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The Phoenix Police Foundation is a 501(C)(3) organization that addresses unmet capital needs of the City of Phoenix Police Department, providing financial assistance in crisis situations and recognizing those who protect our communities.
We send out quarterly newsletters to keep you up to date on what we're doing. Click the subscribe button below.
firstname.lastname@example.com donations will be allocated in these three ways:
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Enrique Iglesias Shares Atlantico Rum With A Lucky Fan At Staples Center
Enrique Iglesias rocked the Staples Center and even had time to do shots of his rum, Atlantico, with a lucky fan at his concert with Jennifer Lopez August 16th. And why not? Atlantico Rum is great!
Enrique Iglesias is one of the partners of Atlantico Rum and its so good that he even had to stop his concert to share it with a fan at his concert at the Staples Center on August 16.
Atlantico Rum is the winner of countless awards and widely considered one of the finest rums in the world, it is a blend of small batched rums aged up to 25 years.
So HollywoodLifers, The next time you hit up a party, make sure you hit the party in style with a bottle of Atlantico Rum, you will not be disappointed!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Simon Wiesenthal Center says that racial epithets scrawled on a statue of Jackie Robinson are an attack "on all the values of social progress and equality" that the baseball legend stood for.
The organization yesterday condemned the vandalism and urged police to quickly apprehend the perpetrators.
Authorities are investigating swastikas and hate speech scrawled on the statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese outside Coney Island's MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. The white Reese publicly befriended the black Robinson, helping to break baseball's color line in 1947.
The words "Heil Hitler," an expletive and racist epithets were discovered Wednesday scrawled on the statue in black marker.
The Cyclones marked the return of pro baseball to Brooklyn, which lost the Dodgers to LA in 1957.


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Delivers the same excellent photo quality as the X-E1
Better handling and importantly faster performance than its predecessor
Impressive noise performance, Great build quality and handling
Fast-shooting, well-designed camera
Fast, 51-point autofocus system, Dual SD card slots
Sharpness was very strong
Exposure, colour and white balance were all uniformly reliable
Delivers excellent photo quality
Optional EVF available, Built-in Wi-Fi
Excellent video capabilities
Faster hybrid auto-focusing, wi-fi connectivity, downloadable apps
'The level of detail you get out of the camera is impressive too.'
'very easy camera'
'In short, the EOS 550D / T2i isn't best-suited for serious action photography, and falls behind much of the competition in this respect.'
'the 550D will be more than able to rise to the occassion.'
' The Fujifilm FinePix HS10 looks like the ultimate bridge camera, given its wide-angle lens with a manual 30x zoom; large tilting LCD and an electronic viewfinder; direct controls for all major settings; and shooting modes that take you from fully automatic to fully manual. '
'this camera is more advanced, offering users full manual exposure control, RAW format image capture, and employs a backside-illuminated (BSI) image sensor.'
'high quality digital camera'
'FujiFilm did a really nice job designing this camera.'
'The X90 can certainly match its main rivals in terms of specification, and is currently selling for around £274, which is fairly competitive. 6 comments.'
'Bottom Line - Pentax's X90 is an incredibly versatile 12.1-Megapixel Super-Zoom digicam, featuring an awesome 26x optical zoom lens with shake reduction, 720p video capture and full manual controls. '
'The Pentax Optio X90 is an entry-level DSLR designed to make the SLR experience less complex for those used to simple point-and-shoot digital cameras.'
'very good all-in-one camera'
ReviewGist helps you find the best products to buy by making sense of online reviews.
We are currently aggregating 376,500 reviews
covering over 29,493 products.
© 2018 ReviewGist.com. All Rights Reserved.


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|This article or section needs to be cleaned up to a higher standard of quality.
- For mobs with the same name, see Arcane Wraith.
Arcane wraiths[1] are a mana creatures. As they are sometimes called simply "wraith" meaning they are a type of wraiths,[1] but the mob manawraith is considered an arcane wraith,[2] meaning that they are a type of mana surges. However, unlike the mana surges, they come from the Twisting Nether.[3] An expliosion of mana of great magnitude can bring these creatures to other planets,[3] but they can also reach other planets by other means, such as being summoned by the blood elves and controled with [Arcane Sliver].[4]
Arcane wraith mobs Edit
- Arcane Wraith, Eversong Woods
- Crazed Mana-Wraith, the Nexus
- Ether Fiend, Eversong Woods
- Mageslayer, Netherstorm
- Mana Stalker, Eversong Woods
- Mana Wraith, Netherstorm
- Nether Anomaly, Netherstorm
- Nether Wraith, Mechanar
Other typesEdit
- The "tainted arcane wraiths" appear to be a corrupted variety of the arcane wraiths.[5]
- There is a mob named Tainted Arcane Wraith.


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News on key aspects of mspy spyapp biz
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Clayton ULTEM TORTOISE PICK ROUNDED TRIANGLE .80MM/12
- Brand: Clayton More Clayton
Ultem is remarkable for creating crisp clean tones, on even the dullest of strings. This pick is made of the highest grade material to ensure your guitar produces the cleanest, brightest tone available. This pick closely resembles the true sound of actual


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WE COULD look back to 2010 as a time when the market had relatively few stacked products.
"Five years ago we thought stacking two or three genes was exciting," says Jonathan Bryant, vice president at BASF Plant Science. "Now the industry leaders can track 20 or more genes, and there's really no limit to what we can stack."
"As the market gets new traits and technology, it will start to segment," says Tracy Mader, head of product marketing for Syngenta Seeds. "In parts of the southeast we could see an emphasis on grain quality and insect control; the western Corn Belt would put an emphasis on water management traits; and in the central Corn Belt the key driver would be insect management and long-term stewardship."
With all of this promise also comes the challenge of how to price these products. It could become difficult to show the value of some agronomic traits. Take the drought gene, for example. In dryer years, it certainly would be valuable. But growers are asking how much it will help in wet seasons.
David Fischhoff, technology strategy and development strategy lead for Monsanto, says, "Yield and stress traits will be the next big steps. If we compare where we are today in crop breeding to the computer industry, breeding would be at the mainframe computer stage."


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Its long time, I thought of putting down my understanding on search technologies available today. When I started my career as software professional, I heard about a very popular search engine at that time named Altavista (http://www.altavista.com/). We were developing a content management server and this search engine was being used in the application to perform content based search. I was just starting my career and wasn't aware of the such technologies and its usefulness. With the time, I learnt and used multiple search engines in various applications. Some of the tools (one in a class) with a brief summary are listed below.
1. Google Search Appliance: One thing I like about Google is that it has provided simple tools/interfaces to perform complex tasks as I have mentioned in my previous blog Simple Application Design. Google search appliance is one of such tool developed by Google. Configuring and using this tool is lot easier and it provides similar efficiency in searches is Google search website itself (http://www.google.com). At the same time, it has limited scope for customizing search algorithms and search results look and feel. If we want simple Google kind of search performed on enterprise contents, Google Search appliance could be the best option.
2. Verity/Autonomy Search: Verity now owned by Autonomy (http://http://www.autonomy.com/) is one of the best search engines I have seen. Autonomy website claims that its leading enterprise search engine. To use verity, you need to have a dedicated server and you need to create indexes on the enterprise contents in advance. Using simple search query written in verity query language performs the search. As opposed to Google search appliance, verity provides huge scope of customizing the search algorithm, managing the scope of search and flexibility to customize the search results in desired GUI.
3. Lucene/Solr: Apache Lucene (http://lucene.apache.org/) is an open source library provided by apache to perform the similar searches as Google or Verity. Apache Solr (http://lucene.apache.org/solr/) is the search product provided by apache which uses Lucene library internally and can be installed on a simple Java Web server such as Tomcat (//http://tomcat.apache.org/) or Jetty (http://jetty.codehaus.org/jetty/). The entire stack to host the search engine is possible using apache open source. Though Solr capabilities and scope of customization is limited, but being a Java based open source product, the possibilities are endless. If your search needs are not extremely complex and you care about cost vs value, Solr is the best option and you should definitely evaluate it first.
