AntSaint

Oregon Bach Festival Opens to Adoring Portland Crowd

Ah, the Oregon Bach Festival. Some of my fondest Eugene memories go back to this annual event. The OBF kicked off this past weekend, right along with the Olympic Trials. Instead of the usual first night in Eugene, the OBF opened in Portland, but is now going full-steam in Eugene. In fact, I have to book — Jodie and I are meeting up for a picnic dinner, followed by Garrison Keillor's performance tonight. Viva la OBF!

Link: They love Bach back in Portland: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

"For the first time in nearly three decades, the Oregon Bach Festival played in Portland on Friday — and Portland loved it. In part driven out of town by the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials that also opened Friday in Eugene, the festival, under the new leadership of Executive Director John Evans, was also looking to expand its audience and presence statewide."

La Perla Open?

Word on the street is La Perla, the new pizzeria from the folks who run Beppe & Gianni's, is open for business. Is it true? Have you been? What's it like?

Required reading for visitors to Eugene

Whether you're visiting Eugene for the Olympic Trials, the Oregon Bach Festival or just for the heck of it, you may need a bit of help comprehending Eugene and Oregon and its many-varied folks. Here's a reading list that can help:

Link: Visiting for the Trials? Here’s ‘must’ reading: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

"You’re an out-of-stater here for the Olympic Trials. And you want to understand Oregon. You’re not a Gray Line tour type. You don’t want to dip your big toe in our state. You’re after total immersion.OK, here are the 10 books you need to read by Trials’ end to understand us from all angles"

Power User's Guide to Firefox 3

Upgrading to Firefox 3 has been working out great so far. I do look forward to extensions such as AutoCopy updating soon, but otherwise I'm very pleased with the browser's improvements. I've also been learning more about getting the most of Firefox 3, with this handy "Power User's Guide":

Link: Firefox 3: Power User's Guide to Firefox 3.

"it's time to dig deep and unearth the shortcuts, tweaks, and even Easter eggs that Mozilla marketing doesn't mention. In honor of today's official release of Firefox 3—at 10AM Pacific Time—let's dive in past Firefox 3's most talked-about feature-set into its lesser-known power uses, tricks, and customizations"

New June Menu at Iraila

Fan of Iraila restaurant at 24th and Hilyard? Head over soon for their new summer menu!

"Since there is so much great organic produce out there, we're finally into our new Summer menu! We have retired a few dishes until the fall but come in and try the new Hazelnut-yogurt Beet, carrot and apple salad, our Salad Fattoush, Catalan flatbread, Chicken Piccata and some fun uses for Orzo!"

Not too shabby.

Iraila will also be hosting a family-style dinner on June 28th at 6:30 p.m., featuring Mediterranean Tapas, Mezes, and Antipastis. Check Iraila.com for the menu.

For info and reservations, email to info@iraila.com or call (541) 684-8400.

Happy summer eating!

Field Guide to Firefox 3

Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 17) is launch day for the new Firefox 3. Excited? You know, I am, and I don't usually get too excited over software. But with so many improvements coming to the new Firefox, from using less memory to more robust bookmarking, I cannot wait to see how my favorite browser's new version performs. To help prepare for the launch, there's a very detailed and image-rich Field Guide to the new 'Fox:

Link: dria.org � Blog Archive � Field Guide to Firefox 3.

"We’re done. Firefox 3 is going to be launched very soon. In anticipation of this long-awaited event, the folks in the Mozilla community have been writing extensively about the new and improved features you’ll see in the browser. The new features cover the full range from huge and game-changing to ones so subtle you may not notice them until you realize that using Firefox is just somehow easier and better. The range of improved features is similar — whole back-end systems have been rebuilt from scratch, while other features have been tweaked slightly or redesigned in small ways. Overall the result is the fastest, safest, slimmest, and easiest to use version of Firefox yet."

Copywriters Developing a Positive Sales and Marketing Mindset... It Can Be Done

It's not always easy to be creative and to think of sales marketing in a positive light. But it can be done:

Link: CatalystBlogger: Developing a Sales and Marketing Mindset.

I think the problem was that for a long time, "sales" was kind of a dirty word to me. It made me think of overbearing used-car salesmen and telemarketers

Riverbank Trail Signs Make It Easy to Find Your Way

As a long-time enjoyer of Eugene's bike paths, I'd taken it for granted that not everyone knows their way around Eugene's path systems. Luckily, the City of Eugene and some community members called Riverloop Connection realized that our beloved Riverbank Path System needed some signs. Now the signs are up, providing directions and distances for locals and tourists:

Link: Riverbank trail navigation: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

"If you’ve ever wondered where you are and exactly — repeat exactly — how faryou are from one spot to a landmark along the 12-mile loop of paths known as the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System, well, your wondering may now cease."

Rhubarb

Ah, rhubarb. So tangy, so perfect in a pie with strawberries and a homemade crust... but enough about our Saturday night. I never knew that most rhubarb in the U.S. comes from the Northwest, and that was one of many things learned from this article:

Link: The sweet side of rhubarb: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

Almost all of the rhubarb in the United States is grown in Washington and Oregon, making it a true local specialty. It does best where the winters are cold and wet. It’s easily grown in the backyard, just requiring a little space. One note of caution: The leaves are poisonous so make sure to discard them

Belgian & English Beer Tasting at Broadway Deli

Belgian beer? English beer? And cheese? Oh yeah. Check it out a free tasting this evening, at the Broadway Deli on Broadway and Charnelton, downtown Eugene:

Link: ENTREE NOTES: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore..

"Friday: The Broadway — 200 W. Broadway. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. “First Friday” beer and wine tasting features Belgian and English microbrewed beers from Artisanal Imports and Italian-style wines from the Apolloni Vineyards in the Willamette Valley, paired with cheeses of the region. Free. 685-0790"