AntSaint

Paying Filler Markets By Jacquie McTaggart

Filler markets are an easy-to-overlook writing opportunity - but that's all the more reason to make sure you don't pass them by:

Link: Fill'er Up! - Paying Filler Markets By Jacquie McTaggart.

You do not need a boatload of experience or a degree to write fillers, but some topics may require a little research. For the most part, however, fillers allow you to share knowledge you already have on a specific topic, which can be anything you are interested in or have experienced. Fillers generally run between 50 and 350 words

Obsidians Announce 22-Hike Schedule for Visitors to Eugene

Coming to Eugene during summer 2008 for the Olympic Track & Field Trials or the Oregon Bach Festival? You'll be coming here during a great time of year, and the Obsidians outdoors club has put together a series of hikes to help you take advantage of the area's natural beauty. The below is a release from the Obsidians. Visit www.obsidians.org for registration and more information.

EUGENE, OR -- The Obsidians outdoors club has announced a schedule of 22 hikes for visitors to this summer’s U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and concurrent Oregon Bach Festival. Outings include 12 coastal, forest and mountain hikes and 10 urban hikes, presenting visitors an introduction to both the natural wonders of western Oregon and the unique attractions of Track Town, USA.

The trials will run from June 27 through July 6, with a two-day break in action on July 1 and 2. The Oregon Bach Festival runs from June 27 through July 13. For those individuals and families using these events as the basis for more extended vacations to the area, Obsidian hikes will be offered during the weeks before and after the trials, as well as during the two-day break in the middle. Most hikes will be easy to moderate, in the five to six-mile range.

On the mornings of the meet itself, the Obsidians will lead urban hikes along the city’s riverside paths and forested ridgeline trails, as well as pilgrimages to the Steve Prefontaine Memorial (“Pre’s Rock”) and a togas optional tour of “Animal House” film locations.

The full schedule (presented below) is available along with additional information and registration procedures online at www.obsidians.org/otrials. The website can also be accessed through the Obsidians primary home page at www.obsidians.org. All sign-ups will be done online using a unique registration system designed by the Obsidians just for this project.

Obsidians, Inc., is an 80-year-old not-for-profit, all volunteer, organization with more than 500 members. All hikes will be led by experienced men and women familiar with the areas. There will be a $5 nonmember fee per person (minors under 18 free, with parents) with a suggested sharing of driving costs.

Obsidian Olympic Trials/Bach Festival Hike Schedule

Monday, June 23
Washburne/China Creek Loops -- An easy coastal hike along the surf and tide pools, up the Hobbit Trail and along a babbling brook through the forest. (5 miles/400 ft.)

Tuesday, June 24
Kentucky Falls -- Discover three of the Coast Range’s most spectacular waterfalls in an easy hike that descends into a magnificent remote rainforest (return is, of course, uphill). (4.4 miles/800 ft.)

Wednesday, June 25
Clear Lake -- An easy hike around a pristine mountain lake. Cross ancient lava flow and see where the McKenzie River is born. Scan the sky for eagles and osprey. (5.5 miles/200 ft.)

Thursday, June 26 (Two Hikes)
Brice Creek -- Follow a lovely creek under a canopy of old growth forest past small pools and waterfalls. Leader has two easy to moderate hike options -- a 5.5-mile (600 ft.) one-way hike involving a car shuttle or a 11-mile (1,200 ft.)“out-and-back” trip along the same trail.
Spencer Butte -- Towering over Eugene, Spencer Butte tops the city’s south hills. This moderately difficult hike starts at the headwaters of Amazon Creek and follows the Ridgeline Trail. (6 miles/1,600 ft.)

Friday, June 27 (Two Morning Urban Hikes)
Delta Ponds -- Naturalist Rick Ahrens guides hikers through an easy meandering tour of the ponds’ abundant vegetation, waterfowl and other animal life.
Pre’s Rock -- At the time of his death, Steve Prefontaine held all the American records from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. The easy hike to Pre’s Memorial (and nearby Hendricks Park) has become a pilgrimage for many track fans. (3.5 miles/300 ft.)