4. Endeca Search: Endeca: (http://www.endeca.com/) is a search engine designed altogether with a different intention. It uses business intelligence and guided search algorithm which leads the user to his/her desired result by narrowing down the search results in several stages. As opposed to above three search technologies, where search term has to be refined by the user to reach the desired result, in Endeca, search results are presented to the user with possible classifiers to narrow down the search results. Endeca most of the times doesn't returns empty results and helps the user to reach his desired result by providing the possible guidance through result narrowing options. This search technology is heavily used retail websites as helps customers to find their desired merchandise by providing different narrow down options.
With growing knowledge/product/inventory base every day, search technologies are becoming inevitable every day. There are lot of search engines in the market with every possible domain expected. These different search engines use different search algorithms; some mentioned in my previous blog Search Techniques-Part1: Overview. Finding the most suitable search engine against a particular need is becoming more challenging itself. I won't be surprised if there is a search engine available to search the suitable search engine itself :)


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DVD Review: A Backyard in Nowhere
Is this the best pike fly fishing DVD ever? When we saw the trailer (see inside) we were definitely excited by the quality of the fish and the imagery and so couldn't wait to get our hands on a finished copy. It's definitely a fly fishing movie but not what you might typically expect...
Reel Britannia…
John Wolstenholme reviews a fly reel that he reckons puts British, more specifically Yorkshire, reel manufacture firmly back on the map.
Product Focus : Patagonia Men's Guidewater Pants
The current range of Patagonia clothing suitable for fly fishing is growing and new products continue to be developed every season to tempt us. We put their Men's Guidewater Pants (that's trousers to you and me!) through their paces recently to see if they lived up to the claim of being suitable for both fishing and casual wear.
Get Your Old Tackle Out 4
Say it 'aint so! Chris Sandford can't wait for you to enjoy the fourth and final episode of his vintage tackle show Get your Old...
Ultimate Fishing Adventures by Henry Gilbey
Billed on the cover as "100 Extraordinary Fishing Experiences From Around The World" and with well-known TV presenter and globe-trotting angling photographer Henry Gilbey as the author, this book held a lot of promise and hopefully a few secrets for locations off the beaten track.
Flextec Nomad Traveller Fly Rod 7 Piece
Having a fly rod that breaks down into 7 pieces is great for both travelling and to keep as a spare rod in the car for that unforseen fly fishing opportunity or as a back-up rod. With increasing blank technology and a wide range of pricing on fly rods, we look at a very affordable option from Flextec - their Nomad Traveller Fly Rod.


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Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve Chair spoke to community development professional in Chicago on Monday, March 31 and made it clear that for the health of the job market we need low interest rates for quite some time to get the market back on track. Even thought the Federal government is scaling back their monthly bond buying purchases later in the year, Yellen stressed that do not have plans to raise the short term rate at any time in the new future. The Fed purchasing the bonds has been in an effort to keep long-term interest rates as low as possible.
Yellen comforting the public in this way has put investors at ease. She was clearly indicating that the Fed does not have plans to raise short-term rates. Many investors feared that this would come up by the middle of next year. Yellen's remarks indicate that there is more time before short-term rates are affected. The reasoning of the fed may be that a short-term increase would have big consequences for borrowing costs and stock prices. This was Yellen's first major speech since taking the office of the Federal Reserve Chair and she stated that she thinks, "this extraordinary commitment is still needed and will be for some time, and I believe that view is widely held by my fellow policymakers at the Fed."
Just after Yellen spoke at the conference stocks began to rise. At the close of the day Monday the Dow Jones industrial average was up 134 points. Yellen also noted during her speech that the U.S. job market is still not improving as fast as it should. Because of this less than stellar recovery the market needs low interest rates to encourage citizens to borrow and spend.


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How To Video
Fix a dented speaker coneDid someone poke in the center of your speaker? CNET's Donald Bell shows you how to take the dents out of a damaged speaker dust cap.
There is something about the center of a speaker that just seems to cry out for pokey kid fingers. So, if you're suffering from the effects of a collapsed dust cap, here are a few tips to fix your speaker using items from around your home. One commonly advertised way to fix this problem is to use a vacuum cleaner attachment to suck the dome back out. You could try it, but it makes me a little nervous. Depending on how delicate your speaker cap is, it might tear the whole thing off or just warp it out going the other direction. For a more controlled version of this technique, take an empty paper towel roll. Place it over the cone and use it like a giant straw. I'll let you use your imagination on that one. Another technique is to use a slightly bent sewing needle to poke into the cone and then pull the dent out. It's a good way to go if you have multiple dents 'cause you can kind of address them all with one little point of entry. The bad news is that you've got a hole in your speaker now and possibly more if you're not careful. Sonically, a few holes in your dust cap really aren't gonna make a difference, but it doesn't look back great. So here's my favorite technique, and I've used this one a couple of times with great results. You take a Q-tip. Chop off the top of it mid-way so that it's nice and flat, then apply a few dabs of superglue to the tip. Let it soak in for a few seconds and hold it on the dent until it can stand up without your help. Now, you want the glue to be dry enough to withstand a good tug, but not so dry that you have a Q-tip stuck to your speaker for the rest of your life. I'd give it about 5 to 10 minutes and err on the side of less time 'cause you can always try it again if it falls off. Now once the glue sets, give it a pull straight back and you should be able to tug that dome back out, and then gently twist the Q-tip back and forth while pulling on it and the thing should pull right off. Hopefully with a minimum of glue left behind. So there you go, four ways to resuscitate your old dented speaker. For more tips like this, visit howto.cnet.com. I'm Donald Bell for CNET, helping you keep your old domes fresh and perky.


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We're very excited to announce that we'll be launching version 2.0 of ViewTheStory.com in May (Update, we originanly said April but we're finalizing launch for May)!
Since it's inception, we've been blown away at how many people have signed up, how many have been exposed to the Gospel story, and how many countries have had accessed The Story booklet!
The map below shows the last 72 hours (as of this post) of The Story booklet being opened worldwide on the Internet. Incredible to see the Gospel going out all over the globe. (Learn more about #GOSPELeverywhere)
We've been working hard to revamp and improve ViewTheStory.com. With the relaunch of version 2.0, we wanted to quickly highlight a few features.
- A new, fresh design
- Fully responsive (for all devices)
- Easier to signup/login with Facebook/Google
- Faster stats, tracking, and new maps
- New Story booklet reader
- Localization, the whole site in more languages (coming Summer 2015)
- And a few more incredible surprises this Summer!
We wanted to say thank you to everyone who's signed up and shared the Gospel story around the world. Very soon we'll be reaching the 1 million booklet reads mark! We couldn't have done it without you!
May the greatest story ever told, one of of hope and rescue, the Gospel story, continue to restore and redeem lives in every corner of the world!
If you don't have an account, create one for free today and see the Gospel story shared around the world. If you do have an account, share it online today!


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We are glad to introduce our readers with Garrett Oden, a Coffeeholic from Lubbock. He can simply be called as a legend in coffee industry as he is responsible for letting many people learn the Barista Skills through his site called CoffeeBrewGuides. The site has a significant presence on the web when you will be searching for Coffee Brewing. We had a small talk with him and I am glad to present him to my readers on FriedCoffee.
1) Hi Garrett, please introduce yourself and tell us how did your Coffee World started.
Hello! I'm Garrett Oden, manager of Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas and coffee writer on the side. Three years ago I had my first cup of coffee that blew my mind. A friend invited my college roommate and I to visit him at his new job at a coffee shop. We were hesitant, since neither of us enjoyed coffee even a little bit, but we eventually gave in and stopped by one night. We tried a French Press of an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee and were blown away at the flavor. I distinctly remember notes of apple and brown sugar in that coffee. It was the first time coffee didn't taste like burned, bitter garbage to me. Inspired and curious, I started a blog to document my coffee journey and eventually ended up managing a coffee house.
2) So, how do you like your coffee? Which beans are most preferred?
I prefer medium roast coffees, but can appreciate anything that doesn't taste like carbon. I've had some great floral and sweet South/Central American coffees that are beginning to stick out as my preferred taste profile. The Honduras Amazonas we're serving at the shop currently is very sweet. I love it!
3) What's the Coffee Culture around you?
West Texas coffee culture is just beginning to rise at an astounding rate. We have 3 specialty shops in Lubbock and 5 more in a town about two hours away. We're several hours away from the nearest metroplex though, so we tend to be on the late receiving end of cultural trends and preferences. We kind of like it that way though; it gives us time to analyze and adapt trends we see.
