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Six Faculty Members at Albert Einstein College of Medicine Named 2014 AAAS Fellows
Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Samuel H. Golding Chair in Microbiology
During infection all enveloped viruses use the essential steps of membrane fusion to enter a cell, and membrane budding to produce infectious progeny viruses. Molecular information on these processes is critical to understanding the infection pathways of enveloped viruses and as a key model for cellular membrane fusion and budding reactions.
Our research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of virus-membrane fusion and virus budding using alphaviruses and the closely related virus Rubella virus, and flaviviruses such as dengue virus (DENV). The flaviviruses and alphaviruses include many important human pathogens such as dengue, West Nile, and Chikungunya viruses, which cause millions of human infections each year. There are currently no vaccines or antiviral therapies for these viruses, and new strategies are urgently needed.
Alphaviruses, Rubella virus and flaviviruses enter cells by endocytic uptake and then fuse their membrane with the endosome membrane in a reaction triggered by the low pH of the endocytic vesicle. The membrane fusion proteins of these viruses are structurally related proteins and refold during fusion to a homotrimer conformation that mediates virus fusion and infection. In collaboration with Dr. Félix Rey, we determined the structure of the homotrimer of the alphavirus fusion protein E1. This structure is strikingly similar to the DENV homotrimer. Using the structures as a guide, our lab developed fragments of the alphavirus and DENV fusion proteins that act as dominant-negative inhibitors of virus fusion and infection. We have reconstituted trimer formation in vitro on target membranes using purified proteins.
Many important questions on the molecular mechanism of membrane fusion remain. We are investigating the mechanism of fusion protein insertion into the target membrane using in vitro reconstitution and fluorescent labeling approaches. Cooperative interactions occur between trimers in vitro but their functional role is controversial and untested. We seek to define these E1 contacts and to determine if they play a critical role for alphaviruses and for other fusion proteins. We are investigating the novel calcium requirement for the insertion of the Rubella virus fusion protein into target membranes.
During alphavirus and flavivirus biogenesis, a companion protein forms a closely-associated dimer with the fusion protein, and protects it from low pH and premature fusion during exocytic transport. This companion protein must then dissociate to permit virus fusion. We are studying these key pH protection and dissociation steps. The pH protection mechanisms for many other viruses are unknown, and we are using Rubella virus as a system to define novel mechanisms of pH protection.
Alphaviruses exit by budding through the plasma membrane of the infected host cell. Little is known about the budding of either alphaviruses or flaviviruses, although it is clear that budding is highly specific (excluding host proteins) and produces very organized virus particles. How does this happen and what are the roles of cellular and viral factors? We have developed fluorescently tagged alphaviruses to follow virus assembly and budding in real time in infected cells. We are investigating how the virus spreads from cell to cell, how the internal RNA-capsid core is recruited to the site of budding, and how the envelope proteins exclude host proteins from the budding site. The cell plasma membrane and cytoskeletal network are extensively remodeled during budding and we are defining the mechanisms and signaling pathways that mediate remodeling. We carried out a genome-wide RNAi screen to identify host factors involved in alphavirus entry and exit, and we are currently defining the role of these novel proteins in the virus lifecycle.
Our lab uses a wide variety of approaches including molecular biology, virus genetics, protein biochemistry, live cell imaging, cell biology, fluorescence spectroscopy, small molecule and RNAi screens, and structural biology. Potential research projects include: use of fluorescently tagged viruses to follow steps in virus assembly and budding, characterization of the role of viral and cellular factors in virus entry and exit, mutagenesis of virus infectious clones to characterize specific steps in fusion and pH protection.
Please see PubMed link on the upper right.
More Information About Dr. Margaret Kielian
Material in this section is provided by individual faculty members who are solely responsible for its accuracy and content.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Chanin Building, Room 515A
Bronx, NY 10461


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Microscopes with an upright-style frame are capable of producing fluorescence illumination either through episcopic or diascopic optical pathways, although the latter is rarely used today. Epi-illuminators usually consist of a mercury or xenon lamphouse coupled to a vertical illuminator that is positioned above the main frame in a separate assembly. The microscope nosepiece and transmitted light components (diascopic illuminator, condenser, field diaphragm, filters, etc.) are built into the main frame, while fluorescence components are housed in the vertical illuminator. These illuminators often contain a revolving or sliding turret that houses four to six "cubes" that contain a mixture of interference filters including a barrier filter, dichroic mirror, and an excitation filter. As illustrated above, light emitted from the lamp positioned in the episcopic lamphouse passes through a collector lens and then the field and aperture diaphragms before entering the first interference filter in the cube set, the emission filter. This light is then directed through the objective and onto the specimen by a special dichroic mirror that reflects certain wavelengths while passing others. Secondary fluorescence, emitted by fluorophores residing in the specimen, travels back through the objective and the dichroic mirror before passing through a barrier filter and into the microscope eyepieces or camera system.
Contributing Authors
William K. Fester and Mortimer Abramowitz - Olympus America, Inc., Two Corporate Center Drive., Melville, New York, 11747.
Michael W. Davidson and Thomas J. Fellers - National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 East Paul Dirac Dr., The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32310.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Louisiana Tech is 9-3, has the nation's highest-scoring offense, was once viewed as a potential BCS buster and is not playing in a bowl game.
But the Bulldogs aren't staying home from bowl play because of an unwillingness to play in-state rival Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl, Louisiana Tech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde told USA TODAY Sports.
In what he called a "late development," the Bulldogs were squeezed out of bowl play as a result of Northern Illinois' leap into the Orange Bowl, the WAC's disintegration and the Independence Bowl's own timeline, which forced Louisiana Tech to make a decision on its postseason plans ahead of schedule.
Van De Velde said that the Independence Bowl issued an invitation to the Bulldogs late on Friday night. In response, the university told the bowl's selection committee that it needed more time to vet the postseason opportunities still on its plate.
Van De Velde said he received a call from Missy Setters, the executive director of the Independence Bowl, on Saturday during halftime of the Oklahoma-TCU game. Setters told Van De Velde that the bowl needed an immediate decision. Van De Velde told Setters that he was still waiting on other opportunities, and that he wouldn't know how the Liberty Bowl and Heart of Dallas Bowl would go until Sunday. Setters replied that if Louisiana Tech wasn't ready to move on Saturday afternoon, the Independence Bowl would take a MAC team – Ohio.
PREVIOUSLY: Louisiana Tech could crash BCS party
"We had played there in 2008, and the sponsor is a graduate of Louisiana Tech, so I thought they would wait for us," Van De Velde said. "We all agreed we wanted to wait, so we said to them, 'We don't want to turn it down, but we need time to see how this plays out.' "
Waiting cost Louisiana Tech its spot. "They chose to go in another direction," Van De Velde said, rather than wait to see if the Bulldogs chose to play its bowl game in Shreveport.
"We never declined" the bid, Van De Velde said. "We just asked for more time. They felt like they had to move, and I understand. But we felt like we needed time to see how this played out."
Forty teams with records worse than Louisiana Tech accepted bowl bids this season. Ten out of 35 bowl games will include teams with .500 records or worse.
BOWL SCHEDULE: Dates and times of every game
In a perfect world, Van De Velde said, the team would have either gone to the Liberty Bowl or the Heart of Dallas Bowl – the former against Tulsa, the Conference USA champs, and the latter on Jan. 1. The Bulldogs have never played in a January bowl, so the Heart of Dallas Bowl held some appeal. On Sunday, Northern Illinois' BCS berth also shoved the Bulldogs out of both the Liberty Bowl and the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
"We were pretty sure we were headed to the Liberty Bowl or the Heart of Dallas Bowl, but what happened was Northern Illinois moved up to the top 16, and that caused a domino effect that knocked Oklahoma out of the Sugar Bowl," Van De Velde said.
