Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Latest Oregon Wine Review Notes

2006 Semi-Sparkling Muscat
Sight: light gold in color. Aromas: Characteristic orange and honey blossom. Taste: medium-bodied, sweet, fresh acidity, light tannins, no oak, moderately complex flavors, well balanced, lingering finish. $11.99-12.99.


Bridgeview 2003 Cabernet Merlot
Sight: deep deep red in color. Aromas: Strawberry, currant, vanilla Taste: full-bodied, dry, lively acidity, moderate tannins, oak, complex flavors, well balanced, lingering finish. $8.99.


2003 Stag Hollow Pinot Noir
Sight: deep red brown in color. Aromas: Plummy, vanilla, smoke, cherry, leather, earthy. Taste: full-bodied, dry, soft acidity, moderate tannins, medium-high oak, very complex flavors, well balanced, lingering finish. $21.


2003 Freja Cellars Pinot Noir
Sight: deep ruby red in color. Aromas: Currant, cherry, spice, pepper, oak and earth. Taste: full-bodied, dry, lively acidity, medium-high tannins, medium-high oak, complex flavors, balanced, medium finish. $20.


R. Stuart Big Fire Pinot Noir
Sight: deep deep red in color. Aromas: Cherry and oak, gradually opens up with vanilla and a touch of leather. Taste: full-bodied, dry, lively acidity, medium-high tannins, medium-high oak, moderately complex flavors, balanced, lingering finish. $15.99.


A to Z 2005 Oregon Pinot Noir
Sight: medium deep red in color. Aromas: Light cherry and fruit. Opens to rich vanilla and a hint of smoke. Taste: full-bodied, dry, fresh acidity, moderate tannins, medium-high oak, moderately complex flavors, well balanced, lingering finish. $14.99.



Source: oregonwines.com

More: finewinerewards.com


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Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Where the Right Went Wrong

Mr. Buchanan speaks the truth:


From Pat Buchanan: how neocons are leading conservatives -- and America -- to disaster............And what we must do now to save our country and our cause

Where the Right Went Wrong

by Pat Buchanan

Pat Buchanan's new Where the Right Went Wrong: How Neoconservatives Subverted the Reagan Revolution and Hijacked the Bush Presidency explores the pressing truth that few others dare to admit: conservatives have lost their way. The pundit and sometime presidential candidate explains how a Republican-controlled capital city whose leaders daily profess their conservatism could preside over the largest fiscal and trade deficits in our history -- and have us mired in a Wilsonian imperial war to force democracy upon an Arab Middle East that has never known it. This book is about a cabal that betrayed conservatism because, from the very beginning, they never believed in it. As Buchanan shows here, they had another agenda all along.

Buchanan courageously argues here that the invasion of Iraq and the neocon-inspired mission to impose democracy upon it could be a textbook example of the imperial overstretch that brought down so many empires of the past -- and could bring America down in the near future. He points out that all the blunders committed by Britain's ruling class during the swift fall of the British empire have been replicated by our neocon elites: from the arrogance of power, to the alienation of allies, to the waging of wars in regions where no vital U.S. interests are at risk.
Meanwhile, Buchanan discusses other signs of grave danger: soaring budget deficits, the steady loss of manufacturing jobs, the unstopped flood of illegal immigration, the rapid deterioration of American education, and more. He examines the implications of the rapidly changing religious, ethnic and racial composition of the country in this age when race, religion, and ethnicity are tearing countries apart.

What is the Republican Party doing about all this? Buchanan dares to state the truth: the traditional conservative party is abandoning its core principles in search of votes, signing off on imperialistic misadventures and economic treason, and helping to impose a social, moral, and cultural revolution upon our country.

Buchanan doesn't just summarize the deep trouble that America is in. He recalls Barry Goldwater's dictum that "the ancient and tested truths that guided our republic through its early days will do equally well for us." In a sweeping, insightful prescription for our ills, he sets out the hard choices we must make in order to restore those ancient and tested truths, and bring back sound government in our foreign and domestic policies. He even details how we must fight back and win the culture wars that have sapped so much of our nation's resolve.