4) You have tested all the methods of coffee brewing; which method seemed best to you? (Please detail)
I use my Hario V60 almost every day. I love the ritual motion of pour overs and rarely drink more than 8oz of coffee at a time. The V60 is perfect for my scenario. I use 16g of coffee and 272g of water (1:17 ratio) and a medium grind. The whole thing takes me about two and a half minutes, the perfect amount of time to inhabit that moment of peace. Also I owe one of the best french press coffee maker which is used occasionally.
5) What is the best investment on coffee equipment for a newbie?
You're only as good as your grinder. There are some good hand grinders out there that don't break the bank. They may take some elbow grease, but your final cup will be so much better than if you had used a blade grinder.
6) Which is your favorite cafe nearby you and why do you like that?
I'm biased, but my favorite cafe to visit when I'm not working is Yellow House. We offer a variety of drinks and make all our pastries in house. Our shop is on the small side, so everyone gets to know each other, which means there's always someone with a familiar smile at the table next to you.
7) Excluding coffee, what are your other hobbies and passion?
I enjoy photography, writing, taking casual strolls on my bike, reading, and watching movies with my wife. She's the best.
8) Any advice to Friedcoffee?
Never stop learning and never believe you've figured out coffee. The more you learn, the more obvious it should be that there's so much you don't yet understand.


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Policy G-1
This is an archived version of the policy. See the most recent version here
(Approved: BFC 4/2/85, 2/18/86)
1. The Bloomington Faculty Council requests the Bloomington Provost to establish one or more awards to be presented annually to faculty members and librarians who have performed exceptionally meritorious service on a non-administrative appointment for the university, the state, its municipalities, the nation, the international community, or professional societies.
2. The President of the Faculty Council, with the assistance of the Budgetary Affairs Committee and the Foundation Relations Committee, shall assist the Provost in determining the appropriate source of funding for these awards. The President shall report to the Faculty Council during the Fall Semester of 1985-86 on the progress made toward implementation of this resolution.
3. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall be responsible for determining criteria and procedures for making such awards for service. Awards may be made on the following criteria:
- A. Service to the University:
- The award or awards may be given to a person whose service to the University has shown two qualities:
- (1) Consistently exceptional service, typically extending over a period of at least five years;
- (2) Greater effectiveness, efficiency, and/or visibility in an operation of the University as a result of the individual's efforts.
- No distinction is made between persons who have been appointed to a service role and those who have not. However, the emphasis is on exceptionality in service in one or more roles. For example, a department chair must show continued exceptionality in the role by developing a national image for the department or by developing practices or procedures that are far above and beyond adequate management of a department.
- B. Service to the Profession or Discipline:
- The award or awards may be given to a person who has shown exceptional service to a particular profession or discipline. This person must have shown national or international involvement in one or more professional or scholarly organizations in a manner that has created a substantial impact on the ways the organization(s) serve and promote members' activities. For example, a candidate may be president of a national association of professionals or scholars; but unless his/her administration made an unusual impact on the affairs of the membership, the service would not be seen as exceptional.
- C. Public Service:
- The award or awards may be based on a faculty member's service on local, state, national, and/or international levels. It reflects continuing effort and unusual achievement in promoting the objectives of a public service agency or public service principle. For example, a person active in environmental affairs may be involved with several agencies, but the promotion of the principle of maintaining healthy environments would be the focus of the award.
- D. Comprehensive Service:
- The award or awards may be given to a person who shows exceptional achievement in service in more than a single area. For example, the recipient might be exceptionally productive in service to a profession, as well as show public service achievement. This award does not focus so much on the unique service in a single field as it does on both breadth as well as quality of service.


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These clear acrylic eye embossers are a great item to help outline the eyes on your doll figures.
Just press them on your doll figures and they will leave a perfect eye impresion to help form and paint the eyes on your dolls!
Straight looking eyes...
They come 2 pcs. to a set. One pointy eye and one oval eye.
They measure: 1/2"
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No, I haven't burned my 512 RGB LED coffee table (yet)..
No, I'm still alive and no, haven't turned my coffee table into a big camp fire (yet) 🙂 I was just busy with renovating my flat and some other projects that I'll show you in some future blog posts as well. Therefore I didn't had too much spare time left that I could invest into my 512 RGB LED coffee table project lately. Still I want to give you a brief update what has happened in the meanwhile: I closed my last blog post with basically having the table hardware-complete but still not finally assembled to be able to fix any hardware related bugs that might show up while continue testing it. For some weeks I've left the table in that state, did test various things and fixed some bugs before I put it together and moved it over to my living room where it just does it's job as a good looking coffee table. Since I can't use my notebook to connect to the Rainbowduino V3 controllers any more I had to spend some time on getting my Java software easily deployable to the tables PC and to add a hook into the Linux installation so that it starts up while the PC is booting. Feel free continue reading if you're interested in the details on how I did that and to get some additional insight in the current state of the tables Java software.
There has been some progress…
Eight months.. wow! Quite some time has passed since I've decided to switch my more or less working 512 RGB LED coffee table to the newer Rainbowduino V3 controllers to drive those LEDs. At this point I couldn't really anticipate that getting a working firmware for my needs up and running would be that time consuming. Luckily I was able to solve this problem nearly two month ago so that it was time again to focus on the table and get the remaining hardware tasks sorted out. If you want to find out what has happened the last two months concerning my coffee table project than feel free to continue reading this blog post 🙂
Howto setup an encrypted RAID1 array using external USB 3.0 disks
After one of my last blog posts dealt with modifying my two Sharkoon SATA Quickport XT USB3.0 docking stations I did spend some time figuring out how I can use them to set up multiple RAID1 volumes that should be encrypted using the LUKS environment of recent Linux distributions. Also I was searching for a mechanism to clearly map every involved disk to an unique raid volume so that I don't end up with a generic mount point like /mnt/raid1/ that would just show the content of the currently docked disks - instead every RAID1 volume should have it's own dedicated mount point. The solution I've came up with uses UDEV rules to identify the disks, mdadm to map two disks to a single software-RAID1 volume, cryptsetup to encrypt the raid volume and some smaller, self-written helper scripts that do simplify the usage of those external RAID1 volumes. How it all works and how you can set up such an environment on your own Linux machine: just click 'continue reading' 🙂
Finally! A working streaming firmware for my Rainbowduino V3 controllers
It took a while but I've finally managed to get the firmware of my new Rainbowduino V3 controllers to a state that I can use them as part of my 512 RGB LED coffee table project. I've learnt a lot of new things about interrupt handling of AVR micro controllers that I didn't want to learn at all and I went trough quite some frustrating weeks where I was very close to just throw those controllers into the trash. But luckily I've managed to get the firmware flying at the end. If you want to find out what obstacles I had to fight with, how it all works at the end and where you can find the Rainbowduino V3 firmware including the matching Java API than feel free to continue reading this blog post 🙂
Offtopic #2: Sharkoon SATA QuickPort XT USB3.0 and its on/off switch
While searching for an USB3.0 docking station for 3.5" SATA hard drives the SATA Quickport XT USB3.0 offered by Sharkoon got my attention at one point. It's simple, not that pricey and doesn't take up too much space. One of the things I was looking for was that it should provide an on/off switch so that you don't have to rely on the operating system to suspend the disks which usually depends on how well the SATA<->USB bridge inside the docking station is supported. What I don't understand is why Sharkoon places this switch on the back of the docking station so that it can't be reached easily if a disk is inserted into it - this kind of sucks if suspending the disk via the operating system doesn't work reliable. But luckily the top part of the docking station isn't used by an eject button, activity-LEDs or anything else except the imprinted Sharkoon logo - guess where I've moved the on/off switch to 🙂
The first test assembly of my 512 RGB LED coffee table
After being busy for almost one year with constructing my RGB LED coffee table it has finally happened: The almost complete table assembled in its full beauty! Wow! Pretty impressive to see everything together working for the first time. Okay, some hardware isn't fully done yet, the software is in an early prototype stage and still some bugs have to be fixed until I'll move to table from my shop to the living room. Nevertheless I'd like to share this moment and the current state of my project with you.
