first cup of coffee scooping flour onto scales.)
1 cake (0.6 ounce) (20grams) fresh yeast or 1 package dry active yeast
1/3 cup (75ml) warm water, not over 100 degrees F/38C in a glass measure
3 1/2 cup (about 1 lb) (490 gr) all purpose flour, measured by scooping
dry measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess
2 1/4 tsp (12 gr) salt
1 1/4 cups (280 - 300ml) tepid water @ 70 – 74 degrees/21 - 23C
(Note: if you are using instant yeast, you may reduce the amount to 1 3/4 tsp or 7 gr but you will still want to "proof" it because that is important for taste development in this bread)
Both Methods: Stir the yeast in the 1/3 cup warm water and let liquefy completely while measuring flour into mixing bowl. When yeast has liquefied, pour it into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water.
Hand Method: Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula, pressing firmly to form a dough and making sure that all the bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky.
Stand Mixer: (Note: Julia did not give detailed instructions about how the dough comes together other than "combine the ingredients using the dough hook", therefore these directions are based upon their experiences)
Using the dough hook attachment on the speed the mixer manufacturer recommends for dough hook use or the lowest setting if there is no recommendation, slowly work all the ingredients together until a dough ball is formed, stopping the mixer and scrapping the bits of flour and chunks of dough off the bottom of the bowl and pressing them into the dough ball. Continue to mix the dough on a low speed until all the bits of flour and loose chunks of dough have formed a solid dough ball.
(Note for both methods: Depending the humidity and temperature of your kitchen and the type of AP flour your use, you may need to add additional flour or water to the dough. To decide if this is necessary, we recommend stopping during the mixing process and push at your dough ball. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour one handful at a time until the dough is slightly sticky and tacky but not dry. If the dough is dry and feels hard, add 1 Tbsp of water a time until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.)
Both Methods: Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky. Let the dough rest for 2 – 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl (and the dough hook if using a stand mixer).
Step 2: Kneading – petrissage
The flour will have absorbed the liquid during this short rest, and the dough will have a little more cohesion for the kneading that is about to begin. Use one hand only for kneading and keep the other clean to hold a pastry scrapper, to dip out extra flour, to answer the telephone, and so forth. Your object in kneading is to render the dough perfectly smooth and to work it sufficiently so that all the gluten molecules are moistened and joined together into an interlocking web. You cannot see this happen, of course, but you can feel it because the dough will become elastic and will retract into shape when you push it out.
Hand Method: Start kneading by lifting the near edge of the dough, using a pastry scraper or stiff wide spatula to help you if necessary, and flipping the dough over onto itself. Scrape dough off the surface and slap it down; lift edge and flip it over again, repeating the movement rapidly.
In 2 -3 minutes the dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over.
Continue to knead rapidly and vigorously in this way. If the dough remains too sticky, knead in a sprinkling of flour. The whole kneading process will take 5 – 10 minutes, depending on how expert you become.
Shortly after this point, the dough should have developed enough elasticity so it draws back into shape when pushed, indicating the gluten molecules have united and are under tension like a thin web of rubber; the dough should also begin to clean itself off the kneading surface, although it will stick to your fingers if you hold a pinch of dough for more than a second or two.
Stand Mixer: (Note: Julia did not give detailed instructions about kneading the dough other than "knead") Place dough back into the bowl and using the dough hook attachment at the recommended speed (low), knead the dough for about 5 – 7 minutes. At about the 5 minute mark, stop the mixer and push at the dough with your fingertips. If it springs back quickly, you have kneaded the dough enough. If it doesn't spring back continue to knead, stopping the mixer and retesting every 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to your fingers, toss a sprinkling of flour onto the dough and continue to knead. The dough should be light and springy when it is ready. Finish off with about 1 – 2 minutes of hand kneading just to get a good feel for how the gluten is formed.
Both Methods: Let dough rest for 3 – 4 minutes. Knead by hand for a minute. The surface should now look smooth; the dough will be less sticky but will still remain soft. It is now ready for its first rise.
(Note: From here out in the recipe, there is no difference for the hand vs. stand method)
Step 3: First Rising – pointage premier temps (3-5 hours at around 70 degrees)
You now have approximately 3 cups of dough that is to rise to 3 1/2 times its original volume, or to about 10 1/2 cups. Wash and fill the mixing bowl with 10 1/2 cups of tepid water (70 – 80 degrees) and make a mark to indicate that level on the outside of the bowl. Note, that the bowl should have fairly upright sides; if they are too outward slanting, the dough will have difficulty in rising. Pour out the water, dry the bowl, and place the dough in it (Mary and Sara Note: Very lightly grease the bowl with butter or kitchen spray as well to prevent the risen dough from sticking to the bowl).
Slip the bowl into a large plastic bag or cover with plastic, and top with a folded bath towel. Set on a wooden surface, marble or stone are too cold. Or on a folded towel or pillow, and let rise free from drafts anyplace where the temperature is around 70 degrees. If the room is too hot, set bowl in water and keep renewing water to maintain around 70 degrees. Dough should take at least 3 – 4 hours to rise to 10 1/2 cups. If temperature is lower than 70 degrees, it will simply take longer.
(Note: If your oven has an oven light, turn on the oven light when you start making the dough. By the time you are ready for the first rise, the temperature in your oven will be around 70 degrees. You can check with your oven thermometer. If you don't have an oven light, you can turn the oven on to its lowest setting about 5 minutes before you begin your rise. Leave on for 1 – 5 minutes until the temperature is around 75- 80 degrees. Turn off oven, when you open the door to put the dough in to rise, your oven will be around 70 degrees. Another trick is to put your dough on top of your hot water heater. Place a folded towel on top of the hot water heater and let rise. Also a heating pad works well. Mary also has used those give away shower caps from hotels to cover her bowls and the bowl covers for the metal mixing bowls work well too. Always lightly grease the plastic wrap or bowl cover so if the risen dough touches it, the dough won't stick.)
When fully risen, the dough will be humped into a slight dome, showing that the yeast is still active; it will be light and spongy when pressed. There will usually be some big bubbly blisters on the surface, and if you are using a glass bowl you will see bubbles through the glass.
Step 4: Deflating and Second Rising – rupture; pointage deuxieme temps (1 1/2 to 2 hours at around 70 degrees)
The dough is now ready to be deflated, which will release the yeast engendered gases and redistribute the yeast cells so that the dough will rise again and continue the fermentation process.
With a rubber spatula, dislodge dough from inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, scraping bowl clean. If dough seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour.
Lightly flour the palms of your hands and flatten the dough firmly but not too roughly into a circle, deflating any gas bubbles by pinching them.
Lift a corner of the near side and flip it down on the far side.
Do the same with the left side, then the right side. Finally, lift the near side and tuck it just under the edge of the far side. The mass of dough will look like a rounded cushion.
Slip the sides of your hands under the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover and let rise again, this time to not quite triple, but again until it is dome shaped and light and spongy when touched.
(Note: You may need to lightly re-grease your bowl and plastic wrap for the second rise to prevent sticking)
Step 5: Cutting and resting dough before forming loaves
Loosen dough all around inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Because of its two long rises, the dough will have much more body. If it seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle lightly with flour.
Making clean, sure cuts with a large knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into:
- 3 equal pieces for long loaves (baguettes or batards) or small round loaves (boules only)
- 5 – 6 equal pieces for long thin loaves (ficelles)
- 10 – 12 equal pieces for small oval rolls (petits pains, tire-bouchons) or small round rolls (petits pains, champignons)
- 2 equal pieces for medium round loaves (pain de menage or miche only)
- If you making one large round loaf (pain de menage, miche, or pain boulot), you will not cut the dough at all and just need to follow the directions below.
After you have cut each piece, lift one end and flip it over onto the opposite end to fold the dough into two; place dough at far side of kneading surface. Cover loosely with a sheet of plastic and let rest for 5 minutes before forming. This relaxes the gluten enough for shaping but not long enough for dough to begin rising again.
While the dough is resting, prepare the rising surface; smooth the canvas or linen toweling on a large tray or baking sheet, and rub flour thoroughly into the entire surface of the cloth to prevent the dough from sticking.
Step 6: Forming the loaves – la tourne; la mise en forme des patons
Because French bread stands free in the oven and is not baked in a pan, it has to be formed in such a way that the tension of the coagulated gluten cloak on the surface will hold the dough in shape.
For Long Loaves - The Batard: (Baguettes are typically much too long for home ovens but the shaping method is the same)
After the 3 pieces of dough have rested 5 minutes, form one piece at a time, keeping the remaining ones covered.
Working rapidly, turn the dough upside down on a lightly floured kneading surface and pat it firmly but not too roughly into an 8 to 10 inch oval with the lightly floured palms of your hands. Deflate any gas bubbles in the dough by pinching them.
Fold the dough in half lengthwise by bringing the far edge down over the near edge.
Being sure that the working surface is always lightly floured so the dough will not stick and tear, which would break the lightly coagulated gluten cloak that is being formed, seal the edges of the dough together, your hands extended, thumbs out at right angles and touching.