Saturday, June 28 (Two Morning Urban Hikes)
Mt. Pisgah -- A very popular hike done several times a week by many locals, this route climbs from a wonderful arboretum along the Willamette River to pinnacle featuring Ken Kesey's fascinating memorial to his son Jed. (3 miles/1,000 ft.)
Library to Skinner Butte -- A wandering tour of downtown Eugene, including the colorful Saturday Market, historic landmarks and a great overview of Eugene from the top of the city’s northern butte. (3-4 miles/250 ft.)

Sunday, June 29 (Morning Urban Hike)
River Walk/Pre’s Trail -- Steve Prefontaine liked the soft running paths he saw in Scandinavia. Following his death a similar path was created in Eugene’s Alton Baker Park. This easy walk combines Pre’s Trail with a portion of the wonderful riverside trail. (4 miles/no altitude gain)

Monday, June 30 (Morning Urban Hike)
Amazon Headwaters to Raptor Center -- An easy hike up the Amazon Headwaters Trail to the Eugene Raptor Center, where naturalist Rick Ahrens will talk turkey with eagles, hawks, owls, vultures and other birds of the Pacific Northwest. (3 miles/500 ft.)

Tuesday, July 1 (Two Hikes)
Washburne Loop/Hobbit Trail/Lighthouse -- Similar to the June 23rd hike, but a little more difficult with additional climb to Heceta Head Lighthouse. Tour lighthouse and look out for whales. (5.5 miles/800 ft.)
Little Belknap -- A moderately difficult hike along the Pacific Crest Trail following a lava flow to its source in a cave atop Little Belknap. Great Cascade vistas. Hike subject to cancellation or change if trail not open yet for summer. (5.2 miles/1,100 ft.)

Wednesday, July 2
Iron Mountain -- Wildflowers, Cascade panoramas and more wildflowers. Moderately difficult trail steadily climbs through old growth forest with huge variety of trees and plant species. (6.6 miles/1.900 ft.)

Thursday, July 3 (Morning Urban Hike)
Pre’s Rock -- Repeat of June 23rd hike

Friday, July 4
Butte to Butte Race/No Hikes Scheduled

Saturday, July 5 (Morning Urban Hike)
Island Park to Autzen Bridge -- Take the Em-X (Eugene’s version of “rapid transit”) to Springfield and then walk back via Island Park, Alton Baker Park, Willamette River Trail and along part of Pre’s Trail. (about 5 miles/no altitude gain)

Sunday, July 6 (Morning Urban Hike)
“Animal House” -- See where some of the filming was done, where some of the madcap antics were supposed to have taken place. An easy 3-5 mile stroll. Togas optional!

Monday, July 7
Washburne/China Creek Loops -- Repeat of June 23rd hike

Tuesday, July 8
Rigdon Meadows/Indigo & Chuckle Springs -- Learn a bit of pioneer history on the old Oregon Central Military Wagon Road while exploring beautiful forest trails along the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Moderately difficult hike with some tricky creek crossings (6.3 miles/400 ft.). Leader may opt for an easier 4.2-mile/200 ft. hike.

Wednesday, July 9
Gwynn Creek, Cape Perpetua -- Magnificent vistas overlooking the Pacific Ocean (see a whale?) await hikers on this moderately difficult trail. Includes a stop at the visitor center and short side trips to the “blow hole” and overlook (where, on a clear day you can see forever).
(7 miles/1,100 ft.)

Thursday, July 10
Salt Creek Falls -- Second highest waterfall in Oregon, atop Willamette Pass. Easy trail loops from top of Salt Creek Falls along canyon rim to lacy Diamond Falls. (3.4 miles/400 ft.)