A closer look at the RGB LED coffee table internals
Since my last post about the audio system installation of my 512 RGB LED Coffee Table project I've spent my time finalizing the table internals needed to operate the eight LED arrays inside the coffee table. This includes the power supply, the micro controllers used to operate the basic table functions, the Mini-ITX PC that generates and distributes the to be shown images to the eight LED arrays as well as the needed wiring between the individual components and the front panels used to operate the table.
Things you shouldn't do #3: Cut 19-inch amplifiers and subwoofer crossovers in half
Quite some time has passed by since my last blog post about my 512 RGB LED Coffee Table project so that it's about time to give you a brief update what has happened the last ~8 weeks. Mid of September my carpenter was done with constructing the coffee table so that I could finally start to integrate all the electronic components and the needed wiring into it. Thanks again to especially Gunnar Schwinn from http://www.massivholz-moebel-schreinerei.de/ which did a great job in bringing my ideas to life and giving valuable feedback. As soon as the coffee table arrived at my place I focused on the sound system since the installation of it is rather a standalone task beside the installation of the RGB LEDs.
Howto upgrade PHP on CentOS 5.x
CentOS 5.x comes with PHP in version 5.1.6 which is pretty old those days. There are already quite some web applications that have dropped PHP 5.1.x support which makes it impossible to install them on a CentOS 5.x installation. With the release of CentOS 5.6 additional packages called php53, php53-common, php53-ldap, etc. have been released which could replace the 5.1.6 default version of PHP if you don't have other RPM packages that depend on the original php packages. Since the php and the new php53 packages do install their resources into the same directories you can't install both of them in parallel. Instead of faking empty php packages to be able to install all php53 packages without conflicts and missing dependencies I decided to go for a third party PHP installation provided by AtomiCorp.
Soldering 512 RGB Leds: Pure fun… Not!
Finally! After hours spend with fitting LEDs into reflectors, preparing cables, cutting shrink tubing pieces and soldering everything together to 8x8 LED arrays: It is done! And I'll never ever do it again this way. 🙂 As I already stated in my first blog post about my 512 RGB LED Coffee Table project I was a bit too optimistic in the planing phase regarding the wiring effort needed to get all LEDs working.


text:
To begin, I would like to propound a basic question: What is pizza napoletana (which is the Italian phrase for "Neapolitan pizza")? On the surface, the question seems simple and straightforward; however, I assure you that it is not as uncomplicated as it seems. It is a question with thorns! Moreover, the question becomes even thornier when strictly considered within the framework of the time-honored tradition which gave birth to the Neapolitan pizza. Although I am not sure if I fully qualify to answer the question, I will make an attempt. And, if my attempt fails to any degree, I hope it would at least clarify the issue.
Before entertaining the question, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Omid, currently working as an aspiring pizzaiolo in San Diego, California. My fascination with the traditional Neapolitan pizza commenced in 1984, when I stayed nine months in Naples, Italy. Although I have spent a substantial amount of time in educating myself about the tradition of Neapolitan pizza, I do not consider myself an authority, yet I hope this blog will be worth your while. I hope to offer a unique approach—an approach that is culturally, historically, gastronomically, artistically, and philosophically oriented toward understanding and appreciating the beloved pizzas of Naples, especially when this phenomenon is gaining more and more momentum and popularity in the United States. Please, keep in mind that what is presented here is only one view amongst many on the subject matter.
So, what is the traditional Neapolitan pizza? As you may know, the city of Naples, situated in Campania region of Southern Italy, is deemed as the cradle of pizza.
The genesis of this phenomenon can be arguably traced back to the ancient Romans. Perchance, Virgil (70–19 BC), an ancient Roman poet, can portray the zygote of this development in the following excerpt from his national epic poem Aeneid:
Beneath a shady tree, the hero spread
His table on the turf, with cakes of bread;
And, with his chiefs, on forest fruits he fed.
They sate; and, (not without the god's command,)
Their homely fare dispatch'd, the hungry band
Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour,
To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour.
Ascanius this observ'd, and smiling, said:
'See! we devour the plates on which we fed.'
Aeneid, Book VII, translated by John Dryden (The italics are added for emphasis.)
Here, in the United States of America, we are, to various degrees, cognizant with the concept "pizza". After all, it is said that it was in New York City where the Italian immigrants engendered a new and different style of pizza, i.e., the New York style pizza, in the early 1900s. Since then, the New York pizza, and other divergent American types of pizza, have become a favorite food genera in America and abroad. According to The American Heritage Dictionary (4th edition), The word "pizza" is defined as follows: "[noun:] A baked pie of Italian origin consisting of a shallow breadlike crust covered with toppings such as seasoned tomato sauce, cheese, sausage, or olives." It is of importance to understand that for the Neapolitans (who are distinct, not separate, from Italians), the Neapolitan pizza fundamentally and mostly subconsciously signifies something more than just "a shallow breadlike crust covered with toppings". It is more than just a comestible item to eat and enjoy. It is also an "ism", or "ismo" in Italian. Hence the concept "pizza napoletanismo": the phenomenon of Neapolitan pizza, not merely as a culinary event, but also as a state of being Neapolitan.
In passing, I should warn the readers that, it is not easy, if possible at all, to fully capture an oral tradition, such as the Neapolitan pizza tradition, in words. A tradition is primarily experienced and kept alive by living it. This reminds me of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469–399 BC) who left us no written records of his philosophy; nonetheless, he is regarded as one of the most distinguished and influential thinkers of Western civilization. Socrates had quite consciously decided not to write philosophy because for him philosophy had to be kept alive and in motion by living it, discussing it, having live dialogues.
It is one thing to know a tradition and another thing to interpret what one seems to know about the tradition. As German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) insists, knowing is always perspective knowing, that knowledge is interpretive and never absolute, that it always reflects perspective and context. Of course, Nietzsche does not imply that we can never comprehend anything at all, but that our ability to shift perspectives makes it possible for us to better understand a phenomenon: "There is only a perspective seeing, only a perspective 'knowing'; and the more affects we allow to speak about one thing, the more eyes, different eyes, we can use to observe one thing, the more complete our 'concept' of this thing, our 'objectivity,' will be." (Genealogy of Morals, book 3:12)
From a phenomenological standpoint, the Neapolitan pizza manifests itself as a (1) historical and cultural ontogeny, (2) culinary tradition, (3) art, and (4) ontology or a way of being:
1) As an "ontogeny", it involves the historical and cultural circumstances that have shaped this phenomenon into its present form, which has evolved throughout its saga.
2) As a "culinary tradition", which is an oral tradition for the most part, it involves specific methodologies, techniques, rituals, ingredients, and tools in preparing and baking pizzas in accordance with the gastronomical sensibility of the Neapolitan people.
3) As an "art", it involves a creative process, which entails, in a cyclical fashion, (1) experimenting with the spatio-temporal mediums of this art (2) examining their objectifications or end results, and (3) evaluating the creative process used in this endeavor. Also, above all, it imperatively involves self-reflection and self-direction in order to recreate oneself (to build artistic "character"), besides creating the edible artwork! The interplay and interdependence between the creator and that which she or he creates is of vital importance in this art. This creative process finds practical and aesthetic expressions in this art.
4) As an "ontology" or "way of being", the Neapolitan pizza, in a very subtle manner, serves as a symbol or metaphor which profoundly expresses a sentiment that is not even immediately or consciously fathomed by average Neapolitans, yet they participate in it whether they know it or not. In a sense, pizza to Neapolitans is what the book The Epic of Kings is to Persians. After the Arab Empire conquered Persia in 7th century AD, the conquerors began to systematically divest the Persians of their language, heritage, and culture. Ferdowsi (940-1020), the illustrious poet and author of the book, sensed that the Islamic civilization was eclipsing the pre-Islamic identity and glory of Persia. So, to make a long story short, he authored the book, The Epic, which took him thirty excruciating years, in order to save the Persian language and culture therein. The book is a profound embodiment of the myths, customs, and traditions that shaped the pre-Islamic, Persian civilization. (An Egyptian scholar once remarked that a reason Egyptians speak Arabic today is because they did not have a Ferdowsi to preserve their own language.) So, today, Persians believe that true Persia exists in the book, as a home and as a source of their historical identity. Likewise, the same sentiment can be ascribed toward the Neapolitan Pizza. Indeed, when we engage in the ritual of making Neapolitan pizza, we are engaged in something more than a culinary tradition that needs to be approached with reverence and care. This elusive facet of the Neapolitan culture will be better understood when I provide, in my next article, a very brief account of history of Naples. La maschera di napoli ("The mask of Naples")—i.e., Pulcinella—is also another integral aspect of the Neapolitan culture and identity, which I will cover in a future article.