Roll the dough a quarter turn forward so the seal is on top.
Flatten the dough again into an oval with the palms of your hands.
Press a trench along the central length of the oval with the side of one hand.
Fold in half again lengthwise.
This time seal the edges together with the heel of one hand, and roll the dough a quarter of a turn toward you so the seal is on the bottom.
Now, by rolling the dough back and forth with the palms of your hands, you will lengthen it into a sausage shape. Start in the middle, placing your right palm on the dough, and your left palm on top of your right hand.
Roll the dough forward and backward rapidly, gradually sliding your hands towards the two ends as the dough lengthens.
Deflate any gas blisters on the surface by pinching them. Repeat the rolling movement rapidly several times until the dough is 16 inches long, or whatever length will fit on your baking sheet. During the extension rolls, keep circumference of dough as even as possible and try to start each roll with the sealed side of the dough down, twisting the rope of dough to straighten the line of seal as necessary. If seal disappears, as it sometimes does with all purpose flour, do not worry.
Place the shaped piece of dough, sealed side up, at one end of the flour rubbed canvas, leaving a free end of canvas 3 to 4 inches wide.
The top will crust slightly as the dough rises; it is turned over for baking so the soft, smooth underside will be uppermost.
Pinch a ridge 2 1/2 to 3 inches high in the canvas to make a trough, and a place for the next piece. Cover dough with plastic while you are forming the rest of the loaves.
After all the pieces of dough are in place, brace the two sides of the canvas with long rolling pins, baking sheets or books, if the dough seems very soft and wants to spread out. Cover the dough loosely with flour rubbed dish towel or canvas, and a sheet of plastic. Proceed immediately to the final rising, next step.
(Note: Empty paper towel tubes and/or bottles of spices work well as braces as well)
For Long Thin Loaves – Fincelles: Follow the steps above but making thinner sausage shapes about 1/2 inch in diameter. When they have risen, slash as with the Batard.
For Oval Rolls – Petits Pains, Tire-Bouchons: Form like batards, but you will probably not have to lengthen them at all after the two foldings and sealings. Place rolls on a floured canvas about 2 – 4" apart and cover with plastic to rise. When they have risen, make either 2 parallel slashes or a single slash going from one end to the other.
For Small, Medium, or Large Round Loaves – Pain de Menage, Miches, Boules: The object here is to force the cloak of coagulated gluten to hold the ball of dough in shape: the first movement will make cushion; the second will seal and round the ball, establishing surface tension.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface.
Lift the left side of the dough with the side of your left hand and bring it down almost to the right side.
Scoop up the right side and push it back almost to the left side. Turn the dough a quarter turn clockwise and repeat the movement 8 – 10 times. The movement gradually smoothes the bottom of the dough and establishes the necessary surface tension; think of the surface of the dough as if it were a fine sheet of rubber you were stretching in every direction.
Turn the dough smooth side up and begin rotating it between the palms of your hands, tucking a bit of the dough under the ball as you rotate it. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped ball with a little pucker of dough, le cle, underneath where all the edges have joined together.
Place the dough pucker side up in a flour-rubbed canvas; seal the pucker by pinching with your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely and let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on the baking sheet, slash with either a long central slash, two long central slashes that cross at right angles, or a semi-circular slash around half the circumference.
For Small Round Rolls – Petits Pains, Champignons: The principles are the same here as for the preceding round loaves, but make the cushion shape with your fingers rather than the palms of your hands.
For the second stage, during which the ball of dough is rotated smooth side up, roll it under the palm of one hand, using your thumb and little finger to push the edges of the dough underneath and to form the pucker, where the edges join together
Place the formed ball of dough pucker side up on the flour rubbed canvas and cover loosely while forming the rest. Space the balls 2 inches apart. When risen to almost triple its size, lift gently with lightly floured fingers and place pucker side down on baking sheet. Rolls are usually too small for a cross so make either one central slash or the semi-circular cut.
For Large Oval Loaf – Pain Boulot: Follow the directions for the round loaves except instead of rotating between the balms of your hands and tucking to form a round loaf, continue to turn the dough from the right to the left, tucking a bit of each end under the oblong loaf. In a dozen turns you should have a neatly shaped oval with tow little puckers of dough, le cles, underneath where all the edges of have joined together.
Place the dough pucker sides up in a flour-rubbed canvas; seal the puckers by pinching with your fingers. Flour lightly, cover loosely and let rise to almost triple its size. After unmolding upside down on the baking sheet, slash with parallel slashes going diagonally across the top starting from the upper left and going to the lower right.
Step 7: Final Rise – l'appret - 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours at around 70 degrees
The covered dough is now to rise until almost triple in volume; look carefully at its pre-risen size so that you will be able to judge correctly. It will be light and swollen when risen, but will still feel a little springy when pressed.
It is important that the final rise take place where it is dry; if your kitchen is damp, hot, and steamy, let the bread rise in another room or dough will stick to the canvas and you will have difficulty getting it off and onto another baking sheet. It will turn into bread in the oven whatever happens, but you will have an easier time and a better loaf if you aim for ideal conditions.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees about 30 minutes before estimated baking time.
Step 8: Unmolding risen dough onto baking sheet – le demoulage.
(Note: only the unmolding of The Batard is described here but the unmolding process is the same no matter the shape of your loaf or loaves. The key to unmolding without deflating your bread is slow and gentle!)
The 3 pieces of risen dough are now to be unmolded from the canvas and arranged upside down on the baking sheet. The reason for this reversal is that the present top of the dough has crusted over during its rise; the smooth, soft underside should be uppermost in the oven so that the dough can expand and allow the loaf its final puff of volume. For the unmolding you will need a non-sticking intermediate surface such as a stiff piece of cardboard or plywood sprinkled with cornmeal or pulverized pasta.
Remove rolling pins or braces. Place the long side of the board at one side of the dough; pull the edge of the canvas to flatten it; then raise and flip the dough softly upside down onto the board.
Dough is now lying along one edge of the unmolding board: rest this edge on the right side of a lightly buttered baking sheet. Gently dislodge dough onto baking sheet, keeping same side of the dough uppermost: this is the soft smooth side, which was underneath while dough rose on canvas. If necessary run sides of hands lightly down the length of the dough to straighten it. Unmold the next piece of dough the same way, placing it to the left of the first, leaving a 3 inch space. Unmold the final piece near the left side of the sheet.
Step 9: Slashing top of the dough – la coupe.
(Note: only the slashing for the Batard is described here. All other slashes for the other shapes are described in Step 6: Forming the Loaves)
The top of each piece of dough is now to be slashed in several places. This opens the covering cloak of gluten and allows a bulge of dough underneath to swell up through the cuts during the first 10 minutes of baking, making decorative patterns in the crust. These are done with a blade that cuts almost horizontally into the dough to a depth of less than half an inch. Start the cut at the middle of the blade, drawing toward you in a swift clean sweep. This is not quite as easy as it sounds, and you will probably make ragged cuts at first; never mind, you will improve with practice. Use an ordinary razor blade and slide one side of it into a cork for safety; or buy a barbers straight razor at a cutlery store.
For a 16 to 18 inch loaf make 3 slashes. Note that those at the two ends go straight down the loaf but are slightly off centre, while the middle slash is at a slight angle between the two. Make the first cut at the far end, then the middle cut, and finally the third. Remember that the blade should lie almost parallel to the surface of the dough.
Step 10: Baking – about 25 minutes; oven preheated to 450 degrees (230 degrees C).
As soon as the dough has been slashed, moisten the surface either by painting with a soft brush dipped in cold water, or with a fine spray atomizer, and slide the baking sheet onto rack in upper third of preheated oven. Rapidly paint or spray dough with cold water after 3 minutes, again in 3 minutes, and a final time 3 minutes later. Moistening the dough at this point helps the crust to brown and allows the yeast action to continue in the dough a little longer. The bread should be done in about 25 minutes; the crust will be crisp, and the bread will make a hollow sound when thumped.
If you want the crust to shine, paint lightly with a brush dipped in cold water as soon as you slide the baking sheet out of oven.
Step 11: Cooling – 2 to 3 hours.
(Note: This will be the hardest part of this recipe. But, if you do not let the French bread cool, the bread will be doughy and the crust will be soft. If you want to have warm French bread, re-heat the bread after it has cooled in a 400 degree oven, uncovered and directly on the oven rack for 10 – 12 minutes if it is unfrozen. If it has been frozen see the directions below)
Cool the bread on a rack or set it upright in a basket or large bowl so that air can circulate freely around each piece. Although bread is always exciting to eat fresh from the oven, it will have a much better taste when the inside is thoroughly cool and has composed itself.