"We thought that if Kent State got beat Friday night, and Oklahoma and Kansas State won, the Big 12 would get two into the BCS and we'd be playing on New Year's Day or in the Liberty Bowl. The Heart of Dallas then filled, and then the Big 12 had an extra bowl-eligible team, and the Liberty Bowl chose them (Iowa State) over us."
Louisiana Tech's avenues for postseason play were also limited by the WAC's dearth of bowl tie-ins. The conference, which is in its last season of existence as a football league on the FBS level, has only one official bowl tie-in, to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; that bid went to Utah State, the WAC champions. The second-place team, San Jose State, will meet Bowling Green in the Military Bowl on Dec. 27.
"What hurt us is that we're in a conference that's disintegrating," Van De Velde said. "It only has one bowl tie-in. We weren't the champions, Utah State was, and they got that tie-in. Next year, we won't have that issue, because we're going into Conference USA and they have five bowl tie-ins."
As a result of all three factors – the Independence Bowl's timeline, Northern Illinois' BCS run and the WAC's lack of tie-ins – a nine-win team is staying home from bowl play.
"It's just an unfortunate situation that in this particular year, we got caught," Van De Velde said.


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Men's Yellow Lace Agate Stone Ring
This Ring from the Origin Collection has been crafted from 925 Sterling Silver with 14KT Yellow Gold Plating of 1.5 Micron and Yellow Lace Agate Stone. This collection is a homage to Mother Earth's beauty through timeless designs with exotic stones and innovative metal textures. Immersed in Nature, I sense the beauty of Mother Earth,. Awed by the innumerable eons of her journey from birth;. She has been here for four and a half billion years,. Faltering and thriving through change without fears;. She lends me her oceans, mountains, and flowing streams,. Caring for her playground enriches how I live my dreams;. Exotic stones from her deepest bedrock shine light on her journey,. Reminding me to embrace the past and lead a life that is worthy;. Ten thousand generations hence, Mother will continue to be,. Wearing a glimpse of her beauty is a true honour for me. 925 Sterling Silver with 14KT Yellow Gold Plating (1.5 Micron). Yellow Lace Agate Stone. Keep it dry. Preserve it in our elegant box when not in use. Keep it clean.


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When breaking down the Houston Texans in our "Draft Questions" series, we focused on the team's need to add a complement to Andre Johnson who could eventual be his successor.
Predict the Pick:
Create your own mock draft and you could win a trip to Kickoff 2013.
We're hardly the only ones to make this point. In fact, even Andre Johnson thinks Andre Johnson needs help.
"I'd like to have another (receiver)," Johnson said Saturday, according to the Houston Chronicle. "I'm all for it. I've asked for it for awhile. The more weapons we have, the better it'll be for the team."
The Texans hit the jackpot when they took Johnson with the third overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. The Texans haven't used a first-round pick on a wideout in the nine drafts since. Johnson is coming off another standout season, but he'll be 32 in July.
The Texans waived Kevin Walter in March after six seasons as a starter. Truth be told, Walter's production didn't warrant that long of a run. Houston likes 2012 third-round pick DeVier Posey, but he'll likely miss the first half of 2013 as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn Achilles.
"If we're able to add another guy, it would probably be the best group of receivers we've had since I've been here," Johnson said, quite tellingly. "Adding another guy (to go with) Posey, Lestar (Jean) and Keshawn (Martin) -- that's a lot of talent. Not only would it be good for now, but it would be good for our future."
One option to keep an eye on: Tennessee wideout Justin Hunter might be in play for Houston at 27th overall. Hunter is raw, but his speed and playmaking ability are undeniable. NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell calls Hunter "the most physically talented" receiver on the board.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.


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Kids slept for 2 hours yesterday - yayayayayay!!
This means I was able to start and finish the nursing cover.
Here it is all folded up
Hanging on the door knob
This is the pattern (I love it! but it's a gift and not for me)
I also packaged up a Sophie Toy Leash to go along with the cover.


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BIOL 111. Controversies in Biology. 1 Credit.
Offered Occasionally; Lecture hours:3,Recitation:1
Introduction for the non-science major. Background on molecules, cells, and genetics. Required recitation will include discussions about current advances and controversies in biology. Not for pre-health students. Will not count toward the biology major. Students who take BIOL 111 may not take BIOL 121.


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There was once a fair young maiden, with hair like a river of gold. Her beauty was a gift passed down from mother to daughter. Plagued by illness, her mother had grown sicker, and sicker, until finally, only her deathbed await. With her father gone to seek a cure for her mother, Vassilissa, as the maiden was called, saw over her mother's last words.
"Vassilissa, my sweet daughter, I am so sorry. I will not be here to aide you in your troubles. But do not fear." Her mother breathed, and Vassilissa, sweet girl that she was, shook her head, begging her mother silent. But her mother continued to speak with the last of her strength. "Go to the cupboard. Inside, there is a doll. This doll will be your companion when I cannot. If you ever find yourself for loss of what to do, feed her a bit of food, and give her just a sip of water, and tell her your troubles."
Vassilissa swore that she would, and held the doll close to her breast as her mother slipped from this world. And as all things must, her story continued. Her father returned, not with a cure, but with a new bride. Vassilissa tried not to let her heart harden against the man, but it was impossible not to when he left not three days after, leaving her alone with her new step mother and the woman's daughter.
Her step-sister was not a dutiful girl, spending her time instead in town, flirting with the boys and pushing off the chores of the farm upon Vassilissa. Vassilissa's step-mother grew angrier and angrier, but instead of punishing the step-sister, she blamed it on the golden haired girl. Vassilissa learned true cruelty at her step-mother's hands.
The step-mother grew colder and more hateful each day, as she watched Vassilissa grow even more beautiful and dutiful and intelligent, while her own daughter grew lazy and spiteful and ignorant. One day, she just couldn't take it any longer. Her husband had not sent enough money for all three of them to live comfortably, and she was not going to let her daughter starve for this wretch.
So she sent Vassilissa on an errand. In the dead of winter, with the wind howling and the snow falling, she sent the girl out into the woods surrounding their farm, to gather flowers. Fresh ones. Dutiful and sweet, Vassilissa could find no way to say no, to beg pardon from the awful cold outside. However, she was unable, and was sent into the cold. Her tears froze on her cheeks, and her hands trembled around the basket and the little doll she always carried.
At least she had a bit of bread and some cheese to have for a snack. Finding a small hollow beneath a great huge tree, she lifted the bread and the crumbs to her mouth. And then, as suddenly as a lightning bolt, she remembered her mother's words. With shaking fingers, she fed the little doll instead. And then, she told it of her troubles.
To her surprise, she heard the doll speak. In a voice as cold as the ice around them, the doll told her to continue walking into the wind, and not to stop until she smelt a fire. This seemed a cruel thing, but she was used to cruelty now, and so, after chewing slowly her own respite meal, she did as she was bid.
Cold ate at her, and soon, she felt hope, for she smelt a fire. The light and warmth of it were desperately desired by Vassilissa, and it was only when she heard voices that she cautioned herself to stop. In the clearing there was no snow, there was no wind. There was a fire, and around it, twelve man sat. Three were boys, three were young men, three were men grown, and three were old men. She listened to them speak and tell stories for just a moment, before the cold drove her closer, and she stepped into the Field.
"Forgive me, good sirs, please pardon the intrusion, but might I share your fire, if only until the snow passes? I will be happy to share what little food I carry?" She offered, and waited while the men conferred. Eventually, one of the old men bid her sit, and they all asked her to tell her story, to explain why a girl so fair and young was out in such horrid weather.