Although the Neapolitan pizza seems to be an outcome of an ancient tradition that began in Naples, this prototypical pizza (from which the New York pizza is said to have originated) is still in its infancy here in the United States. It is often misconceived by the general public and many practitioners, and perhaps it will take time for Americans to develop a relative and appreciable understanding of the traditional Neapolitan pizza and its simple yet complex gastronomy. Of course, making Neapolitan pizza is not quantum physics. It is simple; Neapolitan pizza is an offspring of "simplicity" and "balance", which constitute its "beauty". Yet underlying the apparent simplicity is an uneasy complexity with multifarious facets. For a practitioner, it takes time for the simplicity to emerge into her or his sensibility—after toiling at learning and hard work. In the American culture, where impulsive gastronomy, excessive emphasis on quantity rather than quality, super-sizing, and exaggerated use of ingredients often seem to be a general norm, I am not sure to what degree we can live up to the Neapolitan ideal. Of course, America is not Naples, where the gastronomical sensibility of the people is markedly different than the general American sensibility. Perhaps, it may be beneficial to cite an advice I was given by a Neapolitan pizzaiolo:
"If foreigners thoroughly understand the Neapolitan pizza tradition from our vantage point and learn how to fully appreciate it, then they may not need to distort it at all according to their own sensibility or in ways that are incompatible with our tradition. Of course, they should make pizza the way they enjoy, but should not name it 'Neapolitan pizza' if it does not conform to our tradition. Neapolitan pizza is a revered part of our culture and identity as the Neapolitan people, and it displeases us to see it deformed by opportunism or ignorance, as foreigners would not like to see someone distort symbols that are sacred to them."
Consequently, I am of the conviction that one needs the right perspectives to properly approach and understand the Neapolitan phenomenon; in other words, one needs to learn about and participate, as much as possible and practical, in the Neapolitan culture in order to perceive the tradition from their unique perspective, not from an American perspective which has ironically shaped how non-Neapolitans around the world generally view pizza. In my estimation, no understanding of the Neapolitan pizza is complete without understanding the historical and cultural forces that have shaped the tradition over centuries. Understanding the Neapolitan history and culture can enhance one's understanding of the Neapolitan pizza tradition, although they may seem irrelevant at first glance. Naturally, the Neapolitan pizza would be nonexistent today without the underlying cultural and historical ontogeny which serves as the foundation for the culinary tradition.
I believe no introduction to the traditional Neapolitan pizza can be all-encompassing in its scope, as this is a very rich and extensive tradition that did not come into being overnight. The Neapolitan pizza symbolically represents the centuries-old political and cultural ambitions of the Neapolitans in a subtle manner; it is a profound symbol of the spirit of the Neapolitan people. In due course, I will elaborate on this.
It is imperative to understand what is meant by the phrase, "traditional Neapolitan pizza". One ought to understand what it entails. What is a "tradition"? In general, a tradition is a fundamental frame of reference that provides a mode of commitment. More specifically, a tradition is a system of thought and behavior shared by a group of people. In addition, the system of thought and behavior gives the group a fundamental frame of orientation and an object of devotion (an ideal) to adhere to. At last, traditions, such as the Neapolitan pizza tradition, are historically and culturally informed.
The authenticity of Neapolitan pizza is fundamentally found in its traditionalism. The word "authentic" is a derivative of the Greek word αὐθέντης (authentēs), meaning "author". In this sense, the Neapolitan tradition is the author—and the authority.
Therefore, to understand the authenticity of Neapolitan pizza, one ought to understand (to stand under) the Neapolitan tradition, and the historical and cultural forces which gave birth to it. To make authentic Neapolitan pizza, one needs to be committed to the tradition, i.e., to the system of thought and behavior.
Anyone who wholeheartedly commits oneself to learn and understand the Neapolitan pizza tradition—which is, as I have already mentioned, an oral tradition—will soon be face-to-face with the issue of: Who is to say what the tradition entails? How is it supposed to be carried out? Who is to say which Neapolitan pizza is authentic and which is inauthentic? Verily, the issue of authenticity or traditionalism of the Neapolitan pizza has been a daunting controversy in and out of Naples. Perhaps, Antonio Pace (one of the founding fathers of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) said it the best:
"Neapolitan pizza has no inventors, no fathers, no masters, but is the fruit of the creativity of the Neapolitan people."
Yes, the people—not just any people, but the Neapolitan people. But, "people" is a tricky concept. It definitely does not imply a single individual; it may not convey a democratic process of establishing consensus among the people either. Perhaps, this is where a crucial role of artists (pizzaioli napoletani) becomes essential: to artistically bring to conscious awareness the spirit of a people, their aspirations, their creative potentials, their existential possibilities.
Neapolitan pizza is more than a Neapolitan way of preparing a flattened dough garnished with certain toppings. In Naples, pizza is a way of life and an integral part of the Neapolitan culture and society, so much so that it partly defines the identity of people of Naples. Making Neapolitan pizza is an "art", perhaps in the fullest sense of the term: creatively sculpting from raw materials a symbolic artifact (arte factum, "something made with skill") that aesthetically feeds the eyes and the soul, besides feeding the stomach. This process is akin to a sculptor transforming a pure piece of marble into a beatific work of art that seduces her or him to life! (Yes, art has the power to seduce one to life.) A pizzaiolo's marble is the dough, and her or his hands are the chisels. By imposing form upon the formless mass of dough, a pizzaiolo creates a work of art that, unlike a sculpture or painting, can be intimately felt through the senses of smell, taste, and oral tactility.
My philosophy is that recipes do not create pizzas, that what are more fundamental in making Neapolitan pizzas are the underlying principles and, above all, the character of the pizza-artisan. Consider Michelangelo's statue "David", which is a masterpiece of Renaissance art. Was it a recipe (a set of instructions) that essentially breathed life into the block of marble out of which "David" was born, or was it Michelangelo's artistic character and following a set of principles—in accordance with the sensitivity, temperament, temperance, style, and virtues of his cultivated character—that begot this magnificent work of art? It is said that when Michelangelo carved "David", he simply chiseled away whatever that was not human in the block of marble, and at last the creator set "David" free from the mass of marble. In his own words, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." A pizzaiolo's task is to do the same with his marble.
Whatever pizza recipe a pizzaiolo devises and the way he executes the recipe in crafting pizzas will directly correlate with his artistic character and the principles he apprehends and follows. In essence, it is one's cultivated artistic character and the way one employs the principles of dough production that should dictate and animate a dough recipe.
Often I envisage that the quality and worth of a pizza is principally contingent upon the ethos or character of the pizzaiolo who gave birth to the pizza. Perhaps what is more decisive in preparing pizza is character (derived from the Greek word kharaktēr, meaning literally "a stamping tool") rather than technical skills of a pizzaiolo. Besides, the right attitude fosters the right aptitude. According to Friedrich Nietzsche,
"Giving style to one's character—a great and rare art! It is exercised by those who see all the strengths and weaknesses of their own nature and then comprehend them in an artistic plan until everything appears as art and reason . . . under a law of their own." (Gay Science, book 4:290)
The pizza you make reflects your character.
As an art, learning how to create Neapolitan pizza fundamentally appears to be an inside-out process, involving psychological transformation, meaning that one needs to overcome internal (psychological) obstacles in order to overcome external (physical) obstacles in this artistic pursuit. One learns to create an artwork by recreating oneself, bringing one's own impulses under control and sublimating them into new channels of activity. This carries the implication that, again, recipes and techniques do not make pizzas; they are merely instrumental in the act of creating. Something deeper or primordial seems to be at work here. Handcrafting pizza napoletana, as an artistic expression, involves self-actualization and self-expression, not devoid of devotion for the rich Neapolitan tradition—which is, figuratively speaking, the shoulders of a giant upon which a devotee must stand! The giant, dwelling in the subterranean labyrinths of Napoli, has already set the paradigm. And, there always will be a Theseus who will have to find the way out of the maze without being devoured by the Minotaur!