Step 12: Storing French bread
Because it contains no fats or preservatives of any kind, French bread is at its best when eaten the day it is baked. It will keep for a day or two longer, wrapped airtight and refrigerated, but it will keep best if you freeze it – let the loaves cool first, then wrap airtight. To thaw, unwrap and place on a baking sheet in a cold oven; heat the oven to 400 degrees. In about 20 minutes the crust will be hot and crisp, and the bread thawed. The French, of course, never heat French bread except possibly on Monday, the baker's holiday, when the bread is a day old.
Step 13: Canvas housekeeping
After each bread session, if you have used canvas, brush it thoroughly to remove all traces of flour and hang it out to dry before putting away. Otherwise the canvas could become mouldy and ruin your next batch of dough.
The Simulated Bakers' Oven
Baking in the ordinary way, as described in the preceding recipe, produces an acceptable loaf of bread but does not nearly approach the glory you can achieve when you turn your home oven into a baker's oven. Merely providing yourself with the proper amount of steam, if you can do nothing else, will vastly improve the crust, the color, the slash patterns, and the volume of your bread; steam is only a matter of plopping a heated brick or stone into a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The second provision is a hot surface upon which the naked dough can bake; this gives that added push of volume that improves both the appearance and the slash patterns. When you have the hot baking surface, you will then also need a paddle or board upon which you can transfer dough from canvas to hot baking surface. For the complete set up here is you should have, and any building-supply store stocks these items.
For the hot baking surface: Metal will not do as a hot baking surface because it burns the bottom of the dough. The most practical and easily obtainable substance is ordinary red floor tiles 1/4" thick. They come in various sizes such as 6 x 6, 6 x 3, and you only need enough to line the surface of an oven rack. Look them up under Tiles in your Directory, and ask for "quarry tiles" their official name.
(Note: When this book was written, quarry tiles had a fair amount of asbestos in them. Today, in North America and Europe, they normally are made of clay. Make sure if you decide to go purchase some quarry tiles you only purchase unglazed quarry tiles because most of the glazes used contain lead or some other nasty substance that could get transferred. A large pizza stone will also work but make sure it is at least 1/4 inch thick because the thinner ones can break when used at the high heats that baking bread requires. Make sure you never put wet tiles in the oven because they can shatter or worse as the oven heats up.)
For unmolding the risen dough from its canvas: A piece of 3/16 inch plywood about 20 inches wide.
For sliding the dough onto the hot tiles: When you are doing 3 long loaves, you must slide them together onto the hot tiles; to do so you unmold them one at a time with one board and arrange them side by side on the second board, which takes place on the baker's paddle, la pelle. Buy a piece of plywood slightly longer but 2 inches narrower than your oven rack.
(Note: Today, you can buy a real baker's paddle easily online or at a restaurant supply store for about the same money as a piece of plywood and it will have a bevelled edge that will make sliding loaves in and out of the oven easier)
To prevent dough from sticking to unmolding and sliding boards: White cornmeal or small dried pasta pulverized in the electric blender until it is the consistency of table salt. This is called fleurage.
The steam contraption: Something that you can heat to sizzling hot on top of the stove and then slide into a pan of water in the oven to make a great burst of steam: a brick, a solid 10lb rock, piece of cast iron or other metal. A 9 x 12 inch roasting pan 2 inches deep to hold an inch of water and the hot brick.
(Note: Other ways to get steam in the oven is pre-heat the oven and then to fill a pan with ice cubes put it on the lower rack and then pour warm water into the pan. The temperature difference between the ice cubes and the warm water will create steam. Also you can toss ice cubes on the bottom of the oven. Put a metal baking sheet on the bottom rack, pre-heat the oven with the baking sheet in the oven and right before you put your loaves in, spritz water onto the pan.)
Phew! If you are in need of a stiff drink after reading this, my bar is still open. I am still in a bit of a daze that I accomplished this. Once I started to understand the procedure it was easy. However, making this is really time intensive and one really has to put a whole day aside for it. Taste wise, we loved it. Although I thought it was a bit denser that the usual baguettes I have had, the fact that I had made it simply covered up the fact. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Beautifully browned - and even though it is not a beauty in the looks department every last piece of both loaves were eaten. I served a platter of cheese, grapes and my quince jelly with it and I do not think I have ever felt more satisfied - and exhausted.
Would I make this again?
Being the time intensive, I doubt I will make this on a regular basis. I definitely will make it on occasions where a special signature item is required, like a friend's birthday or Easter. I think The next time I would like to experiment with other types of flours - see how it would work with whole wheat flour for instance.
What did I learn from this challenge?
That it is OK to fear bread - as long as you are willing to tackle the fear factor and go for it. I still respect bread baking and will not loose it that easily, what makes me glad is that I am a bit more confident with each bread I make.
Having said that I need to go do my Voodoo dance again - it's the beginning of March and I just hope it is not bread!!
I thank Mary and Sara for their extensive and extremely helpful notes on this. I also thank them and all the DBs for taking all that time and guiding us less professionals at bread baking through this challenge.
Also take a moment to check out all the hard work the rest of my baker buddies put into their breads over at the Daring Bakers' Blogroll.
You might like these bread creations:
Spinach & Fennel Loaf | |
Real Honest Jewish Purist's Bagels | |
Tender Potato Rolls |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2008 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

subset: commoncrawl


text:
MISSISSIPPI MS | Granite Countertops
Granite Sales, Deals, Specials, Granite Remnants, Leftovers, Discounted and Cheap Granite
GRANITE FABRICATION IN MISSISSIPPI Local business, coupons and reviews...
Jackson | Gulfport | Hattiesburg | Bilox | Southaven | Meridian | Tupelo | Greenville
Granite Countertops Fabrication, Marble Fabrication, Limestone Fabrication, Quartz Fabrication, Granite Fabrication Cost, Granite Fabricating and Installing, Fabrication of Granite, Fabrication of Stone
Shopping for Granite Kitchen Countertop From Your Local Granite Fabricator:
When considering Black Countertop for your next remodeling project, whether it is a kitchen countertop or facing a vanity, a bit of research and window shopping will help you acquire a fantastic product with a price that fits your budget.
• Find a Fabricator;
The first step is to find a fabricator, or installer, that will bring the granite from the manufacturer to your home. A fabricator will often shape and polish the stone to your specifications and make sure the piece is cut to fit your needs. An in-home estimate is a way to ensure the proper dimensions and décor are taken into account.
• Slab Showrooms;
Many fabricators work directly with a manufacturer that has a slab showroom, which are large slabs of granite that have yet to be cut into counters or tiles. Slab showrooms offer a wide variety of styles, colors and patterns, and in choosing a specific slab; the consumer can control the quality of the stone. In beginning to shop for granite, you may find a manufacturer showroom first, which can then lead you to a recommended fabricator.
• Choosing the Right Granite Slab
Granite has become an popular choice in the world of remodeling. It offers customers colors, patterns, durability unlike any other. It is especially popular for kitchen and bathroom remodeling jobs, as it makes an ideal countertop. For countertop purposes, the ideal choice is a granite slab, which allows for a smooth installation and little to no seaming. This option can be costly, in the range of $50 to $160 per square foot. The tips and tricks can help any homeowner choose a granite slab wisely and cost-efficiently.
• Buy Locally;
With the advent of online-shopping-is-better, it seems any purchase made online can be done less expensively than purchasing locally. As for granite slabs, the weight alone will tack on a hefty shipping cost, so when possible, shop in a local manufacturer's slab showroom.
• Take Care with Color;
An advantage of granite is that it is available in an extensive array of colors and can suit any décor. But when purchasing a granite slab as an investment piece, it may be wiser to side on the neutral colors. Not only will they improve the resale of a home, but in the short-term the more popular, neutral colored slabs tend to be less expensive.
• Decide on a Finish;
There are four main finishes for granite slabs: polished, brushed, honed and flamed. Each finish has its own advantages, so be sure to choose the finish that fits your lifestyle. The most popular choice finishes is the polished finish.
• Decide on the Counter's Edge;
A fabricator can offer several different edge options, many of which are rounded and polished, so there are no hard, sharp corners that can cause future injury.
• Slabs do Not Equal Continuity;
Ideally, a granite slab would be large enough to fit the dimensions of the counter space, creating a smooth look with no seams. However, in custom-fit situations, the average-size 10-foot slab will not be large enough, and fitting pieces together may happen. If this is the case, be prepared for not only seaming, but a slight difference in pattern or color of the granite, as the multiple slabs used for the project might not be identical
• Make Sure The Order is Right;
When purchasing a granite slab, it helps to check and double check your agreement with the fabricator. Will the fabricator seal the granite? Is the granite slab you picked out in the showroom the slab that will be in your kitchen? What are the fees for installation, delivery and taxes? These details can adjust the pricing considerably.
• Consider Alternative Options;
In the end, if a granite slab is not for your project, there are alternatives. Consider using granite on an island instead of the counter. Pre-fabricated granite counters offer a less expensive option, if working with a standard-size counter and tiles are an inexpensive way to enjoy granite in your kitchen.