"My step-mother sent me for flowers to weave into my step-sister's hair." She did not complain, did not whine, but explained truthfully. The men respected this, and when she was done, one of the young men stood, and went to the eldest man.
"January, my friend, might I borrow thy crown for but an hour, to lend this poor girl aid?" And the old man passed his crown to the young, and once it sat upon the young man's head, the snow stopped, and melted away, trees turned leafy and grass turned green. Soon, flowers were blooming everywhere, and Vassilissa was beside herself with joy. She gathered up snowdrops and tulips, daffodils and wild daisies, and then thanked the two profusely. "Your thanks are not needed, but hurry, for I must return the crown to January in an hour. Run home, and stay where it is warm, sweet girl."
Vassilissa did as she was bid, running home through the bright warm woods, and only minutes after she was inside, did January sweep April away like a tempest, the blizzard all the colder now for having been warm. Her step-mother and step-sister stared in awe at the basket of flowers, fresh and impossible in Vassilissa's hand. The step-sister snatched an empty basket, and ran off, following Vassilissa's story. When she returned she was an old woman, cursed by the twelve men in the little clearing for having demanded where Vassilissa had been given.
Again, the step-mother grew resentful and hateful towards the young and beautiful Vassilissa, this time for making an old maid of her daughter. This time, she demanded that Vassilissa seek out the help of the old witch who lives in the woods, that she go to her and get a cure for the curse that her step-sister was under. Being a good, sweet girl, Vassilissa did as she was bid and took a basket full of cheese and bread for the journey.
The wind was cold and the snow still falling as Vassilissa trailed through the woods. She knew stories of Baba Yaga, the old witch who lived in the wood, and she knew that she would not return alive. In her despair, she thought again of the little doll and fed it some cheese and some water melted from snow. The doll asked her her troubles, and she told it her errand.
"Be careful, fair Vassilissa. Drink nothing the old witch gives you. Eat nothing the old witch makes for you. And do not ever open your eyes after dark. She will eat them from your head, should you see her secrets." The doll spoke in a voice black as the evening sky, which slowly filled with stars.
Vassilissa did as she was told, and when she found the old woman's hut, her legs shook with the want to turn around. The hut stood upon chicken's legs, surrounded by a fence made of bones and topped with skulls whose eyes burned with fire. She made her legs move forward, onto the green grass around the hut, and she lifted a hand to knock on the door.
An old woman answered, her eyes dark as night, and her teeth sharp as a cat's. Vassilissa begged her to help her step-sister, and in the end Baba Yaga refused. Vassilissa pleaded with the old woman, and finally, Baba Yaga declared that if Vassilissa could serve her for three days, she would cure her sister. But if she failed even one chore, Vassilissa would be her meal.
She had no choice but to agree, for Vassilissa wouldn't be welcome home without the cure.
The first day, her only test was to search out all of the mice in the old woman's hut, and cook them into a stew. Vassilissa was terrified of this, as mice were biting little things and she did not wish to cook them. But after she fed the doll and gave it some water, the Doll told her to take the cheese from her basket and crumble it up. Scattering it like breadcrumbs, the mice came out of hiding in seconds starved as they were.
Then, Vassilissa caught them all up in a burlap sack, and it wriggled and it squeaked, and she dumped them all, fur and tail, into a pot. She covered it with a lid. Ignoring the terrified scratching, she lifted the pot and set it atop the fire. The shrieks of the mice haunted her dreams that night, and she had no trouble keeping her eyes closed while Baba Yaga bustled around her.
The second day was not nearly so easy. Baba Yaga set her to finding and feeding her chickens. The moment she saw one of these chickens, she knew she would be dinner tonight. Tears bubbled on her cheeks as she gazed upon the razor winged, lion-mawed creatures that had only the barest traces of feathers to call themselves chickens. She hid in a corner, near the hut's chicken legs, and fed the doll some crumbs of bread, and the salty water of her tears. She begged it's help and it told her to braid a rope of her long golden hair, and cut it off. Then she was to dip it into the mouse-soup she had made the night before. After this was done, the doll told her to tie it between two trees and to scatter the buckets of feed underneath it. She did as she was told and was startled to see the beasts racing for the rope, gnawing on it. And when her golden hair snapped and fell, the beasts began to eat their own breakfast as well.
When she returned to the hut, and laid down, the sounds of screaming kept her awake that night, and she flinched whenever she heard the drop of a metal cleaver. She only barely managed to keep her eyes closed through the night.
The next morning, Baba Yaga had an even harder task for her. "You must go into the depths of the underworld, and bring me three teeth of the ruler of that realm."
The old witch took down a cloak of black feathers, and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders. "This will let you pass unharmed through the gates of the underworld. Do not lose it girl, and bring it back to me."
Once again, Vassilissa begged the little doll for help, after feeding it its fill.
"Walk towards the setting sun. As you walk, you will see three horsemen. Do not speak to the first or the second, do not even look at their faces. The third, you must ask him to take you home. He will take you to the bowels of hell. When you are there, you must find and pick the largest apple you can find. Give this to the king of the dead, and he will break his teeth upon it. Take the teeth, and run. Do not look back, do not fear, and do not stop running, even if the ground falls out from beneath your feet."
The fair Vassilissa set foot to road, and walked. Dawn came, and with it, a rider upon a white horse. She didn't dare look up to see his face, and past him without seeing more than the flick of his horse's white tail, and the flying hem of his white cloak.
She walked, and walked, and walked. And then, when the sun was high in the sky and the world was warmer than she could remember it ever having been in winter before, a red rider came thundering down the pass, the hooves of his great beast running swiftly. She did not even see the flutter of his hem as he passed, and for that she was grateful. The goosepimples on her skin were tickled by the feathers of the cloak.
She walked, and walked, and walked again. Finally, as the sun set and the night sky filled with stars, she saw the black horse, as it stood, fidgeting, in the middle of her path. She swallowed, and looked up to his face. She was suddenly glad she did not look at the other two, for this creature had no true face, had only bones and burning red eyes that felt as if they pierced her heart.
She begged in a quiet voice that he take her home, and soon, found herself over the front of his saddle, and the horse careening like a creature possessed through the woods. The girl screamed, and squeezed her eyes closed, and then, as suddenly as her journey began, it was over. She was standing in a dark place, the ground beneath her glowing faintly blue. Twisted trees made of crystal and rock spiraled up around her.
Remembering the little doll's words, she searched desperately for an apple. But all she found growing on the trees were rocks. Red rocks, blue rocks, green rocks. All oddly shaped and hanging from branches like fruit. Finally, she picked one, a green rock that was roughly the size of both of her fists put together.
"Who are you?" A voice called behind her, and she saw a woman, dressed in black and with long black hair that fell over one side of her face. "Where did you come from?"
Vassilissa couldn't get words to come from her throat, and instead, held out what she hoped was the Apple. Vassilissa desperately hoped that perhaps Baba Yaga wouldn't realize if she took this woman's teeth instead. They were only teeth after all, how could one tell the difference between one person's teeth and another? The woman took the fruit, and as if compelled, bit into it. Just as the doll had said, the ghostly woman's teeth cracked and broke into the fruit, and the fair girl snatched the fruit and ran.
It was hard not to look back, it was hard not to stop when she heard the woman shriek, and felt the walls coming down around her and when it felt like she might die if she ran any longer. But eventually, she found herself back on the road. The road that lead to Baba Yaga's house. She had succeeded. She had won.