Art creates, not just copy. Some orthodox pizzaioli of Naples are of the belief, however vague, that the "evolution" of Neapolitan pizza was completed over a century ago (supposedly in 1889, when Queen Margherita visited Naples), that there is no more room for any changes or modifications. Does this conviction imply that the ideal pizza of Naples (i.e., the necessary qualities that make a pizza Neapolitan) has already reached the summit of its formal development and, therefore, the tradition should live on pristine? Or, does it imply that the two actual pizzas of Naples (i.e., Marinara and Margherita) are the ultimate material archetypes? Or, does it imply that the Neapolitan pizza is strictly defined in terms of both its formal (specific qualities) and material (specific ingredients) constituents as consummated in 1889? Whatever the case might be, the orthodox posture reminds me of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who was cognizant that to create new music, the old laws had to be broken or modified. According to Walter Kaufmann's interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of "the artist's morality",
"The great artist does not stick to any established code; yet his work is not lawless but has structure and form. Beethoven did not conform to the rules of Haydn or Mozart; yet his symphonies have form throughout. Their form and law Beethoven created with them [namely, the legacies of Hayden and Mozart]. To create involves going 'beyond. . .'."
(Nietzsche, Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist; Part 3:8, 4th Edition)
The man who sculpted "David" loved and copied ancient Greek and Roman statues, yet he set out to better them within their own traditions.
Formation of a balanced dough can be an enigmatic process, filled with conundrums and surprises. Whence the enigma? In a literal sense, an inoculated dough is alive. As an organic mass, it is filled with millions of fermentative microorganisms that are sensitive and responsive to their surrounding environment. The hydrolytic, enzymatic, catalytic, and other reactions within dough evade direct human perception. Further, such chemical reactions are complex and contingent upon various variables (such as duration of time, temperature, humidity, pH level, protein and starch content, and etc.) that are difficult to control all at once. Hence, predicting the outcomes of these reactions with a high level of accuracy is a challenge. Therefore, one should not wonder why many have developed all kinds of procedures, rituals, and superstations (some of which are nonsensical and even neurotic) in respect to making dough. In making dough, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than "that's what everybody else does" or "that's what I have been told" or else. This is tantamount to laughing at a joke that has not been told yet. As German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) expresses, "Dare to think for yourself." And, in this endeavor, perhaps it would be beneficial to heed the Socratic maxim: "True wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing." In other words, if one assumes that one knows everything, then one is not likely to question one's own assumptions. Question everything; take nothing for granted. When knowledge is lacking, superstations often pervade.
§11. PRINCIPLE v. CONTENT
Once upon a time, a philosophy professor advised me as follows, "In learning anything, aim to understand the underlying principles as opposed to just memorizing the content; for if the content becomes obsolete, you will be obsolete with it if you have no knowledge of the principles that are at work. However, if you know the principles, then you can always create your own content." Often, in learning how to make dough, we subserviently rely upon measurements and instructions as given in a recipe—without understanding the invisible principles which dictate the measurements and the instructions. As a result, once the recipe (the content) stops producing the desired results, the recipient becomes baffled in distraught. However, if the recipient understands the rationale (the principles) underlying the recipe, she or he can diagnose and hopefully solve the problem.
§12. SIMPLICITY ("Ockham's Razor")
In my opinion, the Neapolitan culinary tradition, as far as preparing pizza is concerned, is fundamentally predicated on simplicity in both dough formulation and procedures for its implementation. Hence, it is advisable to keep the entire undertaking as simple as possible. A principle of simplicity known as "Ockham's razor"—which is commonly, yet subconsciously, used by professional pizzaioli—has practical application in this respect. According to scholastic philosopher William of Ockham (1288–1348), Entita non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitate: "Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity" or, more technically put, "The number of entities used to explain phenomena should not be increased unnecessarily". In other words, of two or more possible explanations for a phenomenon (such as formation of dough), choose the one that explains what is to be explained with the fewest assumptions and explanatory principles. And, as the great Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) had advised, this is a "rational" (indicative of ratios and proportions) process. The eloquent statement of Pericles (495–429 B.C.) can serve as an exemplary motto, encapsulating the beliefs and ideals underlying the Neapolitan culinary tradition:
"We are lovers of beauty, yet simple in our tastes. . . ."
Since here we are concerned with causation in transforming wheat flour to a particular type of dough, Aristotle's "four causes" may be of assistance. Aristotle, who had examined the nature of flour and bread, was of the belief that to understand a natural phenomenon (e.g., formation of dough), one should determine the four following causes thereof:
1. "Material Cause" (change produced out of which or what),
2. "Formal Cause" (change produced into which),
3. "Efficient Cause" (change produced by which), and
4. "Final Cause" (change produced for the sake of which)
If we walk on a beach and see footprints (the formal cause) on the sand, we can legitimately infer that a human being (the efficient cause) must have walked there before we did. Because of past experience, we might even be able to tell the person's weight by examining the size and depth of the footprints. Pay heed that in the preceding example we reasoned backwardly, form the "footprints" (the formal cause, or "effect" as the modern science would call it) to the "human being" who efficiently caused the prints. So we reasoned from the knowledge of effect (the footprints) to the knowledge of cause (the human being) since we were not present at the beach to witness the occurrence. In our case, the formal cause is the Neapolitan dough that must possess the attributes that will be enumerated under section §16 below.
In 1989, at a pizza festival in Naples, after I had devoured numerous pizzas and with no desire for more, I, nonetheless, tasted a pizza marinara that bewildered my taste buds. I piteously begged the pizzaiolo, with my terrible Italian, how he accomplished the feat. He did not seem burdened with my plea. So, to charm him, I lowered myself to my knees and desperately began to sing Giuseppe Verdi's aria "Le minacce" from his opera La forza del destino, which I knew very well, word by word:
Le minacce, i fieri accenti
Portin seco in preda i venti;
Perdonatemi, pietà,
O fratel, pietà, pietà! . . .
Fierce words and threats
Are carried off by the wind;
Forgive me, have pity,
Brother, have pity, have pity! . . .
After a round of applause by the festive onlookers, the maestro wrote down on a piece of greasy napkin the following (which took me a long time to decode and literally translate to English):
[Propound!] and attune your elements, water, salt, leaven, flour
Mix some partially
Hydrate the flour
Add the rest and knead
Make dough balls
More fermentation and Levitation
Don't break your wrists, make love!
No measurements, no weights, no temperatures, no timings . . . It even reads like a poem! Perhaps, I can continue this trend, but in a more prosaic language. According to my construal of the Neapolitan tradition, stages of dough production (in a commercial environment, using either a fork mixer or double diving arms mixer) can be very briefly outlined—as a general guideline—in the following manner:
1. Mixing – The dough ingredients are schematically and methodically mixed in the following order (or a variation thereof):a. Water (the first element to be introduced into the mixer bowl)b. Sea saltc. Sourdough culture or baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)d. Flour (by gradual addition)2. Kneading – The mixture is effectively and sufficiently kneaded in order to achieve:a. Consummate hydration of flourb. Formation of gluten (up to a point)c. Formation of internal dough structure and dough skin (up to a point)d. Homogeneity of the mixture in terms of its consistencye. Punto di pasta (point of pasta), which is the summation of all the above, "a" to "d"3. Repose4. Initial Fermentation – The dough mass undergoes the initial fermentation (warm fermentation, meaning no refrigeration) for a befitting period of time5. Forming Dough Balls – Dough balls are methodically formed out of the dough mass6. Final Fermentation – The dough balls undergo complementary fermentation (warm fermentation) for a suitable amount of time until dough maturation is reached
It is essential to understand that the above scheme is only one rendition; there are other variations.
As evident above, it takes perseverance, close attention to details, extensive experience—and, of course, passion—to learn how to craft Neapolitan pizza, employing the Neapolitan tradition as the foundation. According to the tradition, good pizza begins with the dough. I repeat emphatically: fundamentally, it is all in the DOUGH. In making Neapolitan pizza, extra attention and effort need to be poured into making Neapolitan dough, which is distinct from bread dough and other types of pizza dough. In this undertaking, again, the culinary tradition of making pizza needs to be respected, either as the destination or as the point of departure. The early Neapolitan pizzaioli employed certain dough techniques that they had inherited from their ancient predecessors. The advent of modernity, commercialism, and industrialization has caused abandonment of many of such techniques. Of course, the wheat flour produced today is characteristically different than the flour used in antiquity, even different than the flour used a century ago. Different types of flours often require different methodologies and techniques, although the fundamentals of dough production remain the same.