The Cost of Granite Countertop:
• Granite Countertop Granite is an ever-popular choice:
for installation in home improvement projects across the country, especially as durable material for kitchen and bathroom countertops. Once sealed, this versatile product resists staining along with wear and tear. But what is the price tag for such a lasting and beautiful stone?
• The Advantages Granite Countertop:
Granite Countertop is a naturally-occurring stone that is quite hard and durable, making it an excellent choice for construction and renovation projects. It can withstand heat and cold, resists chipping or cracking and when properly cared for, can last a lifetime.
• The Cost Estimates:
Granite Countertop As with any home improvement project, seeking estimates from several reputable installers or manufacturers is the best option to get the proper range of Granite Countertop costs in your area. Because Granite Countertop is available in such as vast variety of colors and styles, the price range can be great.
• Slabs:
The premium is slab granite, which is cut in a giant piece and fit to your specifications offsite. The slab is then brought into the home or building and professionally installed. This service typically starts in the $50 to $60 per square foot range and moves upward to $120 to $160 per square foot.
• Pre Fab:
Prefabricated granite can save the home improvement consumer some money, as these pieces come pre-cut (often with a backsplash, finished edges etc.) to fit a standard-size space. Many times these are thinner end-products then the traditional slab, and often are only available with the popular patterns. Prices begin at $25 to $30 per square foot and continue up.
Steps to Replacing a Countertop with Granite Countertop:
Granite is versatile and durable natural stone that will add style and beauty to your kitchen or bath, and give you and your family years of performance.
1. Measure accurately;
The most important aspect of countertop replacement is fit, so be sure to accurately measure your countertop space, taking into account any extra space needed for tiling a backsplash, or cutouts desired for a sink or stovetop. Even if you are having a consultant or fabricator visit your home to measure the space, be sure to measure it on your own for comparison.
2. Swapping counters;
Your old countertop will be removed upon delivery of the new granite counter, and a reputable installer will perform this task for you. If the new granite countertop is a do-it-yourself project, you will need to remove the old countertop. Prior to removal, double check that the plumbing, including the sink, garbage disposal, dish washer, etc., is properly disconnected. Start by unscrewing the counter in all of its corners, and break the line of caulk where the counter meets the backsplash with a knife. Gently prying the old counter from the frame, and be sure to have a helper nearby to aid in lifting the old counter.
3. Sub-board;
Granite is extremely heavy, so most granite installations will include a sub-board installation, usually of ¾" plywood. Again, a fabricator or installer will include this step in their installation process. For DIY, be sure to have accurate measurements and cuts, so there is no sub-board overhang off the frame. Some DIY consumers choose to use 1" by 3"
4. Install granite;
The actual installation of the granite countertop is a several-person job, due to the sheer weight and technicality of the install. Experts will mount the sink and insert the backsplash before setting the new granite in place. If there are any seams, these must be leveled beneath the counter, and the pieces will then be glued into place with epoxy or silicone. The seams will be filled with an epoxy mixture, which can be tinted with color to closely match the granite hue. The backsplash, if used, is then glued on and caulked in the seam between the counter and the wall. Swapping an old countertop for a countertop can be a hefty challenge, but any good DIY customer that is well-researched can complete the task, or have an expert standing by for assistance.
Granite countertops
are popular
Granite Kitchen | Slabs | Granite Price | Vanity | Discount | Granite Remnants | Cheap | Granite Sale | Cheapest | Quartz | Granite Deals | Prefabricated | Marble | Granite Leftovers | Scraps | Salvage | Counter | Granite Cost
choices for todays kitchen and bath remodels. They add beauty and style and are a sure way to increase a homes value. The kitchen is one room in the house that every family member uses multiple times on a daily basis. Everyone uses the kitchen sink for cooking, cleaning, washing and drinking.Marble can be used for Kitchen Countertops. Marble is a functional but unfortunately slightly less durable countertop material than granite or slate. Granite counters are typically a must-have feature of today's homebuyers. Granite countertops are smooth, and a seal protects the stone beneath it. Glossy finishes add flair and brighten up the room. In a wet-bar area, a granite countertop speaks of prestige. Satin finishes are more intimate and personal. The kitchen is one room in the house that every family member uses multiple times on a daily basis. Everyone uses the kitchen sink for cooking, cleaning, washing and drinking. Marble can be used for Kitchen Countertops. Marble is a functional but unfortunately slightly less durable countertop material than granite or slate. Granite is the most popular choice for kitchen counter tops, especially when the size your budget isn't a consideration. If your considering natural stone for smaller projects around your home or workplace, a quartz, marble or granite remnant could save you big bucks! Granite Remnants are an excellent choice for smaller projects. Remnants are left over pieces of granite, marble or quartz from various bundles and slabs.
Granite remnants
are as gorgeous and durable as the original slab and you are able to obtain them at a low cost granite price. Granite remnants are affordable and stunning. These pieces supply depth, durability and a great return on investment. So in a nut shell, when trying to on find Cheap Countertops granite countertops, granite remnants supply the on best value for your dollar.
Granite Countertops Fabrication, Marble Fabrication, Limestone Fabrication, Quartz Fabrication, Granite Fabrication Cost, Granite Fabricating and Installing, Fabrication of Granite, Fabrication of Stone


text:
This is an attempt to create a canonical question that covers all instances of "low-graphics mode" error that occurs to a user, including but not limited to installation of wrong drivers, incorrect or invalid lightdm greeters, low disk space, incorrect installation of graphics card like ATI and Nvidia, incorrect configuration of xorg.conf file while setting up multiple monitors among others.
If you are experiencing the "low-graphics mode" error when trying to login but none of the following answers work for you, please do ask a new question and then update the answers of this canonical question as and when your new question gets answered.
When I try to boot into my computer, I am getting this error:
The system is running in low-graphics mode
Your screen, graphics cards, and input device settings could not be detected correctly. You will need to configure these yourself.
How do I fix the failsafe X mode and login into my computer?
Answer index:


text:
Hand Loomed Hand-Loomed Runner > Design# CCSR49149 > Size: 2'-5" x 10'-1" [Online Only]
Shop Hand Loomed Hand-Loomed Runner > Design# SH49149 > Size: 2'-5" x 10'-1".
This is online-only product. This rug is not available to see in the store.
Order Processing Time: 1 Business Day
Shipping Duration: 7-15 Business Days
- SKU/Design: SH49149
- Size: 2'-5" x 10'-1" / 73.66 cm x 307.34 cm
- Shape: Runner
- Materials: Wool & Silk
- Weave: Hand Loomed
- Field Color: Grey
- Border Color: Smoke Gray
- Pile Height: -
- Knots/inch [KPI]: -
- Origin:
Note: During the shipping, the texture of the rug will be pressed and there may be some visible creases. Please note that, this is not a defect and it should be unnoticeable after few days.
All rug sizes are approximate. We have made every effort to display the colors of our rugs as accurately as possible. But the colors may vary depending on display types and the physical lighting condition of your space.
Additional Information
Size |
2'-5" x 10'-1" / 73.66 cm x 307.34 cm |
Materials |
Wool & Silk |


text:
I'm also trying to catch up on my final outstanding (as in over-due) bee block for Calli. It's a paper-pieced Double Wedding Ring quilt. This one is going to stretch me a little, but if I can conquer it, I may have found a new project I want to try! That is what I love about Bees. I still need to make my Block #7 from the Virtual Quilting Bee!
As I'm working on these rotary-cutter heavy projects, I am loving using the new Splash rotary cutter by Olfa. This is their brand new model of the mid-size (45mm) rotary cutter. I am a die-hard Olfa rotary cutter user. I have been using them as long as I've been quilting and I think they are the most sturdy and stable. Any time I've tried a different brand of rotary cutters I've been disappointed or frustrated or just plain irritated.
So when the nice people at Olfa contacted me about sending one of these new Splash cutters to try out my answer was a "yes please!" I am hooked. This cutter is more ergonomic (easier on your hands), lighter-weight (but just as sturdy) and the clincher is the much-improved mechanism for changing the blade. You just slid the yellow doohickey on the back down and the blade is ready to pop off, change and put back in place. So much slicker than that knob and washer-thingy that have to be put back just-so. And, it's turquoise so points for color too. And on top of all that: it's cheaper than the old 45mm version. Kind of a no-brainer.
Other than sending me the rotary cutter, Olfa did not compensate me in any way for this review (though I wouldn't turn down a life-time supply of blades if they offered it) - all the thoughts and opinions are my own. But they did send a second rotary cutter to share with a friend. So if you'd like a new Splash rotary cutter of your own, leave a comment on this post. Open until Sunday, June 9 at midnight MST. GIVEAWAY CLOSED.
Winner: ✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾June 6, 2013 at 6:11 AM
Now back to my sewing in random, snatched moments between slip-n-slides and handing out popsicles.


text:
This course will improve your ability to influence people in situations where you cannot use formal authority. You will learn about effective ways to build, develop, and sustain a power base in your organization.
