Night Life

Some events require tickets or are subject to other limitations. If in doubt, we recommend you contact the venue. Night Life listings must be e-mailed to bmail@sunjournal.com and received no later than Thursday. 

Tonight

Mike Doughty, 2 p.m., Bull Moose Music, Scarborough

Sunday Night Dance Party with Steve Colella, 8 p.m., Mixers, Sabattus

Umphrey's McGee, 8 p.m., Port City Music Hall, Portland

Karaoke, 8 p.m. to midnight, Schemengee's Bar and Grille, Lewiston

Cats trainable, say Maine experts, if you can get into the brain behind the mane

Think Fluffy can't do what Fido can? Think again. Area specialists share their cat training stories and tips on how you can achieve success with your own fuzzy feline.

Karen Campbell, a consulting pet behavior specialist in Portland, has taught cats to sit up on their hind legs to receive a treat (ultimately doing the cat-equivalent of "sit"), to fetch, accept new pets into a home by using food-based rewards and, most notably, to ring a bell by the front door when the cat needed to go outside to relieve itself.

Top food experts extend pinkies in a tribute to the Mediterranean

LEWISTON — People use the word "soiree" too rarely. It has become a prissy word, evocative of exclusive guest lists, polite patter and using one's pinkie.

The Nutrition Center of Maine in Lewiston is taking it back.

"We're going to make some fire," Chef Randall Smith warned attendees to the center's annual Chef's Soiree a week ago. A moment later, a flame erupted from his bubbling broth. Ladies holding their white wines flinched in their seats. Smith grinned.

Face Time: The Big JAB's Jeff and Matt — Good sports on all sports

Chances are if you're into sports — like, so into them you listen to sports radio — you probably have 96.3FM programmed in. And you've more than likely heard Jeff Schools and Matt Boutwell on The Weekend Warm-up. If not, I ask, what are you waiting for? Every Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. this duo talk sports, and sometimes things get a bit more than warmed up. Like any true sports fan, these guys are passionate about positions, coaching, bad calls, unbelievable plays, and they want to talk about it all with you.

Comedians say they love a Maine audience. No joke.

A string walks into a bar and orders a drink.
"Get out of here," says the bartender. "We don't serve strings."
Perturbed, the string slips into the alley where he twists himself up into great snarls and rubs himself up and down until he's a complete mess. The string goes back into the bar and orders a drink.
"Hey," says the bartender. "Aren't you the string who was just in here?"
"No," says the string. "I'm a frayed knot."

It's ugly, yes, but you know what they say: Comedy is not pretty.

Talk of the town

Ocean State Job Lots
What you people love about stores like this is the very thing I find to be a drag: It's too big and it has too much stuff. Why can't somebody open a store that has like, four items?

Out with the old
If you're like me and you find peopleofwalmart.com to be soooooo August, why not ditch that tired habit and try something new? Namely, peopleofpublictransit.com. Who knew? People are disgusting and embarrassing at subway terminals, too.

Aerosmith looking for new singer
My vote: Susan Boyle.

Mystery Photo

If you can identify where this photo was taken, contact us at bmail@sunjournal.com or call 689-2896 and leave a voicemail with your answer. Please leave your name and phone number. Correct entries will be eligible for a drawing for a $20 Dunkin' Donuts gift card.

LR-doitlikenaimals

BC-LR-MAGLOVE:MCT _ lifestyle (650 words)
Magazine scene: Rawr! Take your cues from animal mating rituals
By Dagny Leonard
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
(MCT)
ANIMAL INSTINCT

Night Life

Some events require tickets or are subject to other limitations. If in doubt, we recommend you contact the venue. Night Life listings must be e-mailed to bmail@sunjournal.com and received no later than Thursday.

 

Tonight

Sunday Night Dance Party with Steve Colella, 8 p.m., Mixers, Sabattus

Karaoke, 8 p.m. to midnight, Schemengee's Bar and Grille, Lewiston

Open mic blues jam hosted by the 501 Blues Band, 3 to 7 p.m., Tailgate Bar & Grill, Gray

Can the canned cran: Easy takes on cranberry sauce

There is something to be said for the "splurt" sound made when dumping a can of cranberry sauce into a serving bowl. Ditto for the ridges etched in the sides of the sauce. Thanksgiving, after all, is about tradition.

But the official condiment of Turkey Day can be so much more. And without much more effort.

The easiest way is to simply follow the directions on the back of a bag of fresh cranberries, which usually involves dumping the cranberries, a somewhat scary amount of sugar and a bit of water into a saucepan and boiling until thick.

Tips to have a flu-free party this holiday season

Is it safe to party when swine flu threatens to crash your bash?

It's a question many revelers may be asking this year as the holiday party season coincides with an anxiety-provoking flu season.