Pat Buchanan tells the truths that few others have the courage to state
How the GOP has become not the party of Reagan, but of Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and LBJ

Influential pseudo-conservatives who argued at the end of the Cold War for nothing less than the surrender of American sovereignty -- and aggressive wars to "wage democracy" all over the world

Wolfowitz, Perle, and other key neocons: how they captured the President

The revolutionary "neo-Jacobin" streak in neoconservatism that cannot be reconciled with any concept of true conservatism

The Muslim world: five sobering real reasons why they hate us

The ambiguous American position on Taiwan: how it has created the real possibility of war between the U.S. and China -- and seven elements of a new, realistic American policy toward China

Why America's political independence, as Alexander Hamilton insisted, cannot survive without economic independence -- which we are wantonly squandering

How George W. Bush has bloated the deficit with social programs that out-liberal the most committed liberals

Judicial supremacy: how today's activist judiciary came into being - and how it must be stopped

How the Bush threat of war upon nations that had not attacked us is utterly unprecedented in American history -- and puts us all at risk

Why the worldwide War on Terror as George W. Bush has framed it will continue not only through his presidency, but for the rest of our lives

How Bush has unnecessarily thrown down the gauntlet to every rival and would-be world power, and issued a challenge to lesser powers to unite against us

The Islamic world: how President Bush has placed us on a course for endless wars with Muslims who are repelled by the social, cultural, and moral decadence they see in America and the West

How the Bush Doctrine contradicts history and common sense, and will bleed, bankrupt and isolate this republic


Where the Right Went Wrong

by Pat Buchanan






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Eliot Cobb is a the former CFO and and a Co-Founder of eBags.com.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Dixon, Oregon rolling through top competition

Dixon, Oregon rolling through top competition

By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: November 4, 2007

EUGENE, Ore. -- For a guy who is nonstop excitement with the football, Dennis Dixon sure can flip the dull switch when his Oregon Ducks reach the end zone.

Nobody goes from electric to stoic like Dixon. He threw four touchdown passes against oh-ver-ra-ted Arizona State on Saturday in the Ducks' 35-23 victory. After the first three, he reacted to the joyous occasions like a guy straggling into an 8 a.m. econ class.

No fist pumps or chest bumps. No race downfield to jump on the receiver. No pointing to the sky, the stands or the opposition. All Dixon did was unbutton his chin strap and walk -- not run -- off the field.

"That's just the focus he has, and that's just the person he is," said explosive Ducks running back Jonathan Stewart. "A lot of people like to celebrate like TO. He's been there before."

Yes, he has. Eight times on the ground this year, and now 20 times through the air. Dix knows six.

If you could flag Dixon for anything after a touchdown, it would be depressive celebration. If he gives up his fledgling pro baseball career and makes the NFL, he'd be voted least likely to hide a cell phone in the goalpost padding, propose to a cheerleader or pull a Sharpie out of his sock.

"I just had this motto before the season," Dixon said. "I talked to my high school coach, and he told me never get too up and never get too down. If you see me on the sidelines, I'm not really a joker, I'm not trying to make anybody laugh. I'm just focused."

Dennis Dixon

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Dennis Dixon's speed, accuracy and maturation are the reasons Oregon is tough to beat.

On the fourth and final TD throw Saturday -- a gorgeous 19-yard toss to Drew Davis, who came into the game with one catch all season -- Dixon almost blew his cool. He backpedaled three or four steps before gearing down to his customary stroll.

"I was actually happy for [Davis], not for me," Spock -- I mean Dixon -- explained.

The Vulcan quarterback is leaving all the tumult and shouting to Duck Nation, which is giddily picking up the emotional slack. Fans are so excited about Oregon's 8-1 start and prominent position in the national title race that a sizable number of the record 59,379 people in Autzen Stadium rushed the field Saturday -- even though the Ducks were favored by a touchdown.

The fans are so dialed in that they reacted loudly to announced scores that affected Oregon's standing in the championship chase. They savvily cheered Michigan's comeback victory over Michigan State, knowing their win in Ann Arbor counts more with the computers if the Wolverines keep winning. They groaned when third-ranked LSU came back to beat Alabama.

"You can't help but watch [other scores]," offensive guard Josh Tschirgi said. "As long as you're not counting on other people to do your work for you, it's OK. If we don't win all three [remaining games], nothing else matters. We'll be going to the Holiday Bowl or something like that."

As of right now, the worst bowl Oregon will play in is the Rose Bowl -- which ain't bad. The best could be the big one: the BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans.

And the biggest thing that could prevent the Ducks from getting there could be injuries.

The only time Dixon showed any emotion against the Sun Devils was as he rolled on the Autzen turf in pain. Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden ended a Dixon run with a crisp hit to his legs, and the quarterback grabbed his left knee and writhed on the fake grass. An audible spasm of panic shot through the crowd.