So, without any compromise, extra attention and effort need to be put into making Neapolitan dough, which is traditionally composed of only four elements:
1. Water;
2. Sea salt;
3. Sourdough culture or baker's yeast; and
4. Medium or slightly weaker strength wheat flour "type 00".
And, of course, of primary concern are methodology and applicable techniques in metamorphosing a mixture of the above-mentioned elements into dough. In the context of dough production, the terms "methodology" and "technique" are defined as follows:
●Methodology: The systematic organization of knowledge of the principles and processes which cause and regulate dough formation, fermentation, and maturation.
●Technique: The term (derived from the ancient Greek word tekhnē, meaning "skill" or "art") denotes a systematic procedure by which dough formation, fermentation, and maturation are accomplished by deliberation, skill, and command—not chance—in handling the fundamentals of dough production. Hence, this requires practical knowledge and special skills arising from extensive experience. It is the accumulation and organization of such knowledge and skills over a long period of time by the Neapolitan pizzaioli that eventually crystalized into an art as part of the culinary tradition of the Neapolitan pizza.
In making Neapolitan dough, employment of the right methodology and techniques are quite critical and decisive—not to mention utilization of the right dough mixer (such as a well-engineered fork mixer or double diving arms mixer) that can effectively knead the dough while properly regulating dough turbulence, friction, temperature, and oxygenation. Without the proper methodic handling—i.e., timely, orderly, skillfully, and schematically mixing the ingredients in a well-executed manner—dough may not optimally form. Throughout the process, dough should not be manipulated aimlessly. Handling dough needs to be executed deliberately and skillfully at every stage: during mixing, kneading, fermenting, forming dough balls, opening dough balls into discs, and etc.
A Neapolitan pizzeria can possess all the right ingredients and culinary tools, yet if the dough they produce is not properly prepared, the pizzas produced by the pizzeria will be gastronomically unmerited (by the conservative estimation) of the title "Neapolitan pizza", does not matter how mouthwatering, flavorful, scrumptious, and Neapolitan-looking they are, and does not matter how people rave about them.
Within the Neapolitan framework, there are diverse ways to accomplish balanced dough. However, whatever recipes—and techniques to execute the recipes—are used to create the dough, at the end they should produce a Neapolitan pizza base (i.e., the crust) that by the tradition should possess the following attributes:
1. Soft, thin, and non-crispy pizza base;
2. Pliable and slightly moist pizza base that does not break or crack when folded into what Neapolitans call portafoglio napoletano (Neapolitan wallet) or libretto napoletano (Neapolitan booklet);
3. Texturally light pizza base and cornicione that are not hard to chew (Neapolitans metaphorically refer to this as la scioglievolezza, meaning, "it easily melts in your mouth");
4. Fluffy and airy cornicione that is inflated around the flat, roundish pizza disc ("roundish" does not mean perfectly round);
5. Pizza base that is not too thin for its flavors to get lost among other flavors;
6. Pizza base that is not too thick to suppress other flavors and make chewing uneasy;
7. Aromatic and full of subtle flavors;
8. Vivacious in color and composition;
9. Light and easily digestible
It is of utmost concernment to infer that the pizza base is more than a vessel embracing the toppings. According to the New York Times interview of June 25, 1989 with Salvatore Condurro of L'antica Pizzeria da Michele (a classic Neapolitan pizzeria of Naples that ardently advocates a fundamentalist approach toward preparing pizza):
"The first thing is the crust, it has got to be soft and light. That is why we always prepare the dough the day before it is used, using the smallest amount of yeast possible, letting it rise about 15 hours. Most places these days pour in loads of yeast to make the dough rise instantly. The result is a tough crust with a yeasty taste."
In its September 25, 2002 issue, The Washington Post printed an article entitled "Naples, by Pizza Possessed", which begins with the following account of a pizza-making contest in Naples:
"The pizzaiuolo, the pizzamaker, shuffled his feet nervously as he stood by the stern judge. He was defending his pizza's crust—it was crunchy. Unfortunately for the contestant, crunchy is a no-no in the heartland of pizza. 'Stupid move,' the judge said tersely. 'Why enter a contest of Neapolitan pizza if you can't make one the right way?' A hard crust may be something consumers across the globe associate with 21st-century pizza, but here crackle is unthinkable. Chewy is also out. Crust is not even a proper description for the billowy circumference of pizza. Neapolitans call it the crown, and it is as thin and light as pastry. . . . They [Neapolitans] are on guard against a kind of globalization boomerang. Italian foods that have won the hearts of consumers worldwide return to Italy in adulterated form: frozen, thick-crusted, piled with ingredients, as if volume could make up for artistry."
It is necessary to minimize dough oxidation (distinct from dough "oxygenation") from the moment mixing of the ingredients begins all the way to when the dough reaches maturity. (Oxidation is the rightful office of the Neapolitan oven, where oxidation accelerates to immense heights. Even then, the extraordinary thermal engineering of the faithful Neapolitan oven incredibly regulates the rate of oxidation whereby the texture and flavors of pizzas are preserved as long as the handling and timing is flawless.) Why minimizing oxidation? It is a scientific generalization that friction/heat promotes oxidation of matter. And, according to science of gastronomy, excessive oxidation deprives various types of human food of their lively colors, textures, and flavors. For instance, the more a piece of raw beef stake is oxidized (i.e., grilled), the more it loses its red color, tender texture, and flavor. Thus, the rate of oxidation needs to be carefully regulated.
The same principle applies to pizza dough. If using a mechanized mixer, such as a fork mixer or double diving arms mixer, the dough should be kneaded at a slow rate in order to minimize oxidation of dough and to minimize generation of gluten matrix to a proper degree. In addition, unreasonably Lengthy kneading and undue turbulence during kneading can also contribute to excessive dough oxidation and improper gluten formation. In general, the faster dough is kneaded and, hence, heated and oxidized,—the tougher, pale-colored, and less flavorful pizza base and cornicione will be produced at the end. Moreover, in general, the more gluten is generated in dough during kneading, the tougher pizza base and cornicione will be produced at the end. Lengthy, fast-speed kneading can damage, de-flavor, toughen, and bleach the vivacious white color of dough. Therefore, as a generalization, a baked dough is tougher, more bleached in color, and less flavorful in proportion to how much the dough is worked.
After the initial fermentation of dough is over, dough balls need to be methodically individuated from the dough mass. Sculpting dough balls is an important stage in dough production. After the dough balls are formed, they undergo further fermentation in order to procure a relaxed posture and buoyant constitution (i.e., dough maturation). Again, properly controlling the time and temperature is indispensable here.
At last, by employing specific techniques, the dough balls are drafted into dough discs and adorned with the toppings. How prosaically (cf. agitatamente or staccato) or poetically (cf. appassionato or animato) the hands draft the dough discs will greatly impact the gastronomic and aesthetic qualities of the pizzas. Moreover, this is a last chance for a pizza-artisan to physically stamp his signature on the blank dough canvas, and to find himself in his own creation. German philosopher Karl Marx (1818–1883) eloquently articulates this sentiment as follows:
"As man works on nature outside himself and changes it, he changes at the same time his own nature."
As mentioned earlier, manipulating a dough ball upon opening it into a dough disc needs to be done with care and skill. A perfectly balanced dough can be ruined—in terms of texture and flavor—if it is mishandled. Banging on a dough disc, exhaust-stretching it, and incorporating excessive amount of flour therein will create a pizza base and cornicione that are bitterly insipid in flavor, heavy in texture, and unaesthetic to the look.
From a rudimentary vantage point, the pizza toppings are there not for their own sake, but to accentuate the subtle flavors of the pizza base. Simply put, the toppings must not dominate and mask the flavors of the crust. By way of analogy, this is akin to an Italian bel canto opera, wherein the music played by the orchestra does not generally subdue, but elevates the voices of singers. In a sense, the music is merely a commentary upon what the singers sing. In the same vein, the pizza toppings are merely commentaries about the pizza base. (In Naples, it is not uncommon to view each distinct flavor of pizza as a musical note! Imagine the Italian composer Antonio Salieri relating to Mozart his sensation of a well-prepared pizza marinara: "With the first bite, the marinara tasted ridiculously simple . . . modest . . . unpretentious. The pungent, yet tempered, flavor of the crushed tomatoes lingered on, like a monotonous musical pulse—made by bassoons and basset horns! Then suddenly, high above it, the garlic—that is the oboe—as a single note appeared, hanging there unwavering, until the oregano—the clarinet—took over and sweetened it into a phrase of such delight. But, that was just the prelude, paving the way for the delicate flavor of the crust to deliver the final blow—the crescendo.") Quantitatively balancing the toppings toward the crust and qualitatively harmonizing the flavors of the toppings, not against, but toward the flavors of the curst is the key.