She took the doll out of her pocket, hoping to share her success with it. She fed it a bit of the stone apple and a bit of the juice from it as well and the doll awoke. She told it of her success, and the doll told her not to return to Baba Yaga, to take the fruit and go back home and give her sister a single bite of the fruit, instead.
Vassilissa returned home, quick despite the slick snow melting between the trees. When she opened the door, her step-mother seemed not to recognize her. Vassilissa wondered how long she'd really been gone. Happily, upon giving her step-sister a single bite of the apple, she saw that it reversed whatever curse the men had cast. Her sister was once again young.
The three women lived in harmony for a bit, the rest of the apple hidden beneath Vassilissa's bed along with the doll. In her happiness, Vassilissa fed the doll one last time, and it spoke to her. "All your troubles will be soon forgotten and one day I will leave you. I ask that you do not come to find me." She didn't know what to say, but agreed, weeping tears for her mother's doll.
It wasn't until months later, in the month of April, that a handsome young man rode through their farm and Vassilissa caught his eye. She was instantly enamored with the handsome man as well, and when he returned with his father, the king, to ask for her hand in marriage she said yes.
Angry beyond all compare at being cheated out of such an opportunity, the step-sister, still lazy and mean-spirited and ignorant, stole the doll and the apple from beneath Vassilissa's bed. She went into the forest to find and demand that Baba Yaga give her a spell to win the prince and make her better than Vassilissa. No one saw the step-sister again, and all throughout Vassilissa's wedding, her step-mother cried bitter tears of grief for her lost daughter.
A new skull sat upon Baba Yaga's fence, and she kept the helpful little doll sitting right next to the odd green rock with the wrong teeth in it. She wondered where that Vassilissa girl wandered off to, but was preparing for the next tale she would appear in. She had a broth to brew before they arrived, after all.


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Heat in a large skillet over medium heat:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Add and brown lightly:
24 pearl onions, peeled
Okay, I've started you on your levain journey, and hopefully you have a good basic idea of how to begin. But the thing about a starter is that it's a long-term relationship. Or at least it can be if you play your cards right.
As in any relationship, the first days are blissful and exciting. You're learning a lot, and the rewards are great. But after those first few loaves of bread, situations are going to arise. Situations in which, oh, say you're going on vacation or perhaps one of your loaves turns out to be a dud. You will be tempted to toss your starter. "Starter," you will say, "you were fun for a while, but, gosh, you're just so slow and old-fashioned." I'm not going to lie to you. Keeping a starter is something of a commitment. But as with any rewarding long-term relationship, as you get to know your starter better, you will be glad you stuck it out through the hard times.
Even more important in my estimation is that you will become a better, more knowledgeable baker through the process of keeping and using a starter. You will be able to troubleshoot, modify, anticipate, and roll with the punches. I won't go quite so far as to say you'll be a better person, but...well...you might.
Just as the seasons affect everything else in your life (although I say this from a temperate climate-dweller's perspective and realize some of you may not experience dramatic seasonal changes)--from the clothes you wear to the foods you eat--so will it affect your starter.
As you might imagine, cooler weather will slow your starter down. Fermentation is affected by multiple variables including sugar content, liquid to solid ratios, and surface area, but perhaps the most obvious variable is temperature.
There are tons of little reactions and processes going on in your starter, and they're fascinating to read about. For now, though, rather than inundate you with scientific information, I will just tell you that when the temperature cools, your starter will slow down.
In practical application, what this means is that you will be able to feed your starter less frequently and it will take longer to mature after feeding. For instance, this past winter I fed my starter every other day instead of every day, and sometimes I even went longer between feedings with no ill effects.
Conversely, in the summer you will need to feed your starter more often. Generally, I feed mine once a day in warm weather, but if your kitchen is very warm you may need to feed it twice a day.
Retarding Your Starter
Some people are crazy about levain-raised breads. They use their starter weekly or perhaps even more often. But this may not work for you. You may love your starter and want to hold on to it for a long time, but you might only want to make bread once every couple weeks or perhaps once a month.
You could keep your starter at room temp and feed it every day, but this would be a huge waste of flour. The better option would be to refrigerate your starter. Refrigerated, your starter's rate of fermentation will slow drastically, enabling you to feed it occasionally and not worry about it surviving. To do this, I recommend making a "stiff" starter, which will slow fermentation even more. To turn your starter into a stiff one, simply take 2 tablespoons of mature starter and add to it 2 parts flour to 1 part water. For instance, one cup flour and one half cup water. Put a lid on the container that the starter is in, and place it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Here it can stay up to a month without being fed at all. I know, it's amazing. I wouldn't believe it either unless I had tried it myself. Some people advise you to feed it once a week if you keep it refrigerated. This is good advice. But know that it can go longer if you need it to.
You can even freeze your starter if you like. There's not much of an advantage here over just putting it in the fridge, but freezing it may suit you better.
Stiff Versus Liquid Starters
I mentioned a stiff starter in passing above, but other than reducing the rate of fermentation what else does a stiff starter bring to the bread-baking table? My personal opinion, having tried breads made with both types of starters, is that there is very little, if any difference in breads made from stiff starters and breads made from liquid starters. It's really a matter of how you like it.
I keep a liquid starter. I find it very easy to simply dump a handful of flour into my starter bucket and then add enough water to make it easily stirrable. It would be slightly more cumbersome to me to have to knead my starter every time I feed it, so I don't.
The theory behind stiff starters is that they result in milder-tasting, less "sour" breads. However, some people believe the opposite to be true. It's not something I would get my knickers in a wad over, folks. If you like your starter stiff, then keep a stiff starter. If you like it liquid, then keep a liquid one.
Converting Your Starter
As you experiment with your starter, you will inevitably run across recipes that call for a starter different from the one you have. I have bread books that deal exclusively with stiff starters and other books that only use liquid starters. No need to panic.
To convert a stiff starter to a liquid starter, simply take 2 tablespoons mature starter and add equal parts flour and water. To convert a liquid starter to a stiff starter, take 2 tablespoons mature starter and add 2 parts flour to 1 part water. Easy peasy.
But what about different kinds of bread? Rye for instance. Do you need to use a rye starter? The short answer is no. You can make a perfectly wonderful rye bread using a white flour starter. If you are of a perfectionist bent, you may want to use rye flour to feed your starter before making a loaf of rye bread, but it is not necessary
Prepping Your Starter
Hypothetical situation. You've been keeping your starter in the fridge but want to bake bread with it this week. How do you get it to come out of hibernation?
I like to allow three days between fridge storage and baking. On day one, I take the starter out of the fridge in the morning, discard most of it, and feed it. That evening, I feed it again. On day two, I feed the starter twice again--once in the morning, once in the evening. On day three, same deal, except for the evening feeding I feed it whatever my bread recipe calls for. For instance, if I need a cup of starter, my recipe may tell me to feed my starter with one cup flour and one cup water. By morning, the starter is ready to use.
The three-day grace period is not set in stone, however. Really what you're looking for is a "return to normalcy" with your starter's behavior. You want to see it rise and fall regularly. If your starter is still acting erratic after a few days on the counter, it may need more time before you use it to bake bread.
Using A Starter Instead of Commercial Yeast
You can convert any bread recipe that uses commercial yeast into a levain-raised bread. Consider that a cup of starter has about the same rising potential as a packet of yeast. Also consider that your starter, if liquid, contains equal parts water and flour. Thus, if you use a cup of liquid starter in a bread recipe designed for instant or active dry yeast, you need to subtract 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup liquid from the recipe.
You will want to tweak this to your liking. I prefer a wetter dough when baking levain-raised breads, as they seem to rise better and I prefer the more open crumb, so I might subtract 3/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup liquid for every cup of starter I use.