Friday, July 11
Lowder Mountain -- Have your lunch overlooking twin lakes a thousand feet below and, on a clear day, see every Cascade peak from Mt. Hood in north to Diamond in south, with the Three Sisters right in front! Moderate difficulty. (6 miles/900 ft.)

Eugene-area Entrepreneurs start local support group

It's encouraging to see not only so many start-ups in Eugene, but also their increasing efforts to network and reach out to one another. This innovation and communication can lead to great things in the area:

Link: Entrepreneurs start up local support group: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

“Being an entrepreneur is sometimes a very lonely process,” he said. “And the best way to relieve that loneliness is to talk with other people who are going through the same thing.” That’s why Lillegard and Caroline Cummings, CEO of OsoEco, another local startup, are launching Smart-ups, a local chapter of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network.

Spicy Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

It's a rainy Sunday, and that had me hankering to get out the slow cooker. This Spicy Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup - Allrecipes fit the bill nicely. With a few modifications, it's currently simmering away on high, to be enjoyed this evening:

Mods:

• Instead of garlic powder, used 5 cloves minced garlic
• Chopped 1/2 onion
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. marinara sauce
• 1 tsp. lemon juice (helps keep the bean skins intact)
• A bit more chili powder and cumin than called for
• 1 tsp. chili flakes
• Half beef stock, half chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. homemade roasted tomatillo salsa

Barbershop Quartet Sings to All Ages at the Wandering Goat

Now that the morning fog has burned off, it looks like this is shaping up into a beautiful, sunny Saturday, and that has me and Jodie pondering a motorcycle ride down to the Wandering Goat for some organic coffee and some hella good harmony:

Link: It’s spring; you deserve a break: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

Four Over Forty performs Saturday at the Wandering Goat during a 1 p.m. show that also features neo-tango artists Mood Area 52 and a magic show by Invincible Vince.

Work Open, Work Closed - Get More Done

Now this is my kind of work style. I do similar: when the door is closed and music has changed (though it varies by mood), I'm zoned in to whatever I'm working on. Most times though, everything can be nice and open, and I can stop for chats and interruptions.

Link: Productivity: Get Things Done with Bi-Modal Work Styles.

Basically, I've got two modes of work: loose/open, and focused/closed. When I'm in "open" mode, my instant messenger status is set to available, I'm surfing, writing, checking email, coding, listening to music with lyrics—getting things done, but in a multitasking way, open to interruptions and tangents.

Book Pub... Book Club... It's All the Same After a Pint

Interesting article about the "Eugene Book Pub", a group of folks who get together at various local pubs, have a pint or two and discuss books:

Link: Book group finds local pubs conducive to spirited talks: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

"While literary giants like Earnest Hemingway, Dylan Thomas and F. Scott Fitzgerald were drinkers of some repute, book clubs are rarely associated with pubs and pints. But that’s the mission of the Eugene Book Pub: a gathering of locals who prefer a cold brew with their book talks."

Off to Eugene Chamber of Commerce After-hours at Imagine Graphics

This evening from 5-7 p.m. there a "business after-hours" for the Eugene Chamber of Commerce. This evening's event is being held at Imagine Graphics, at 990 Garfield. The weather is being very "raincoat and sunglasses" today, but I think I just may have to bust out the Ural motorcycle too...

Hope to see you there!

At This Year's Eugene Irish Festival

Good Craic

On Saturday, March 8, Jodie and I headed down to Sheldon High School for Eugene's Irish Cultural Festival. We had a great time, noting that not only were this year's workshops broader in scope, but there was even more music, too. Here are a few observations from our day at the Eugene Irish Festival...

Food. First thing's first, and for us the first thing was eats. We arrived around noon, and snagged up a small bowl of potato soup, a grilled reuben sandwich and a bag of chips for $7. Quite reasonable. The soup was savory, with just the right amount bacon. The reuben was grilled bliss.