In this endeavor, the il forno napoletano (the Neapolitan oven) is not just a tool, but an indispensable ingredient—il quinto elemento ("the 5th element", after water, salt, fermentative agent, and flour), which has the ancient Roman myth of Prometeo at its core. (Prometeo was a Titan who stole fire from the gods and bequeathed it to mortals for their benefit.) The brick oven is the sacred temple where the flavors of the toppings enchant one another for the sake of ornamenting the subtle flavors of the pizza base. Furthermore, the oven insinuates and blesses the pizza with a flavor and texture that it would not otherwise have. At last, in this marriage ritual, beneath the canopy (dome) of the oven, form (design) and matter (the dough and toppings) are wedded!—a work of art is born. And, borrowing the words of Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–1768), a prominent German art scholar of the 18th century, "In the presence of this miracle of art, I forget all else, and I myself take a lofty position for the purpose of looking upon it in a worthier manner." Alas, culinary art works have not been granted the status they deserve.
Now, the sensitive issue of gastronomical sensibility! Briefly put, gastronomy is a very comprehensive science and art of good cuisine and good eating, plus the physiology of taste and smell, and anatomy of food textures, aromas, and flavors. In my observation, the Neapolitan gastronomical sensibility is different than the American sensibility as each culture values certain food characteristics. In general, the way Neapolitans enjoy their pizzas repels many Americans and vice versa. A cheese-less pizza (i.e., pizza marinara) is inconceivable for many Americans. While the jovial expression "a pizza without cheese is like a kiss without squeeze" captures an American way of feeling about pizza, Neapolitans poetically express their attitude as follows: "Pizza with cheese is like a beautiful blue sky bejeweled with patches of pure, white clouds; pizza without cheese is like a beautiful, sunny day where all is clear."
On a visit, in 2001, to L'antica Pizzeria da Michele, a respectable American tourist, with whom I shared a table, made a comment, "Is this pizza or uncooked tomato pudding? These guys don't know pizza. They should learn from us!" A French tourist, who also happened to be there, commented, after the American gentleman left, "Americans know how to eat, but not taste." Europeans generally believe that Americans are gastronomically uneducated or not critical enough. Perhaps this assertion is meritorious. Many reputable European food and wine companies dump their substandard products (products that Europeans would not buy due to low quality) here in the US because they know we are uncritical judges of quality. Some of the imported Italian cheeses and wines—which we think of as the crème de la crème and pay top dollars for—are actually considered low-grade and inferior by the Italian standards. They sell them to us because they know that we do not know any better.
We need to train our taste buds in order to discern textures and flavors better and make more critical and informed value judgments. Like a pianist training her ears or a painter training his visual color perception, taste buds can be trained to consciously discern flavors that we did not even know were there. To untrained eyes, Michelangelo's "David" may seem no more than a pretty piece of marble shaped in form of a man. However, to more sophisticated eyes, this masterpiece of Renaissance art may represent an embodiment of the ideals of humanity: beauty, truth, courage, strength, and wisdom.
By legacy, a pizzaiolo napoletano is essentially a care, a burden, a culture-carrier—carrying centuries of customs, traditions, and history that go beyond just a culinary phenomenon, as we shall see in future articles. A pizzaiolo napoletano is a custodian of the Neapolitan tradition that he has inherited. Those of non-Neapolitan origin who aspire to take on this role should beware; being a pizzaiolo is ideally a solemn role in the Neapolitan society. Perhaps it is no surprise that a favored pizzaiolo of Naples, Gino Sorbillo, was popularly asked to participate in the mayoral race in 2011.
"Pizzaiolo" is a prestigious title in Naples that one earns after years of diligently working and accumulating experience in all kinds of culinary disciplines involved in a Neapolitan pizzeria. (The Italian suffix "-aiolo" or "-aiuolo" designates one who practices a profession.) One does not become a pizzaiolo overnight; it is a long commitment.
A pizzaiolo is well-disciplined as a dough preparer, banconista (one who assembles raw dough and toppings into pizzas), and fornaio (one who manages the oven and bakes pizzas). Besides having consummate mastery over such disciplines, an excellent pizzaiolo is fully aware of the virtues of all the ingredients to be employed, and the pizzaiolo is able to quickly adapt to the elemental limitations and the demands they impose on the pizzaiolo's culinary efforts. Furthermore, a masterful pizzaiolo is able to quickly adapt to his environment, its limitations, and the demands the environment imposes on the pizzaiolo's culinary efforts. A great pizzaiolo, with a great degree of accuracy predicts the outcomes of his culinary efforts, and the pizzaiolo is able to successfully modify or change course of action when a previous course of action becomes problematic. In doing so, the pizzaiolo does not compromise the integrity of the dough to be made into pizzas. At the end, the pizzas baked by the pizzaiolo reflect his character and creativity.
§22. Odyssey
The journey into the genesis of Neapolitan pizza is an odyssey, and every odyssey has an inbuilt sense of return to a distant past. To move forward, we must look back!
Next article: Part 2: A Brief History of Naples


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|Posted by Scott Metko on January 27, 2013 at 10:10 PM
Four new inductees added to Spartanburg Music Trail
By Dan Armonaitis
Published: Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 1:58 p.m.
The Spartanburg Music Trail officially has four new inductees.
Hub City natives Marshall Chapman, the Sparkletones, David Ball and Buck Trent will be honored in 2013 after topping a poll in which the public was asked to choose from among eight nominees.
A two-sided sign representing Chapman and the Sparkletones will be installed near the corner of Liberty and St. John streets in the winter; one representing Ball and Trent will be installed in the vicinity of the George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics next summer.
"The public has spoken, and we're excited that we now know who will be honored," said Betsy Teter, executive director of the Hub City Writers Project, a nonprofit organization that spearheaded the trail's creation. "We're looking forward to planning events associated with both induction ceremonies."
Nearly 2,000 people cast votes in the poll, which ran on the Herald-Journal's entertainment website, 85-26.com, from late September through the end of October.
"We were really pleased with the number of people who participated," Teter said. "It's clear that Spartanburg is a town that loves its musicians."
The Music Trail opened in 2011 with 12 inaugural inductees selected by a committee organized by the Hub City Writers Project.
Those musicians – Ira Tucker, Arthur Prysock, Clara Smith, William Walker, the Marshall Tucker Band, Pink Anderson, Johnny Blowers, Hank Garland, Champ Hood, Walter Hyatt, Don Reno and the Blue Ridge Quartet – already have signs representing them in downtown Spartanburg.
"We're one of just a small handful of communities in the entire country that honors its musicians in a public way, and it makes me proud to be a resident of Spartanburg," Teter said.
Gospel singers Bob Beatty and Julius "June" Cheeks, along with classical musicians David Daniels and Carlos Moseley, were also nominated but didn't receive enough votes to be inducted.
"For those disappointed that their choice wasn't selected, we want to stress that we'll go through this process again next year," Teter said. "There are no losers. The only thing we're voting on is the timing of the various ceremonies.
"I'm sure that all of the artists who were nominated will eventually get on the trail."
About the four new Spartanburg Music Trail inductees:
*Chapman is a Nashville, Tenn.-based singer-songwriter who has released 12 critically acclaimed albums and had songs cut by such artists as Jimmy Buffett and Emmylou Harris.
*The Sparkletones, formed by four local teenagers, were a rockabilly group that appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and had a major hit in 1957 with "Black Slacks."
*Ball is a Nashville, Tenn.-based country music singer best known for such hits as "Thinkin' Problem" and "Riding with Private Malone."
*Trent, who still performs regularly in Branson, Mo., invented the electric banjo and worked closely with country music legends Porter Wagoner and Roy Clark in the 1960s and '70s.
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