You will also learn influence tactics that enable you to be more persuasive and influential in working with your superiors, peers, and even subordinates. In addition, you will learn how to build and maintain high-quality relationships to further maximize your informal power and ability to influence others. Importantly, you will distinguish between influence and manipulation and learn how to protect yourself from the unwanted influence of others.
The influence strategies you learn in this course will make you a more confident and influential leader, presenter, and decision-maker. You will be more effective in pitching business ideas to your superiors, influencing customers, and building coalitions across stakeholders. This course will not only give you strategic guidance on how to develop and maintain your network for influence and power, but we will also equip you with specific tactics and strategies that are proven to work for gaining power and influencing people.
Learn more and register here >>
Offered by Coursera — University of Michigan


text:
I'm so pleased to be able to make this a charity event, thanks to a few special friends who are sponsoring the event and providing awesome crafty gifts for attendees:
- Coats & Clark, maker of many fine crafty products, who are celebrating their 200th anniversary this year!
- Kollabora.com, a new fashion-forward DIY community, connecting inspiration, tutorials and the best, hard-to-find supplies.
- The Sewing Studio, where I teach, is generously providing the space for the event.
- Creativebug.com, a fab new site for video tutorials (and the home of my next series of online classes!). There will be free memberships for the first 50 people to arrive at the party!
- STC Craft, my beloved publishers.
Please purchase your tickets here. There is a limited amount of space, so buy now! I hope you will be able to be a part of my book launch party.


text:
Every one of Sporti's products delivers an EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE for your workout, with innovative designs and fits that have been refined for your active lifestyle. Our athlete-approved products combined with your continuous feedback are critical to the advancement of our development process, where we hone in on the smallest of details. At Sporti, we're dedicated to giving you quality products you can put to the test, workout after workout, to aid your life's greatest adventures.
Sporti's Guarantee: If your Sporti purchase does not completely satisfy you, SwimOutlet.com offers a 100% No-Hassle Return Policy. Choosing Sporti is risk-free, so you can take your risks where they count.


text:
One record expected to be broken at the London Summer Olympics is the size of its audience — an expected 4 billion people. For advertisers, that's a golden opportunity. But there are also strict rules about who can use the Olympics to promote their products.
One of those rules is known as the "blackout," a period starting Wednesday in which athletes competing in the games may not appear in any advertising by companies that are not official Olympic sponsors.
To understand what this means, consider Michael Phelps: Subway has long sponsored the Olympic swimmer, but it's not an Olympic sponsor. That means no Subway ads featuring Phelps can air between July 18 and Aug. 15. But this Head & Shoulders commercial of Phelps washing his hair is fine — Head & Shoulders is owned by Procter & Gamble, which is an Olympic sponsor.
Corporations have paid a lot of money to officially partner with the London Games. According to Lisa Baird, chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee, that's why this and other rules exist.
"It's a great protection for the sponsors, and it is a commitment that the athletes make to the International Olympic Committee," Baird says.
Athletes who violate the rules risk being sanctioned.
Fighting Back Through Ambush Marketing
Peter Carlisle, who heads the sports management company Octagon, has secured a number of endorsement deals for Olympic athletes, including Michael Phelps. He says he's frustrated by the blackout rule. As the USOC limits an athlete's ability to raise money, Carlisle says, it's also using that athlete's publicity rights to raise money for itself.
"It's a bit contradictory," he says.
Of course, some athletes and advertisers just find clever ways to get around the rules. It's called "ambush marketing," or promoting an affiliation with an event or property without permission. One legendary example is from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta when sprinter Linford Christie showed up at a news conference wearing contact lenses with the Puma logo on them. Every image of Christie from that conference came with a built-in Puma ad, but Puma hadn't paid for sponsorship that year — its competitor Reebok had.
Knitting And The Challenge Of Enforcement
This year, according to the USOC's Lisa Baird, the enforcers are on high alert. You can't use anything related to the Olympics if you haven't paid for it.
"You may not use any of our marks," she says. "You may not use our licensed footage. You may not use insinuation even to really convey that you might have a relationship with either the committee or the U.S. Olympic Team."
And those rules apply to everyone — even knitters. A social networking site for knitters called Ravelry recently got a cease and desist letter from the USOC over an annual event they call the "Ravelympics." The letter said the name was an infringement, so the knitters changed the name to the "Ravellenic Games." But that slap on the wrist got a lot of attention, and the USOC has since apologized.
"We have a great respect for American handcraft, and it was not our intention to be insensitive at all," Baird says.
According to Baird, they are still going to be "very tough" on anyone who uses the Olympics without permission. But policing all of the different platforms, and all of the athletes on all of those platforms, will be quite a challenge.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
As all of our styles are made from different clothing designers, the sizes may vary slightly between each piece. This general sizing chart applies to most items we offer unless otherwise stated under the product description.
If a style does not run true-to-size, we will include "Runs Small" or "Runs Big" under the product description so that you may adjust accordingly.


text:
RSS developer, Reddit co-founder Aaron Swartz mourned
Computer prodigy Aaron Swartz, who helped develop RSS and co-founded Reddit, has been found dead weeks before he was to go on trial on federal charges that he stole millions of scholarly articles in an attempt to make them freely available to the public.
Computer prodigy Aaron Swartz, who helped develop RSS and co-founded Reddit, has been found dead weeks before he was to go on trial on federal charges that he stole millions of scholarly articles in an attempt to make them freely available to the public.
Swartz, 26, hanged himself in his Brooklyn apartment, his family confirmed in a statement on Saturday.
He was pronounced dead on Friday evening at home in the Crown Heights neighborhood, Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for New York's chief medical examiner, said.
As a young teenager, Swartz helped create RSS, a family of Web feed formats used to gather updates from blogs, news headlines, audio and video for users.
He co-founded the social news website Reddit, which was later sold to Conde Nast, as well as the political action group Demand Progress, which campaigns against internet censorship.
A zealous advocate of public online access, Swartz was extolled on Saturday by those who believed as he did.
He was 'an extraordinary hacker and activist,' the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an international nonprofit digital rights group based in California wrote in a tribute on its home page.
'Playing Mozart's Requiem in honor of a brave and brilliant man,' tweeted Carl Malamud, an internet public domain advocate who believes in free access to legally obtained files.
Swartz apparently struggled at times with depression, writing in a 2007 blog post, 'Surely there have been times when you've been sad. Perhaps a loved one has abandoned you or a plan has gone horribly awry. ... You feel worthless. ... depressed mood is like that, only it doesn't come for any reason and it doesn't go for any either.'
In their statement, Swartz's family expressed not only grief over his death but bitterness toward federal prosecutors pursuing the case in Massachusetts against him.
'Aaron's death is not simply a personal tragedy. It is the product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach,' the statement from his family and girlfriend said.
Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig, faculty director for Safra Center for Ethics where Swartz was once a fellow, wrote, 'We need a better sense of justice. ... The question this government needs to answer is why it was so necessary that Aaron Swartz be labeled a 'felon.''
US attorney Carmen Ortiz in Boston could not be reached for comment. She previously has said that 'stealing is stealing, whether you use a computer command or a crowbar, and whether you take documents, data or dollars,' The New York Times reported on Saturday.
Preceding the Massachusetts' case, Swartz aided Malamud in his effort to post federal court documents for free online, rather than the few cents per page that the government charges through its electronic archive, PACER.
Swartz wrote a program in 2008 to legally download the files using free access via public libraries, according to The New York Times.
About 20% of all the court papers were made available until the government shut down the library access.
The FBI investigated but did not charge Swartz, he wrote on his own website.
Three years later, Swartz was arrested in Boston. The federal government accused Swartz of using the Massachusetts Institute Technology's computer network to steal nearly 5 million academic articles.
The indictment alleged Swartz stole the documents from JSTOR, a subscription service used by MIT that offers digitized copies of articles from more than 1,000 academic journals.
Prosecutors said Swartz hacked into MIT's system in November of 2010 after breaking into a computer wiring closet on campus. Prosecutors said he intended to distribute the articles on file-sharing websites.
JSTOR did not press charges once it reclaimed the articles from Swartz, and some legal experts considered the case unfounded, saying that MIT allows guests access to the articles and Swartz, a fellow at Harvard's Safra Center for Ethics, was a guest.
Experts puzzled over the arrest and argued that the result of the actions Swartz was accused of was the same as his PACER program: more information publicly available.
The prosecution 'makes no sense,' Demand Progress executive director David Segal said in a statement at the time.
'It's like trying to put someone in jail for allegedly checking too many books out of the library.'
Swartz faced 13 felony charges, including breaching site terms and intending to share downloaded files through peer-to-peer networks, computer fraud, wire fraud, obtaining information from a protected computer, and criminal forfeiture.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges. His federal trial was to begin next month. If convicted, he faced decades in prison and a fortune in fines.
JSTOR announced this week that it would make 'more than 4.5 million articles' publicly available for free.
Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


text:
Innocent (Figurovsky) of Beijing
Metropolitan Innocent (Figurovsky) of Beijing and China led the Russian Orthodox Mission in China from 1896 to 1931 and as Bishop of Beijing was its ruling bishop from 1902 to 1931.