Another thing to take into account is that levain-raised breads take a lot longer. Your favorite sandwich bread may be ready to go into the oven after 3 hours of rising, but when converted to be used with your starter it will take much, much longer. Of course, the vast majority of this time is hands-off. But anticipate an 8 to 12 hour rise. Further, there's no need to go through the double rising that most bread recipes call for (the first rise in a bowl and the second in the loaf pan). Simply shape the kneaded dough, place it in the loaf pan, and allow it to rise once.
Other articles you might enjoy: Sourdough or Levain? Debunking the Myths and Mysteries of Wild Yeast, Basic Levain
I am completely new to levain. In the last week I have been reading 4 baking books and dozens of sites in regards to the matter. I have found that these brief few posting of yours, among all that I have read, are truly the most clear, easy to understand and certainly the only ones that actually made me want to start this process.
So, all I want to say is THANK YOU!
I have started using a starter in my breads about a month and a half now.. all I can say is WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MAKES!! I think I will never make bread again without it.. I have had mine for about a month and a half now. I keep it refrigerated and feed it each time I take from it which is at least one or twice a week.
It sounds like you mostly leave your levain out on the counter and you feed it every day. I'm wondering if you feed it quite small amounts just to keep it going, or if you take out a chunk of the starter each time and then feed it. If you're taking starter out every day, are you throwing it away or baking every single day? Or if you take out small amounts of starter each day, maybe you collect those amounts over a week and then bake once a week? I'm trying to wrap my head around how you do it so I can figure out what'll work best for me. Thank you so much for the info in the post!!
What if you have gone weeks without feeding your fridge-stored start? Should it be tossed and should I start anew, or will it be okay if I feed it again?
Thanks! I am going to see if I can bring it to life again. :)
I tried a recipe for sourdough, or bread made with levain, that I got from the King Arthur's webpage but the result seemed so solid and sticky that I didn't dare bake it. Can you describe the rising process in a little detail? The instructions I followed were to combine the levain with 3 cups (of 5)flour and 1 1/2 c. water rise it on the counter 4 hours then 12 hours in the fridge, then pull it out add the other two cups flour, some salt, sugar and sour salt (if wanted...I didn't), kneed it, divide it then rise it 2 to for more hours. Mine never got to looking like raised bread that I've made in the past looks and I couldn't even handle it so I threw it away. What did I do wrong? I don't mind the time but nothing looked like dough usually does.
About the Tartine recipe....
I started baking sourdough bread with recipes online, and their folding and kneading techniques were sticky and a pain, and I got really poor results. But my friend lent me her Tartine bread book and from the first time I used the recipe, I got AMAZING results!! The crust was perfectly crispy but not burned and the crumb was wide and open. Plus it was sooo much easier to make and it gave directions and pictures for every step of the way! I highly recommend that book!!!!
I was given a starter months ago, October I think, now is March (yikes). It has been in my fridge with a tight lid ever since...I have not feed it once! Have I murdered my starter??? Help!
Also about the Tartine recipe...
I am in the midst of making the starter for the first time (well my first starter period), and I made a mistake 3 days running. I did not discard any of the starter. It seems to be on track and bubbling away nicely, but I have have two questions: how do I know how much to use? What is the volume needed for the actual recipe? and ... will it still work without the discard part?
Wow these are great instructions. I am leaving for the summer and have a starter that was given to me by a neighbour. I have used it twice with some success- still learning! I will ask my someone to feed my starter for me while it is kept in the fridge but she really can't do anything too complicated. if I add 1 c flour and 1/2 cup H2O every 10 days without discarding should that be ok? then it will be left for about 3 weeks without feeding until I get back home. I have been trying to research how to maintain it while I am gone and this post has made me feel better! Now I want to try the tartine recipe! is that Tartine in SF?
You don't need to feed the starter if it's in the fridge Blair... just cover it with wrap and put in the back of the fridge. The Tartine recipe is amazing and worth the effort! Yes, they are in SF.... best gougeres we've ever had.
I just revived starter that I had in my fridge for close to a year, with no feeding in between. I didn't use all of the dormant starter so I just stuck it back into the fridge for later use, give aways or in case something happens to what I reactivated.
At the end of this posting, "Keeping a Sourdough Starter Long-term" it says there is no need for the second rising, just make the dough and put it in the pans to rise before baking.
Is this true for most sourdough recipes? Namely King Arthur's Buttery Sourdough Buns recipe. Thanks.
I came to this site to find out if there was any risk (health-wise) in using my starter after I did the same thing. I left it out for three days without feeding it, and was surprised when I took the lid of the crock to see a dry crust on top, rather than the liquid that usually accumulates. I scraped the crust off, stirred the remainder (haven't fed it yet), and it still has some bubbles in it. I've read that the only time you need to worry about starter "going bad" is if it develops mold, changes color to pink or orange, or smells bad. I was a little concerned because it wasn't until AFTER I discarded the crust off the top that I asked myself "Hey, was that crust sort of orangish colored?" And the smell is not what I would call bad at all, but is IS distinctly different - a very sharp sour smell. Almost stings my nose to sniff it. But thanks to your post I am going to try reviving a bit of it, and hope that it won't kill us if I bake with it, lol. PS: I don't see any dates on these posts, so I don't know if I'm replying to a thread from yesterday, or one from five years ago...
I have had the same starter for years. I took a pint jar and froze some it. It kept for years, when I thawed it out, it immediately started to ferment. I also keep a large amount of starter, I keep it in a plastic Folgers large coffee can, about 3 quarters full, when I am baking regularly I keep it liquid form, when I am gone for awhile I change to stiff form. I always keep the liquid in the fridge and feed it once a week. I only throw some away when my container gets to full. If I am lazy I make sourdough bread in the bread machine. I also use my starter to make Bannock, it is delicious. I vary the Bannock recipe depending on how big a pan I am using and how thick I want it. It is not rocket science and it is very hard to screw up a starter. I know, I thought I have screwed up many times by forgetting about. But, little water, handful of flour, some honey or sugar and them little things in there start working again.The easiest way to make a starter is through a handful of flour in a bowl and about half as much water and mix it together and let it go, the next day do the same thing, soon you will see bubbles and it rising and you now have a starter. For friends of mine I just give them a cup of my starter and tell them to sart feeding it. 4 to one, flour to to water.
Does this mean that it will always 3 days between the time I take the starter out of the fridge and the time it is ready as final dough to bake?
Good morning, we have too much starter and want to know if we can freeze some to use later? If so how would you recommend and in what amounts?
I followed your directions for my very first levain and it proceeded perfectly. I completed my very first bake and had no epic fail, in fact the boules were quite nice, and I thank you for all your fine advice. I have owned a copy (various editions) of The Joy Of Cooking for over thirty years, though I rarely use a recipe, and now I will gift someone the app as a way of showing my appreciation!
Thanks for the kind words Matthew! Glad your boules turned out well.
You definitely need to give the starter enough time to "wake up" after napping in the refrigerator. If it's bubbling and appears active after less time, go for it!
We have never tried freezing starter, but others say that freezing will kill it. Sad... apparently you can spread the starter thinly on some parchment and dry it for longer-term storage though. Again, haven't tried it, but it looks intriguing (I found the procedure here: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/05/01/putting-sourdough-starter-hold/ )
I read somewhere that the rule of thumb is that you must at least double your starter when feeding it. So if you have 100g of starter, you need to have at least 200g after feeding. Otherwise there is not enough fresh flour to sustain the growth of new yeasts and bacteria. This is why people discard starter each time they feed it. You could simply keep doubling it, but you'd end up using an awful lot of flour and have way too much starter On hand.