The sight of wounded Ducks has become depressingly commonplace this season. They've been besieged by major leg injuries, from receivers Cameron Colvin and Brian Paysinger to running back Jeremiah Johnson to the latest casualty, middle linebacker John Bacon (torn ACL Saturday).

"Our depth now has hit the bottom," coach Mike Bellotti said.

But when Dixon went down, he threatened to take the season with him.

Jonathan Stewart

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Bruising back Jonathan Stewart provides a counterpunch to Dennis Dixon.

"I was like, 'Oh, no, how did this happen?'" Dixon said, but then he jumped up and jog-limped to the sideline to show the fans he was OK.

Just to be careful, Bellotti left Dixon out the rest of the game. With the Ducks up 35-16 at that point, there was no reason to risk anything -- and now Dixon will have 12 days to rest the strained knee before Oregon plays Arizona.

"Dennis is going to be fine," Bellotti said.

He has been better than fine all season. He has been Heisman-esque, thanks to an offseason upgrade in maturity.

"He's a totally different guy in the huddle," Tschirgi said. "Last year, he wasn't a leader in the huddle. This year, it's understood that Dennis Dixon is the leader.

"It's confidence, pure and simple. Dennis' confidence is so high right now. We all trust that he's going to do everything it takes to win."

The wins have piled up. The stats have piled up, too, comparable with the best quarterbacks out there. And if you're looking for the one quality that can separate him from the pack, it's this: No one in America performs more ball-on-a-string sleight of hand than Dixon.

"Almost a magician," is how Oregon offensive coordinator Chip Kelly described Dixon and his ball fakes.

No wonder one of the quarterback's relatives was wearing a jersey that said Tricky Dixon on the back.

Dixon's huge hands -- I had him hold his right paw up to my left; mine was dwarfed -- allow him to pump fake extravagantly without losing his grip on the ball. Twice Saturday, he had the Sun Devils rushing in the direction of a faked pass, only to pull the ball back and fire it the other direction.

"Having that extension, showing that to the defense, creates a whole lot of havoc," Dixon said.

Oregon has created havoc all season in Kelly's go-go spread attack. Tempo, trickery and creative play calling make the Ducks dangerous, and they wasted no time bewildering Arizona State's top-20 defense.

It took Oregon four plays to get its first touchdown. Eleven more plays to score again. Then seven more to make it 21 points on the board. The game was less than 15½ minutes old before Dixon had thrown three TDs.

"They got tricked," Stewart said.






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Sunday, November 4, 2007

ELIOT COBB - EBAGS LAUNCHES WEB RETAILING SITE WITH EYE TOWARD HIRING 10 MORE PEOPLE

Rocky Mountain News (CO)
March 14, 1999

ELIOT COBB - EBAGS LAUNCHES WEB RETAILING SITE WITH EYE TOWARD HIRING 10 MORE PEOPLE

Source: Michael BeDan

Special to the News

Yeah, they've got baggage, but that's the point.

eBags Inc. wants nothing more than to add to it. And sell it on the Internet.
The Greenwood Village-based Web retailer went live online March 1 - www.ebags.com - selling luggage, bags and travel-related merchandise. The company has $5 million in angel investment commitments - contributions from individual investors - and has venture capital agreements in the works. Now, eBags is hiring.

``We have 16 employees and 10 open positions,'' said Eliot Cobb, chief financial officer at eBags. ``We would like to fill these within the next 30 days.''

eBags is looking for a Web applications manager, Web content manager, Web designer and a Web application developer on the technology side. The company also is hiring a copywriter, customer support specialists, an affiliate marketing program manager, an affiliate program account executive and merchandising managers.

``The affiliate marketing program manager will manage the affiliate program,'' Cobb said. ``The affiliates will be other Internet sites or portals where we will have buttons that allow people on those sites to click through to our site. Those are our affiliates, like an America Online, bed and breakfasts, large hotel chains, airlines. All those would be considered possible affiliates.''

All the Web-related positions require substantial experience in related fields, and a degree is preferred.

``They have to be Internet savvy,'' Cobb said. ``And some will definitely have to be computer people, our Web designer, Web application developer.'' Pay ranges from $28,000 to $60,000 a year. A bachelor's degree is preferred for all positions, but not mandatory. Applicants should have three to five years of experience in a related field.

The Company was funded by Benchmark Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures, and funds from Goldman Sachs.

Eliot Cobb
CFO and Co-Founder






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