Ivan Appolonovich Figurovsky was born on February 22, 1863 into a family of a priest, Apollo Iosifovich Figurovsky, in the village of Panovsky in Siberia, Russia. His mother was Matron Gavrilova, who died in 1911 as the nun Manefa. His father was a priest of the Church of Kiriko-Iulitinsk in the Diocese of Yeniseisk. His pre-theological education was at a church school in Kransoyarsk. Upon completing his pre-theological education in 1878, young Ivan entered the theological seminary in Tomsk. He only completed three years of study before leaving the seminary.
In 1883, Ivan was appointed to the position of chanter in the Church of the Presentation in the town of Blakhtinsk. There he met Anna Petrovna, the eldest daughter of the priest, Peter Simonov, of the Presentation Church. They were married on November 11, 1883. In the following year, 1884, he was ordained a priest in the Yeniseisk eparchy (diocese) in Siberia.
After the death of his wife, Anna, probably in late 1885, Ivan left his parish, in 1886, and entered the fourth year class at the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. After completing his classes at the seminary in 1888, Ivan entered the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In 1890, Ivan was tonsured a monk with the name Innocent. Innocent completed his studies in the academy in 1892 and received the degree of candidate in theology. He was appointed inspector of the spiritual school of Alexander Nevsky.
Having been ordained to the priesthood, Fr. Innocent was elevated to archimandrite in 1894 and appointed rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Seminary. During 1895, he was the priest-in-charge of the Holy Protection missionary monastery in Moscow. In 1896, Fr. Innocent was assigned as the eighteenth leader of the Orthodox mission to Beijing, China. Fr. Innocent traveled to China through western Europe visiting missionary groups to familiarizing himself with missionary activities. His travels included visits to Mount Athos and Palestine before continuing on to the Far East. He arrived in Beijing in March 1897. On arrival he found the mission disorganized and immediately set to establishing order in the organization, setting rules for missionary operations, establishing Chinese as the language for daily services, energizing preaching the Gospel in Beijing, organizing parish activities, and initiating charity efforts in Beijing.
In 1900, the Boxer (Yihetuan Movement) revolt brought serious problems to the Orthodox mission, as well as to other christian groups in China, as the Boxers destroyed the property of the mission. During the revolt over 200 Orthodox were killed by the Boxers. In 1901, Fr. Innocent was called to St. Petersburg to report to the Holy Synod on the state of the mission. With support from Metropolitan Anthony, the mission was continued and Fr. Innocent was elected Bishop of Beijing. His consecration was held in the Holy Trinity Cathedral at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra on June 3, 1902 with the title bishop of Pereslavsk in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk who was the first to be assigned to lead the Russian Mission in Beijing in 1721 which unfortunately never materialized. In August 1902, Bp. Innocent returned to China. The area of Bp. Innocent's jurisdiction was large, extending along the Chinese-Eastern Railway and all the churches in China including Mongolia and Manchuria.
As an after effect of the Boxer revolt, nearly all of China was opened to spreading of the Gospel. Under Bp. Innocent's leadership missions and parishes were opened throughout the northern part of China. The first female monastery was organized in Beijing in 1903. By 1915, over 5,500 Chinese had been baptized. A translation commission actively produced translations of the Scriptures. Bp. Innocent himself was fluent in Chinese and had mastered some 62,000 Chinese characters.
In 1921, Bp. Innocent was elevated to Archbishop of Beijing and was placed as the ruling bishop of the Diocese of Beijing and China created by the Synod Abroad in 1922. In 1928, Abp. Innocent was awarded the dignity of Metropolitan of Beijing and China. He reposed on June 28, 1931 and was buried in the Church of the All Holy Martyrs in Beijing.
Innocent (Figurovsky) of Beijing | ||
Preceded by: ? |
Bishop of Pereyaslav 1902-1921 |
Succeeded by: ? |
Preceded by: ? |
Archbishop of Beijing and China 1922-1928 |
Succeeded by: ? |
Preceded by: — |
Metropolitan of Beijing and China 1928-1931 |
Succeeded by: Archbishop Simon (Vinogradov) of Beijing |
- Innokenty (Figurovsky
- Bishop Innocenty (Figurovsky)
- Archimandrite Innocent
- Krasnoyarsk Missionaries in Beijing
External link
Categories > Church History
Categories > Organizations > Educational Institutions
Categories > Organizations > Seminaries > St. Petersburg Academy Graduates
Categories > People
Categories > People > Clergy > Bishops
Categories > People > Clergy > Bishops > Bishops by century > 20th-century bishops
Categories > People > Clergy > Bishops > Bishops by city > Bishops of Beijing
Categories > People > Missionaries
Categories > Places > Orthodoxy by country > Orthodoxy in China


text:
I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta sorority just celebrated their 100th year. We'll find out just how and why an organization founded by 22 young women on a single college campus a century ago now has a presence around the world.
But, first, we want to talk about another opportunity for service around the world. The Peace Corps has given Americans a chance to volunteer in developing nations, teaching, farming and building infrastructure for more than 50 years. But now, that organization is mobilizing medical volunteers to help these countries create a healthier future. The project is called the Global Health Service Partnership. It's starting work in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.
Joining us to talk about it is Carrie Hessler-Radelet. She is the acting director of the Peace Corps. And also with us, Dr. Vanessa Kerry. She is the founder and executive director of the Global Health Service Corps. That's the group that's partnering with the Peace Corps to create this initiative.
Welcome to you both. Thank you for joining us.
CARRIE HESSLER-RADELET: Thank you.
VANESSA KERRY: Thank you.
MARTIN: Dr. Kerry, I'm going to start with you because the Peace Corps has been active in Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi for some decades now and you've actually worked in these countries yourself as a policy and medical professional, but what's new about this initiative? What do you - what does this do that the other initiatives have not done?
KERRY: Well, we're very excited to partner with the Peace Corps. What's different about this program is that, for the first time, we're going to be systematically sending doctors and nurses abroad to be medical educators, to really help build and strengthen the teaching and education opportunities for students there, so I'll give an example. There's a classroom in Mali with over 2,000 students in it, a single teacher, a single blackboard, 100-degree heat and they're all sitting there because they want to learn, but there's not enough faculty, there's not enough classrooms to help really meet the needs of those students. But we know that, you know, we need the doctors and nurses there, so we're very excited to be able to help build out this program and to create leadership in nursing, leadership in medicine to create a pipeline of doctors and nurses for years to come.
MARTIN: Carrie Hessler-Radelet, does this signal that the Peace Corps is going to shift its focus mainly to health education or education in the health area?
HESSLER-RADELET: No. We serve in six sectors, but this program will focus exclusively on health system strengthening through medical education.
MARTIN: How is this different from Doctors Without Borders? That's a group that a lot of people may know.
HESSLER-RADELET: Sure. Doctors Without Borders works in emergency settings, so they deliver primary health care services to populations that are in severe need and they do tremendous work. But Peace Corps' mission is to build capacity by working shoulder-to-shoulder with our communities.
MARTIN: Now, the doctors or medical personnel have been part of the Peace Corps' efforts in the past, as I understand it, and I'm thinking of, for example, Jimmy Carter's mother...
HESSLER-RADELET: Yeah.
MARTIN: ...Lillian Carter, who was a nurse who worked overseas in that capacity. And what's different about this is that this is now systematic? Is this that, in every location, the intention is to have a medical health component?
HESSLER-RADELET: Doctors and nurses have worked in the Peace Corps throughout our 50 year history, but primarily in the area of community health and this is our first organized and strategic program to place doctors and nurses in positions to build health system strengthening and we're going to begin with medical education. We may expand beyond that.
MARTIN: What are you noticing about the kinds of applicants you've seen so far?
HESSLER-RADELET: We have tremendous applicants. I mean, they have to be board certified and Vanessa can talk a little bit more about that, but they also - I think equally important are the characteristics, the interpersonal characteristics that they bring, so they have to be people who are interested in other cultures who really want to make a difference and are passionate about serving.
MARTIN: Dr. Kerry, go back a little bit and just tell us how you got this idea.
KERRY: The idea came from personal experience. I'm a physician. I work alongside a lot of doctors and nurses who are interested in serving abroad and didn't necessarily have the opportunity to do so. They carried debt, which meant that they couldn't volunteer in service because they needed to worry about paying off $150,000 worth of loans.
And I, equally, had worked in countries like Rwanda and Uganda, where I had seen very firsthand the degree of need and the need for medical and nursing education and professional opportunity and this seemed an opportunity to bring those two things together.
MARTIN: You know, to that end, you mentioned that the debt burden that a number of medical professionals in this country are carrying is one of the reasons that people don't go. So one of the incentives here, as I understand it, is that you can get a stipend toward your educational debts. Is that correct? Like, not a small one. Right? It's like $30,000?