I generally weigh my starter and then add a 50:50 combination of flour and water so as to at least double the quantity of starter that I begin with. For example, with 100g starter, I would sdd 50g flour and 50g of water. You can add more flour and water, but never less.
When we feed our starter, we always discard all but a very small amount--less than 1/4 cup. If your starter is very active, you can even get away with just keeping the starter that clings to the sides of the vessel. Then we simply add flour and water (200g of each if you're prepping the starter for baking the next day, less if you're just doing a routine feeding). If we're feeling really lazy, we just eyeball the amounts ;)
Should I keep a tied lid on my starter or should it be loose? I have it in the fridge.
Keep it tightly covered Ilona. It will dry out quickly in the refrigerator.
Can I use the rye sourdough in other bread recipes?
How much of rye sourdough in relation the other two ingredients flour and water?
Hi Meg:
I'm interested in doing your recipe. Where can I get your complete recipe for this standard sourdough bread?
Thanks for your kind reply.


text: Not exactly tennis, but this is my paternal grandfather (front left), with his darts team. I don't know the date, but he was born in 1893, so this is probably about 1913. He was born in Camberwell Road, Peckham in London, and married in Wimbledon so the connection isn't so tenuous! After his marriage he lived in Raynes Park, not far from Wimbledon. He died in 1954, aged only 61 – my only memory of him is from photos.


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From Bloominglabs
This is our friendly hackerspace AI. It greets people over the audio network when someone uses RFID to connect. It tells users of the space over the scrolling LED sign. It also does various other things.
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text:
I really love that we're heading into summer with longer days – which means more time to be outside with our kids. Here are some of our new favorites for the season…we'll be continuing to update this list in the coming weeks.
Nature Station Playhouse (Step 2) I love this little playhouse that is designed for older toddlers and preschoolers – maybe because it looks like Pooh, Tigger and Piglet should be there too. Kids enjoy having small spaces that are designed just for them. This playhouse has a working periscope (really fun), a sink, a working shutter, and a fenced in area so if you're invited in- there's a bigger space for adults. This product is pricey at $249.99 but will be used for a long stretch. (This playhouse is marked 3 & up due to all the extra things that come with it–but the structure itself will be enjoyed by younger children. There are larger play sets from Step 2 that have more height–our recommendation is take your kids along when you're shopping for this type of equipment. If you decide to bring this product home to older toddlers, put the goodies away until they're older.)
Sandbox Vehicles Eco Trucks from Sprig Toys were a hit with our testers. These are very lightweight – making them easy for kids to use and to take along to the park or backyard sand box. Made from recycled materials. Our favorite is the Dump Truck.
Dump Truck (Green Toys) The new line of green trucks from Green Toys are heavier than the Sprig trucks. They feel more like a traditional plastic toy truck- with the upside here being that they are also made from recycled materials. Handsomely designed – they got high marks from our testers.
Hot Wheels Color Shifters Blaster (Mattel) I've already blogged about this toy and I think I'm a little sad that I gave our sample away! My mother doesn't agree with my over the top enthusiasm for this play set–but I really think this is one of the best toys going. I'm suggesting that it's even better if you play with it outside–because truth be told-it does get alittle wet if you're really playing with it full tilt. The cars react to cold and hot water–and will turn a different color when put into either temperature (I KNOW!) Best yet, it comes with a squirt bottle so you can change the cars by squirting them. If you don't want to buy the whole set–I'd suggest buying one of the cars–you can use any squirt bottle to have the same experience. If you want to be the super cool grown up, bring this toy home to any three year old you know. I do think the car that turns from blue to yellow is much more dramatic than some of the other color changes (yellow/orange).
Drive, Chip and Putt Golf Trainer (Little Tikes) There are two different"ts' to hit the golf ball from…making this a little different from your average plastic golf set. Our testers really enjoyed the sport of this game and the sturdy design made it a solid choice for the 2-4 crowd.
Monster Badminton Set (International Playthings) This set will be ready next month but I had to show it to you now. These over-sized rackets and birdies are just what our family needed. They are fun for little kids–but truth be told, if you're not the most athletic person–this is a set for you! You'd be hard pressed to miss this birdie! It does not come with a net–our toy testers just liked playing with it alone.
Maxi Scooter (Kickboard USA) Maybe because I'm not the most coordinated person, I loved the idea of this scooter. It comes with three wheels and a wider platform for added stability but still looks cool. As I hoped, our new scooter testers had no trouble with this scooter and really enjoyed it. It comes with two handles–a traditional T-handle and a joystick. We recommend the traditional handle as a starting point. It's designed for kids 6-10. The company now also makes a Mini Kick Scooter (smaller in scale for younger kids 2-5)…also with three wheels. Helmets are a must!
Razor Spark Scooter (Razor) The granddaddy of scooters just got a very neat feature. When you break, it sparks out the back. Our testers thought this was pretty cool–although if you're the one doing the braking, it is hard to see the spark–but your friends will!
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text:
The I'll Fake Manhattan/
Did you know you can make a Manhattan* with aged rum instead of bourbon? Because you totally can and it's really pretty good!
I happened upon this discovery of sorts while toying with recipes for that Montreal Bar vs. Chef competition I clearly can't stop talking about. My original idea was to do a flip, but after many, many attempts to make even a halfway-decent one, it was clear that what I had on my hands was actually a flop. (Rim shot!)
This left me stuck in a cocktail-intellectual vacuum, not knowing where to go next. (My swizzle idea, which I ultimately went with, hadn't yet come to me. ) I thought maybe a way to go would be to start with a classic cocktail recipe as a template and work my way forward from there. And voila -- the I'll Fake Manhattan!
The I'll Fake Manhattan
1 ounce aged rum
1/2 ounce Cinzano Sweet Vermouth
1/4 ounce Cinzano Dry Vermouth
1/4 ounce Luxardo
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
Splash of orange-infused gin, optional
Brandied cherry, to garnish
Combine all liquid ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir vigorously with a bar spoon, strain into chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a brandied cherry.
Tasting Notes
Usually I tell you exactly which brands of liquor I use when making a cocktail; above, I just said "aged rum" because I actually mixed two together, for purely practical reasons; I didn't have a full ounce of Appleton Reserve left after all the experimenting I did with it for Montreal Bar vs. Chef. I made up the difference with Rhum Barbancourt. Appleton has a more piquant flavor profile, methinks, whereas I find Barbancourt to be more smooth, rounded and bourbon-like. What you will.
Note that, with my use of both sweet and dry vermouths, what we have here is a perfect Manhattan, and that I have indeed strayed from a classic Manhattan recipe by using Peychaud's instead of Angostura bitters.
My splash of orange-infused gin, I just like. Rounds things out a bit more. Makes it go down a little quicker. No biggie if you don't have it, although you can make it super simply.
*Did you also know that the Rodgers and Hart tune you probably remember as "I'll Take Manhattan" is actually just called "Manhattan," which makes it really hard to Google? Well, at least now you get why I called this drink what I called it.


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For the 10th straight year, the festival stayed out of the red, drawing crowds to the art exhibits and events on the grounds and to the Pageant of the Masters.
The financial and popular success of the season was announced at the annual membership meeting Nov. 9 in the Festival Forum Theatre.
"I'd like to take the credit, but I only count the money," said Anita Mangels, festival treasurer.
Mangels reported a net of almost $1 million for the 2011 season. Net assets have increased from $7.7 million in 2008 to an unaudited $10.3 million in 2011, while liabilities were lower than posted in 2009 and 2010.
Ticket sales to the pageant were up by 2.1%, and couldn't have gotten much better.
Only 424 seats were unsold for the 56-show season, a remarkable 99.97% of the 2,600 seats in the Irvine Bowl. Almost 226,000 people attended the show and the pageant this year.
