MAINLY ON THE PLAIN: Sure you wanted...

MAINLY ON THE PLAIN: Sure you wanted a little rain, but not all that wind and cold and street flooding on Wednesday, right? The weather people say there’s a good chance rain will continue this morning, but it should clear by afternoon. . . . Says Rob Kaczmarek, meteorologist for WeatherData Inc.: “The wrath of the season won’t hit us like last year. The jet stream is situated to the south of Orange County so count on February bringing more rain, but not enough to set any records.” . . . Highs today will be near 60, the lows near 50.

‘FIRE’ SPREADS EAST: Elliot Goldenthal’s “Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio” played to enthusiastic audiences when it premiered at the Orange County Performing Arts Center almost a year ago. Now dates have been set for its first East Coast performances by the Boston Symphony: April 4 and 6 at Boston’s Symphony Hall, then the next week at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington. . . . The Pacific Symphony’s CD of the piece goes on sale that month too.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: The 10-mile marketing zone around Westminster Mall was 8% Asian American two years ago. Today that’s jumped to 15%. . . . “We were so surprised that we redesigned our entire marketing plan,” says marketing director Stephanie Greene. . . . Result: An Asian Festival will be held at the mall on Feb. 10-11 and Feb. 17-18. . . . Featured will be prominent Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese performers. “It’s not a Tet festival,” Greene says. “But it’s our way to bridge the gap between us and Asian American shoppers.”

STRESS BUSTER: One problem with stress at work, says Gwen Laurie Wright of Brea, is it cuts down your productivity. Wright, who puts on creativity training workshops for business professionals, gives free tips on “putting pizazz in your work” tonight at 7 at the Newport Beach Central Library. . . . Says Wright: “People have more work today, they’re more stressed. I have them refocus on something positive. . . .”