KERRY: It's $30,000 for each year served, so Global Health Service Corps is a nonprofit that is reliant on private philanthropy to help meet our part of the partnership in this very unique public-private partnership. We're partially PEPFAR funded.
MARTIN: PEPFAR, which is...
KERRY: PEPFAR, which is the U.S. government's effort for HIV and global AIDS. We're proud to be partnering with the Peace Corps, but we do rely on our citizens, our colleagues and our compatriots to help us keep going. And the peace that we specifically bring through the philanthropy is loan repayment stipends for debt. People may - obviously, can carry huge educational debt, but as well, you might have debt from a mortgage. They're barriers to being able to serve. People want to represent this country. People want to participate in service and we're just trying to allow the engaged, the best, the brightest who really want to be a part of change to be able to do so.
MARTIN: I have to ask this question because anybody who serves overseas, generally, at some point, is asked this question. There are communities in the United States that are medically underserved. I don't think that's a secret. What do you say to people who argue that these skills are needed in this country? And there are a lot of areas in this country where people don't have the kind of access to health care that they need. What do you say to that?
KERRY: There are deep needs in this country and we are, by no means, you know, trying to say otherwise or to turn our back on that. What I will say is that people who engage in service abroad come back home more likely to practice in underserved specialties, more likely to serve in underserved areas, have a better sense of how to make money go further, how to give better care and have a better understanding of the social determinants of disease. So this is a program that I think is going to strengthen our country, both diplomatically, but here at home and my hope is that we'll be able to put people here, too.
MARTIN: Carrie Hessler-Radelet, I have to ask a similar question of you, which is - one of the problems in a number of countries is brain drain - is that there...
HESSLER-RADELET: Exactly.
MARTIN: ...are trained professionals who, as soon as they get the qualifications or the training, leave to seek a better quality of life elsewhere.
HESSLER-RADELET: That's right.
MARTIN: Is there any expectation or requirement that the people who are trained by Peace Corps volunteers are not going to follow that same pattern and take that training with them out of the country?
HESSLER-RADELET: There's no particular bonding of that nature, but you can't blame people who want to seek opportunity. But one of the things that I think is most important about Peace Corps services - you meet the most inspiring people, people who are dedicated to their community who have stayed behind to serve their community, despite the fact that they had opportunity elsewhere.
MARTIN: Dr. Kerry, you wanted to add something to that?
KERRY: Please. We also - we know that people often leave because there's lack of professional development. When you survey and research and data has shown very skilled and intelligent, wonderful, you know, doctors and nurses are leaving their countries because they don't have the opportunity to practice their trade.
By sending these volunteers to these countries to partner with the in-country faculty and the doctors and nurses, we hope to expand professional development broadly, build site development and really strengthen the experience through this partnership so that people will want to stay and be able to stay.
MARTIN: Before we let you go, Dr. Kerry, we want to mention that your father, a Massachusetts senator currently serving as a senator from Massachusetts, has been nominated for Secretary of State. I'm sure you're very proud of him. But I did want to ask. I'm just wondering if his experiences in some ways influenced your own work.
KERRY: My parents certainly did. And, you know, my father absolutely is a big reason that I do what I do. He took me to Vietnam when I was 14 and it was one of the most life changing experiences of my life because I saw, in a very personal and a very extraordinary way, the degree of opportunity and good fortune that I'd had growing up, and I saw a kind of abject poverty and really stark lack of resources and deep, deep need that haunted me.
And it became probably one of those pivotal - it was a pivotal moment in my life where I said, I've got to be a part of doing something about this. And I knew I wanted to go to medicine, was already one of those little kids who had that piece figured out, but global health became a part of my trajectory from that point on. And it's been an extraordinary gift to be able to work with the Peace Corps to help see this program really take off.
MARTIN: Dr. Vanessa Kerry is the executive director of the Global Health Service Corps. She was here with us in Washington, D.C., along with Carrie Hessler-Radelet, who is the acting director of the Peace Corps. Keep us posted on this initiative, if you will.
HESSLER-RADELET: Thank you. We will.
KERRY: Thank you. We hope you'll come visit with us when we go abroad.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Mr. Speaker, I rise in my capacity as Chairman of the Helsinki Commission to voice concern over Armenia's refusal to register select religious groups and the continuing harassment of certain religious communities, actions which violate Armenia's commitments to religious freedom as a participating State in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Honoring the commitments enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent OSCE documents would ensure Armenia upholds the freedom of the individual to profess and practice religion or belief, alone or in community with others.
With respect to registration, Armenian law requires all religious communities and organizations, other than the Armenian Apostolic Church, to register with the government. Obtaining registration is critical if a religious community wants to carry out basic functions, like renting property, publishing newspapers or magazines, broadcasting programs on television or radio, or officially sponsoring the visas of co-religionists or visitors.
To acquire registration, a petitioning religious organization must obtain an "expert opinion" from the government, in which four questions from Article 14 of the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations Act must be affirmatively answered: (1) Is the religion based on a historically canonized holy book? (2) Does its faith belong to a system of modern worldwide religious church communities? (3) Is it of a purely spiritual orientation, not created for the pursuit of material goals? (4) Does it have at least 200 believing members, not including minors? A negative finding by the government on any of the four questions will terminate the registration application.
This type of approval system is extremely problematic, as it places the government in the role of determining what is or is not a religion, allowing it to make highly subjective decisions. For example, the government refuses to recognize the Jehovah's Witnesses as an official religion, despite having more than 6,000 Armenian members. Other small groups, including approximately 50 Baptist communities, are unable to pass the numerical threshold, so are not qualified to apply for registration. As a result these groups are indiscriminately denied basic rights enjoyed by those which have the government's stamp of approval.
Last September, Prime Minister Andranik Markarian reportedly stated that the Armenian Government must curb the activities of minority religious communities, even if these actions violate Council of Europe obligations. Mr. Speaker, considering this type of bias, I urge the Government of Armenia to revamp the registration process to prevent arbitrary or politicized decisions. Abolishing the registration requirement and ensuring any system facilitates, rather than hampers, the free exercise of religious freedom for individuals and communities, by methodically granting legal status to groups which seek registration would help bring Armenian policy into conformity with OSCE commitments.
Even more alarming is the Armenian Government's continued imprisonment of conscientious objectors, particularly from the Jehovah's Witnesses faith. According to the State Department's 2002 Anual Report on International Religious Freedom for Armenia, military and civilian security officials subject Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse to serve in the military to harsh treatment, because their refusal is seen as a threat to Armenia's survival. One particular example is the case of Araik Bedjanyan, sentenced on July 2nd to 1½ years in a labor camp for refusing military service. Mr. Bedjanyan was sentenced under Article 75 of the criminal code, for "evasion of active military service." There are currently 24 Jehovah's Witnesses serving sentences for being conscientious objectors on religious grounds. Suren Hakopyan and Artur Torosyan, whom police arrested in Yerevan on July 3, are currently awaiting trial along with six others for their refusal to serve in the military. Seven more Jehovah's Witnesses are reportedly under house arrest for the same "crime." Despite Article 75 being replaced by Article 327 in the new criminal code, the amendment only reduces the potential sentence from three years to two.
One of the conditions for Armenia's admission to the Council of Europe in January 2001 involved the adoption of a law on alternative military service conforming to European standards within three years. However, while drafts continue to circulate, no laws have been passed that provide for alternative civilian service outside the framework of the army. In the meantime, conscientious objectors continue to receive harsh sentences. Should the Armenian Parliament pass such a law, the service length should not be punitive in nature, but rather be comparable to military service requirements.
As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I urge the Armenian Government to abide by its OSCE commitments regarding religious freedom. Armenia should overhaul its registration scheme, dropping the registration requirement, and liberalize its system for bestowing legal personality to religious communities and organizations. Furthermore, all Jehovah's Witnesses currently imprisoned for "evasion of military service" should be unconditionally freed, and a law in line with Council of Europe standards for alternative military service should be passed as soon as possible.