"The past year has, by all measures, been once again successful," festival President Fred Sattler said at the annual meeting.
The show's success over the years made it possible for the festival to give financial assistance to Laguna Beach artists whose homes and/or studios were damaged or lost in the December deluge, he said.
Some of the net proceeds will fund the city's annual grants, an agreement in the festival's lease of the city-owned grounds, the terms of which are being negotiated.
Proceeds from the festival also funded $82,400 in scholarships awarded for the 2011-12 academic year, announced by board Secretary Pat Kollenda.
"There were 16 freshmen awards:, three scholarships in dance, two in music, five in performing arts, four in visual arts and two in writing," she said. "The freshmen average high school grade point average was 3.56. In addition, there were also scholarships awarded to 35 returning recipients, with a GPA of 3.55. Our recipients are not only talented, they are smart."
Healthy finances also made site improvements possible under the direction of Gary Fowler. In addition to a series of fire code upgrades to the stage house in the spring, a major earthquake retrofit of the house and rigging was completed a couple of weeks ago. The roof was also replaced.
"Directly behind the bowl, we are planting over 140 trees, mostly live oaks, to create a buffer zone from light and sound, and of course maintain the beautiful ambience of the bowl," Sattler said.
He credited the tenacity of board member Wayne Baglin for the completion of the projects.
Also in the past year, the festival established two new satellite locations: foaSOUTH and foaNORTH.
"We couldn't have done those projects without the vision and leadership of board member Tom Lamb," Sattler said. "Together these two enterprises reinforce the festival dedication to promoting its heritage, preserving its history and maintaining its commitment to art education."
Not only does the festival exhibit art, it collects it, too. The collection was augmented this year by Rick Lang's donation of his family archives: 55 boxes of photographs and materials related to the festival and pageant, and regional historical information dating from 1970.
Lang estimated the donations includes more than 750,000 images, souvenir programs, newspaper articles, posters and postcards.
The festival will be in full celebration mode for the next two years, with two milestones coming up: the 80th anniversary of the art show in 2012 and the pageant's 80th birthday in 2013.
Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy — "Dee" when she is with locals — presented a video preview of the 2012 show, titled "The Genius."
"I thought I knew what they did," said Mayor Toni Iseman, a de facto member of the 10-member festival board. "But I didn't. The CD really captures what they do and I am requesting that it be put on the city website."
Casting calls for the show will be held in January.
"The theme actually originated back in 2009, when we produced 'The Muse,'" Challis Davy said. "The show examined women's roles in making and inspiring art and [tableaux vivants] were selected from a feminine point of view. I thought it would be interesting to craft a companion show, one with a masculine sensibility, focusing on the power, strength and intelligence inherent in masterful works of art.
The show will also draw a corollary between art and advances in science and technology. And it will restore Leonardo DaVinci's "Last Supper" to the show finale, which was replaced this year by Salvador Dalí's version.
With few exceptions, the works in the show are by men. Among them: American painters John Singer Sargent and Norman Rockwell; European painters Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, and Vincent van Gogh; and sculptors Michelangelo and Auguste Rodin.
Next year, 2012, will be Challis Davy's 17th year as show director, but she was part of the team long before that.
Her 30 years of participation were recognized at the membership meeting, along with Life Memberships presented to Sharon Ames, Elaine Fliesher, Doug Hood, Kathy Hood, Kasey Elizabeth Perry, Charles Remley and Mandy Writer, who have at least 15 years to their credit.
The awards were presented by Challis Davy, Mangels and board member David Perry, whose daughter was among the recipients.
Student volunteers Kathryn Zimmermann, Emily Writer, Kaitlyn Waidley, Emily Tomich, Shannon McNulty, Christianne Kinder, Alex Kempler, Rebecca Hernandez, Kyle Grabiel and Sydney Ames were also recognized, with awards presented by board member Ann Webster.
Each of the 2011 high school graduates received $750.
The meeting concluded with the announcement of the 2012 festival board. Three candidates applied for the three open seats, so an election was not held. Bob Moffett, Baglin and Steven Dicterow, the latter two former mayors of Laguna, will continue to serve.
The 2011 executive committee of Sattler, Mangels, Lamb and Kollenda was reelected.
OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Call (949) 302-1469 or email email@example.com with Attn. Barbara Diamond in the subject line.


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Money-hungry NFL owners won't be denied when it comes to full-time football in London, and it'll be a European vacation compared to the first foray 22 years ago
Sunday marks the first of two games of the 2013 NFL International Series as the Minnesota Vikings "host" the Pittsburgh Steelers at Wembley Stadium in London (the Jacksonville Jaguars meet the San Francisco 49ers next month). With this year's doubling of NFL inventory previously available to the English market, one can surmise that two games eventually will become three, three will become four, four will become six ... until we have an NFL team stationed in London.
Although many dismiss the notion of an overseas NFL franchise, I certainly do not. Commissioner Roger Goodell is intent on growing the game beyond our domestic borders, starting in London. More importantly, NFL owners—in case you haven't been paying attention—care deeply about creating and capitalizing upon every possible revenue stream. Playing a game or two abroad is not maximization of that income. Owners start to see dollar signs from entry into the European market and beyond.
Yes, there will be logistical, operational and competitive challenges with a London team, but we are talking about a league approaching $10 billion in gross revenue. Simply, these issues can be worked out. My perspective is one of experience: I served as the first general manager of the Barcelona Dragons in the NFL-backed World League. In my opinion, solving the logistics of a potential NFL team in London would be a cakewalk compared to the NFL's maiden voyage in Europe more than 20 years ago.
'Do you speak Barcelonan?'
In 1991, I was a few years into a career as an agent when I was presented an interesting opportunity. I was negotiating a contract for client Chris Doleman with Vikings general manager/part-owner, Mike Lynn.
When we finished negotiating Doleman's contract, Lynn lit up a cigarette (one of a dozen he smoked in our two-hour meeting), eyed me closely and asked: "Do you speak Barcelonan?"
I thought this was an interesting question. "Does that mean Spanish?"
"Yeah, Spanish." (It turned out he was wrong; Catalan is spoken in Barcelona.)
"Yes, I speak Spanish." I took it in high school; I could fake my way through.
"How would you like to be the general manager of the Barcelona Dragons?"
"The what?"
"We're starting a league overseas. We're going to spread football around the globe. It's going be bigger than the NFL!"
I enjoyed the agent business (I would later return to it) but could not pass up the opportunity at a very young age to run a professional football team, albeit one in a minor league in another country. Three months before opening day on ABC television and with no coaches or players, I became general manager of the Barcelona Dragons.
Goalposts in the corners
After being turned down by some top NFL assistant coaches, such as Tony Dungy, who was intrigued but not by moving to Spain, I hired former Boston College coach Jack Bicknell. Within a week, we drafted 80 players, had training camp in Florida, cut 40 players (some with Spanish heritage) and boarded a plane to Spain. Instant football team!
When we arrived in Spain, our marketing director proudly announced: "Andrew, for our opening game we have sold 173 tickets!"
"How many does the stadium hold?"
"That's not good."
"Don't worry. In Spain, everyone walks up."
Thankfully, the night before our game, we were allowed to have the team run around at halftime of an FC Barcelona game with the public address announcer promoting our game the next night (or at least I think that's what he said). Those five minutes in front of 100,000 people, combined with our handing out tickets to whomever we met, resulted in 18,000 fans for our opening game, clearing the 15,000 number we had targeted. On to the game.
Our first touchdown was a seam pattern to the tight end, who broke three tackles en route to an exciting 70-yard touchdown. I jumped for joy, but the stadium only had a murmur of muted golf applause. Hmmm. Then our kicker came on and kicked the extra point and ... the crowd went nuts!