Irish Calligraphy Workshop. I like to type because my handwriting is atrocious. Jodie is one of the few people in the world who can read it (one of the reasons I'm marrying her). So it was with some trepidation that I attended Anne Merydith's "Calligraphy in the Irish Style" workshop. That trepidation quickly lifted. In no time at all I was writing characters with a half-decent stroke. I wrote Jodie's name in Irish calligraphy, and got double fiance points when I proved to Jodie that I actually can have neat handwriting.

Fiddle Workshop. While I sweated over a hot calligraphy pen, Jodie sawed away on Irish fiddle tunes. One thing she liked about this year's workshop was that in addition to playing the tunes by ear, similar to how you would in an Irish traditional music session, or trad session, was that the instructor had handouts for everyone to take home. This would make learning and remembering the tunes much easier, an improvement over last year.

Speaking a bit o' the Gaelic. I next sat in on an Irish language workshop, led by Gerry Carthy. Gerry walked us through a poem by the famed Irish poet Antoine Ó Raifteiri (or, anglicized, Anthony Raftery). He went through line by line, explaining enunciation, where to stress, tense, and more, all the while finding plenty of opportunity to slip in interesting anecdotes.

On a personal note, I got to chat with Gerry a little later and found out we had a bit of a connection. Back in 2000, I lived in Galway, Ireland for a couple of months. Just about every night I'd go down to Galway's Crane Bar, have a pint and take in the incredible music sessions. "Aye, you went to the Crane then," Gerry said as we talked about Ireland, Galway and the language. "I helped start that session, back in the 80s." And here I was, running into him in Eugene, one of the people responsible for the music sessions I'd enjoyed so much as a traveler.

Celtic Knots. Jodie wore one of her knit cabled sweaters to the festival, and took in a workshop where she learned how to ink and draw Celtic knots. Led by the same Anne Merydith of the earlier calligraphy workshop, Jodie came out of the workshop with some impressive bits of inked knotwork, including the design on her hand-knit sweater.

Tonn Nua. While Jodie worked on knots, I sat in the auditorium and listened to Tonn Nua, a group of 5 area teens playing traditional Celtic music with a lot of modern, youthful verve. Between them they play tin whistle, octave mandolin, saxophone (David), fiddle, bagpipes, uilleann pipes (Ansel), guitar, bodhran, brass (Daphne), upright bass, flute (Zoe), banjo, tenor guitar, mandolin (Alison). It was an impressive set, with good coordination between the members and a great flow to the music.

Arts and Culture of the Aran Islands and the West of Ireland. I was really looking forward to this. Most of my time in Ireland was in Galway, Connemara and Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands. Attending UO Professor Dianne Dugaw's workshop was most interesting. She presented Irish culture in terms of history and its overall differing worldview and philosophy, of a more ever-shifting, ever-changing world. It was intriguing to listen to her comparisons between Irish culture and other Western cultures, and how they have influenced each other over the years. It also really made me want to see Inisheer again - that'll be a great trip to make with Jodie someday.

Jodie and I had a great time at this year's Irish Festival. An event like this is always a work in progress, and we both felt the organizers made some improvements over last year's festival, to make a well-organized, broadly appealing Irish festival. We're looking forward to next year's already!

Naked Bike Ride Nearly Turns Nasty

While Jodie, some friends and I dined on vegetarian Chinese food at The Lotus Garden on Charnelton, we saw a bunch of naked people go by on bikes. Now we know why:

Link: Police not amused by naked ride: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

A mass Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Eugene — an event intended as a whimsical demonstration against oil dependency and a celebration of the human body — briefly turned into a fracas Saturday when police tried to stop the parade and arrest some of the participants

Luckily, nothing turned nasty. The police decided to leave the situation alone, and the nakedness continued. I love Eugene.

Saturday's ride was a nod to the naked bike rides that go on in 70 cities nowadays, from Auckland, New Zealand, to Seattle, Washington. Want to ride naked? Check out World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) - Naked Bicycle People Power!