text:
ETCSLtranslation : t.126.96.36.199 |
1-8. The king sailed to Unug towards the princely divine powers. Sumer and Akkad marvelled at him as he moored the boat at the quay of Kulaba. With a large wild bull of the mountains with uplifted horns, and with a sheep led by the hand of an en priest at his right side, with a dappled kid and a bearded kid clasped to his breast, he entered before Inana in the shrine of E-ana. 9-13. Šulgi, the good shepherd, a heart in love, dressed himself in the ba garment and put a ḫili wig on his head as a crown. Inana looked at him with admiration and spontaneously struck up a song, singing the words: 14-35. "When I have bathed for the king, for the lord, when I have bathed for the shepherd Dumuzid, when I have adorned my flanks (?) with ointment (?), when I have anointed my mouth with balsamic oil (?), when I have painted my eyes with kohl, when he has …… my hips with his fair hands, when the lord who lies down beside holy Inana, the shepherd Dumuzid, has …… on his lap, when he has relaxed (?) …… in my pure (?) arms, when he has intercourse (?) with me …… like choice beer, when he ruffles my pubic hair for me, when he plays with the hair of my head, when he lays his hands on my holy genitals, when he lies down in the …… of my sweet womb, 36-41. "I will decree a good fate for him! I will treat Šulgi, the good shepherd, tenderly! I will decree a good fate for him! I will treat him tenderly in his ……! I will decree the shepherdship of all the lands as his destiny!" 42-48. The lady, the light of heaven, the delight of the black-headed, the youthful woman who excels her mother, who was granted divine powers by her father, Inana, the daughter of Suen, decreed a destiny for Šulgi, the son of Ninsumun: 49-73. "In battle I will be the one who goes before you. In combat I will carry your weapon like a personal attendant. In the assembly I will be your advocate. On campaign I will be your encouragement. You are the shepherd chosen by holy ……. You are the king and generous provider of E-ana. You are the pure (?) one of An's Iri-gal. You are worthy of ……. You are one who is entitled to hold high his head on the lofty dais. You are one who is worthy of sitting on the shining throne. Your head is worthy of the brilliant crown. Your body is worthy of the long fleecy garment. You are worthy of being dressed in the royal garb. You are suited to hold the mitum weapon in your arm. You are suited to run fast with the battle-mace. You are suited to hit accurately with the barbed arrows and the bow. You are suited to fasten the throw-stick and the sling to your side. Your hand is worthy of the holy sceptre. Your feet are worthy of the holy shoes. You are a fast runner suited to race on the road. You are worthy to delight yourself on my holy breast like a pure calf. May your love be lasting! An has determined this for you, and may he never alter it! May Enlil, the decreer of fates, never change it!" Thus Inana treated him tenderly. 74-79. He who knows the joyful heart of Ninegala sheared a black kid, bathed a white kid, and tied a wild bull of the mountains by its nose. Then he brought them into the temple E-babbar which roars like a noble breed-bull, to the hero Utu in the shrine. 80-102. The hero Utu received him smiling, and decreed a fate for Šulgi the good shepherd of Sumer: "King, eloquent and good-looking, mighty hero, born to be a lion, young wild bull standing firm in its vigour, valiant one, unrestrained in his strength, who tramples great mountains underfoot: you have subdued the heroes of the foreign lands, you have trampled upon all the foreign rulers, you have established your name to the ends of the world. Go now in peace to your master Ašimbabbar." And so he moored the boat at Enegir, the town built in splendour. (Šulgi speaks:) "Seed placed by the prince in the holy womb, born on the bright mountain, Ninazu, who like a wild bull which lows in its drinking, 103-117. (Ninazu speaks:) "…… like syrup …… ghee ……. You, the hero, coming from the rebel land ……. O king, the lord of prayers and supplications has chosen you in his heart; shepherd Šulgi, the lord of prayers and supplications has chosen you in his heart. Who can rival (?) a king to whom Enlil has given strength? Who can enter your ……? Who could escape your ……? ……. No one who knows you should desire your strength. If (?) they wished …… battle with you ……, what could escape your outstretched arms? When you shriek like the Anzud-bird, who could stand before you? When you howl like the storm, the foreign lands and the hills tremble like a reed, a split (?) reed ……. The people in the houses of the foreign lands gaze at your deeds (?), the people of Tidnum joyfully admire them." 118-125. "As if you were Utu, your terror radiates in battle. As if you were Nergal, your battle-mace drools with gore and your spear reaches into the blood of the Land. You are the great door of the city, you are the great wall of the Land. You are a net piled up (?) over heaven and earth, you are a cosmic bond laid for Sumer. May …… proclaim your glory in abundance! May the words of Enlil, which are so enormous, provide a shelter over your head! May the loving heart, Inana, never abandon you!" 126-131. After Ninazu had pronounced …… and (?) blessings, Šulgi provided a lavish choice of ewes and lambs, he provided a lavish choice of goats and kids, he …… generously white cows and calves, and then entered with them before Nanna in his E-temen-ni-guru and lifted his head high in the royal chamber, its most suitable hall, in its royal offering place, the holy place. 132-140. His master Ašimbabbar looked at him with joy and decreed a fate for Šulgi, the good shepherd of Sumer: "Hero, lord, mighty one of the foreign lands, the right arm of the Land, you have achieved victory for me, have carried out what I have commanded you. You have reduced to ruins the houses of the rebel land that I have cursed. May you never grow weary of perfecting the divine powers for me every month at the new moon! May your name be as sweet as that of Ezina in the mouth of the Land and in the mouths of all the countries! May holy Ningal, the lady of the shrine, spread out her lap for you, like the wooden frame of a waterskin!" Thus Suen decreed a good fate for him. 141-150. He took his seat on the holy dais in the Egal-maḫ of Ninegala. He, the Ištaran of Sumer, omniscient from birth, decrees judgments in due order for the Land, and makes decisions in due order for the Land, so that the strong does not abuse (?) the weak, so that the mother speaks tenderly with her child and the child answers truthfully to his father. Under him, Sumer is filled with abundance, Urim is prolonged in splendour, and …… is established. 151-159. Because the king exulted in his triumph and let his might radiate, because he implemented (?) his heroism perfectly, made the rebellious land bow and made our city, Urim, rise in prosperity; because the king is adorned with a lapis-lazuli crown (?); because the son of Enlil lifts his head high, wearing a wide crown; because he takes counsel with An in his lofty place and is enthroned with Uraš on a great dais; because he makes the Land of Sumer and all the foreign lands dance with joy day and night, may Lord Ašimbabbar be praised. 160. Nisaba be praised! |
© Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The ETCSL project, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford |


text:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. Once again, this week, European officials sat down and tried to figure out what to do about the debt crisis, and once again, they came up with a plan that they say will help heavily indebted countries, including Spain and Italy, turn a corner. Investors seemed to like the plan. Stock prices rose, but the plan still faces hurdles, including a major court ruling in Germany next week.
NPR's Jim Zarroli joins us from Berlin. Jim, thanks for being with us.
JIM ZARROLI, BYLINE: Hi, Scott.
SIMON: And what exactly did the European Central Bank approve on Thursday?
ZARROLI: Well, I think this plan could represent something of a turning point in the crisis, as I'm sure you know, the problem in parts of Europe right now is that some countries own too much. Investors don't think they can pay it off, so that drives up interest rates. One of the things that a central bank can do to help is try to drive down interest rates by buying up a lot of bonds from these countries.
Now, the ECB has been doing this, but a lot of people think it's been, you know, too tentative, hasn't been aggressive enough and that's because a lot of people in Europe think the ECB shouldn't be in the business of trying to bail out countries that borrow too much. But I think as this downturn has dragged out, some of the resistance has worn down, and this week, the head of the ECB, Mario Draghi, was finally able to overcome some of these objections and really get a much more aggressive bond-buying program in place.
SIMON: How's it more aggressive than the bond-buying programs that have proceeded it?
ZARROLI: It won't just help any country. The countries have to agree to participate in some kind of program to show that they're getting their finances in order. Now, there's a big question about whether countries like Spain and Italy will want to be dictated to like this as sovereign nations, and that's big problem because, you know, Spain and Italy are huge economies in Europe.
But the ECB, I think, has the attitude that it has to set some terms. It has to answer some of the critics in places like Germany, who say, you know, we can't throw good money after bad.
SIMON: One of the words, I gather, that's been tossed around in connection with this plan is sterilization. What does that mean in this context?
ZARROLI: Well, that's basically another step that the ECB is taking to try to address some its critics. It basically means that if the ECB buys a bond, it will take an equal amount of money out of circulation someplace else. In other words, it won't pay for the bonds just by printing money, which scares a lot of people because it can lead to higher inflation.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has a dual mandate, as people always say. It has to worry about inflation. It also has to worry about creating the conditions for job growth. But the ECB is really just supposed to worry about keeping prices stable. Now, a lot of people think that's, you know, one of the reasons why Europe has had so much trouble emerging from this financial crisis, that the ECB could have been more aggressive, could have done more, but was holding its fire, so to speak.
SIMON: So does this plan signal that the ECB, the European Central Bank, is going to become more aggressive?
ZARROLI: Well, I think it means, you know, a lot of people are trying to get the ECB to be more active. There still are hurdles. The big one this week is Germany's top court is going to rule on whether German money can go into the stabilization fund that is used to help rescue. I think the feeling is the court is going to say yes, it can be used that way, but it could set conditions that could really complicate what the ECB wants to do.
And even if they don't this bond buying program isn't going to solve Europe's problems. I mean, Mario Draghi was really explicit about that this week. It's really just a way of keeping interest rates down while European leaders try to fix the economy. Europe has a lot of problems. It has a single currency like the United States, but unlike the United States it doesn't have the kinds of political institutions to manage it.
So, you know, it has a lot of work to do. So the bond buying program is really - I guess you'd just say kind of a place-saving, a time-saving device, but it is a step forward.
SIMON: NPR's Jim Zarroli in Berlin. Thanks so much.
ZARROLI: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.