American football, for the fans that came, was a diversion, a curiosity far different than their passion for soccer. They cheered at all the wrong times, did "the wave" and sang "Ole" throughout the game. They just wanted to have some fun. So we made it a party.
We changed our entire marketing approach from selling American football to selling an American event. We sold hot dogs and hamburgers; we brought over marching bands and Frisbee dogs; we blasted American rap music at every stoppage of play. I hired two NFL cheerleaders to teach the women of Barcelona to dance as they did, creating "Las Chicas Del Dragons." They became more popular than the team and were booked throughout Spain.
Logistically, there were some obstacles. When the goalposts were first installed at the stadium, they were mounted in the corners of the end zones. The laundry service ruined our uniforms countless times. Getting equipment out of customs always required some negotiating and a greased palm or two.
Perhaps the biggest obstacles were food and lodging. We could never get enough food. The hotel staff constantly complained, They eat so much; they are too big! We put night tables with a pillow on top at the end of each bed so players' legs wouldn't flop over. And dealing with the wives and girlfriends visiting players while navigating the new Spanish girlfriends (and one wife) was a full-time job in itself.
To borrow a U.S. Navy tagline, the Barcelona Dragons experience was not just a job, it was an adventure. However, Barcelona was then and London is now.
London and the logistics
Even back in the World League 22 years ago, the sophistication of American football fans at Wembley Stadium was vastly greater than what we experienced in Barcelona. When we played in the inaugural World Bowl in London (against the London Monarchs), it was very similar to playing in front of an American audience, just with some English flair.
Yes, soccer will always be the bellwether sport for London and all of Europe, but there is a recognized market for American football. The NFL is increasing its output there to set a floor for further offerings in the future.
On the team level, when the St. Louis Rams had to back out of previously scheduled London games due to their own stadium issues, Jaguars owner Shahid Kahn pounced, strategically positioning his franchise as the closest thing there is to a "home team" in London. Khan, also the new owner of English Premier League team Fulham, represents an aggressive player for international opportunities in the NFL ownership circle.
I understand and hear anxieties about travel, pay, competitive balance, etc. Change is scary and logistical concerns are real. However, we are far removed from our days in the World League, where our road trips would take two days.
Flights to London from the East Coast take similar (or less) time as cross-country flights, and all team travel is done on private charters. Bye weeks for teams playing in London can be scheduled for the following week, as they are now. And the London team would likely have two or three-week road trips in the United States, something that happens in the NFL with teams playing consecutive West (or East) Coast games. For instance, the Arizona Cardinals are staying in Florida this week after a Week 3 game in New Orleans and a Week 4 game at Tampa Bay.
As to issues with player compensation and increased costs for housing, travel, etc., this will be part of the collective bargaining process with the NFLPA. Everything is negotiable. Perhaps players will not be required to stay in London beyond the season, with potential for training camp and offseason workouts at a designated facility in the United States. As to equalizing tax and contractual imbalances, that too can be handled in discussions with the union.


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The following was sent in to us via email by Susan J .. It's a wonderful view !
Over to Susan...
"The photo was taken by me in, I would guess 1993-ish, from King Edward Road next to the Labour Club. I love the view here of the rise up to the Werneth, then Treacle Brow and to Holy Trinity Church at the top. Also interesting is the height of the wall from behind Arch Joinery up to Stockport Road. In my young days this site was occupied by Moore's who I think were leather dressers or something like that. I know it also as Whittaker's Whim. .. "
Great photograph, Susan.
Thanks for sending it to us :)


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US OPEN '13: A look at key anniversaries of America's national golf championship
A look at some of the anniversaries this year at the 113th U.S. Open, to be played June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club:
100 years ago (1913): A century later, this remains the seminal moment in American golf. Never mind that John McDermott the previous two years had become the first American-born player to win its national championship. Francis Ouimet was an amateur who lived across the street from the 17th green at The Country Club. He crashed the duel of British heavyweights Harry Vardon and Ted Ray by matching their 79s in the final round to force a three-way playoff. Ouimet beat them both handily in the 18-hole playoff with a 72. Vardon had a 77 and Ray had a 78. It remains perhaps the greatest upset in major championship golf. More than that, it piqued the American interest in golf, put the privileged sport on the front page and began the shift to American dominance.
75 years ago (1938): Ralph Guldahl became the fourth player to successfully defend his U.S. Open title with a six-shot win over Dick Metz at Cherry Hills outside Denver. Metz had a three-shot lead going into the final day, and he stretched his lead to four shots going into the final afternoon round. But he stumbled to a 79, and Guldahl seized on the opening with two birdies in his opening six holes. Guldahl closed with a 69. The '38 U.S. Open is equally known for Ray Ainsley, who hit into the stream on the par-4 16th. Instead of taking a drop, he tried to play the ball out of the water and took a 19, the highest score on a hole in U.S. Open history.
50 years ago (1963): The U.S. Open returned to The Country Club to celebrate the golden anniversary of Ouimet's win, and it led to another playoff where the favorite didn't win. Julius Boros, who won his first U.S. Open in 1952, closed with a 72 and forced a playoff with Arnold Palmer, who missed a short putt on the 17th; and Jackie Culpit, who made double bogey on the 17th and missed a birdie chance on the 18th. In the playoff, Boros built an early lead and shot 70, while Culpit had a 73 and Palmer a 76. It was the second straight year that Palmer lost in a U.S. Open playoff. One more playoff loss was to follow in 1966.
25 years ago (1988): The third and final U.S. Open at The Country Club had a familiar theme — an American winner in a playoff. Curtis Strange had a one-shot lead over reigning British Open champion Nick Faldo going into the final round. Strange three-putted for bogey on the 17th hole to fall into a tie, and then forced a playoff with a pressure-packed bunker shot in front of the final green. Strange was in command of the playoff and stretched his lead to three shots on the back nine. This time, Faldo couldn't recover. Strange shot 71, while Faldo had a 75. It was the start of a remarkable run for Strange in the U.S. Open. He remains the only player to break par in three straight U.S. Opens (winning two of them).
10 years ago (2003): The U.S. Open returned to Olympia Fields south of Chicago for the first time in 75 years, and it wasn't nearly as exciting as the 1928 championship when Johnny Farrell beat Bobby Jones in a playoff. Rain earlier in the week left the course soft and vulnerable. Vijay Singh became only the fourth player in history with a 63 in the U.S. Open. Tom Watson, at age 53, opened with a 65. The steady hand belonged to Jim Furyk, who was at 10-under 200 for a three-shot lead over Stephen Leaney. The Australian never seriously challenged him on the back nine. Despite bogeys on the last two holes for a 2-over 72, Furyk tied the U.S. Open record of 272 and won by three for his first major title.


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I am interested in knowing the Gan or Hakka sub-dialect spoken in Leping, Jiangxi. Leping is not far from Nanchang, although I understand that a recent English-speaking visitor had to hire a translator in Leping for her translator from Nanchang (who spoke Mandarin... perhaps Gan or Hakka).
Are many of the rural community dialects similar to Gan or Hakka?
We are adopting a 3 year old girl who is currently living in Leping and although she will learn English quickly after arriving home, I would at least like to learn a few "comforting words" for those first few weeks home. It would also be nice to learn a familiar children's song or nursery rhyme to help preserve a little something from her native language.
We may have the opportunity to meet with her foster mother and just a few phrases like "hello, thank you, beautiful", etc. would be helpful.
Elizabeth in Atlanta
Dialect spoken in Leping, Jiangxi??
Discussions on the Hakka dialects.
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