The good news is that while it is true that mingling over punch and canapes can help spread the H1N1 virus, health and entertaining experts say it's possible to throw a holiday party without making everyone wear surgical masks and hazmat suits.

It's a question of managing risk.

Talk of the Town

Crazy about feet

Face time: Paul Michaud

He admits he was not the ideal student (about 370th out of 450 students) at Auburn's Edward Little High School five years ago. You wouldn't know it today. College, two favorite books, two personal goals and a passion for what he does have given Michaud a direction he couldn't have dreamed of just a few years ago. For his story and some lessons learned, read on. (Excerpted from a longer interview. For the entire interview, go to www.sunjournal.com.)  

Mystery Photo Contest

Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal bsection mystery photo contest entry for 11/8/09

Eats: Graziano's Spaghetti Puttanesca

Spaghetti Puttanesca is a simple Sicilian pasta dish that's been around for quite a long time, though it wasn't given its name until sometime in the '60s. Legend has it that prostitutes in Naples used to make this dish in between, um, appointments, or to attract customers. Who knew ladies of the night had culinary skills? Well, whatever the story of how this dish of tomatoes, capers, olives and roasted red peppers came about, it's delicious.

Clearly, Italian food brings people together — whether that's giovannis and madams in Italy or friends and family in Lisbon, Maine.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are both healthy and yummy

On Oct. 4, my family stepped out into a cloudy morning. We loaded our single and double jogging stroller and all three kids into the car and drove to Simard-Payne Police Memorial Park in Lewiston for the Dempsey Challenge.

A dyed-in-the-wool spinner

Let's talk about spinning. No, not the crazed, stationary bike pedaling classes offered at gyms everywhere. Think yarn — warm, colorful, fun yarn. Think, if you can, spinning wheels and hand spindles and lots of fiber. Mostly, think Amy King, a Lisbon-based authority on yarn who says creating your own yarn — in its many, many different forms — is fun and addictive.

Eats: Sushi and Little Tokyo

Sushi is quite similar to art. Its preparation is meticulous and every presentation represents the sushi chef's artistic ability.

That's certainly the case at Little Tokyo Japanese Cuisine, a new restaurant on Maine Street in Brunswick where sushi is one of the specialties.

Warm reception eludes leopard-print Snuggie wearer at big game

I'm sitting on cold bleachers at a high school football game and here's what I see: shivering sports fans struggling in vain to keep blankets around their shoulders; mothers trying to keep their children warm with quilts and shawls that won't stay put; the terminally cold in coats and gloves who may die of frostbite before the end of the first half.

Chumps! If you want to stay warm inside or outside while maintaining full maneuverability, all you need is a Snuggie. A Snuggie and a perfect willingness to be ostracized and laughed at by complete strangers.

What's your gripe?

Is there something that really irks you? Something about your job, your family or the stuff you have to deal with every day? Share it. E-mail your peeves to bmail@sunjournal.com or mail them to Sun Journal, attn: b section, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04240, and we'll print them here. Please keep your gripe to under 60 words.

 

Unedited

Y is it when a defendant is order to pay a fine and they receive state benefits, their fine payment amount can not be deducted from that. Im paying for it no matter what.

- Anonymous

Could 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' win an Oscar?

LOS ANGELES — "Michael Jackson's This Is It" comes too late in the year to be considered for a 2009 documentary Oscar, but the film about the late King of Pop's preparations for a series of comeback concerts could qualify for other Hollywood honors this year, including the Academy Award for best picture.

The film, which opened around the globe Tuesday and Wednesday has already earned rousing praise from fans and critics, who say it restores Jackson's reputation as a world-class entertainer.

A Family for ME Seeking adoption are Troy and Tyler

Troy
Born in February 2000, Troy is a sweet boy with blond hair, freckles and a smile that extends from ear to ear. Pretty energetic, he likes to ride a bike, play baseball and spend time at the playground. He also enjoys playing video games, working on computers and watching movies.

After several placements, he continues to make significant gains in his therapeutic home. He loves school; he is a hard worker and wants to do a good job.

Night Life

Some events require tickets or are subject to other limitations. If in doubt, we recommend you contact the venue. Night Life listings must be e-mailed to bmail@sunjournal.com and received no later than Thursday.

 

Tonight

Jazz for a New Society, 7 p.m., Gelato Fiasco, Brunswick

Sunday Night Dance Party with Steve Colella, 8 p.m., Mixers, Sabattus

Karaoke, 8 p.m. to midnight, Schemengee’s Bar and Grille, Lewiston

Cold perfections: Bartending trend calls for nice ice, baby

SAN FRANCISCO — Erik Adkins spends a lot of time on ice.

As general manager of the Heaven's Dog bar in San Francisco he's very particular about what ice goes into his cocktails, preferring hand-carved chunks for slow-sipping drinks and oversized clear cubes for lighter concoctions.

And that's just the tip of the ice trend.

Driven by the same quest for perfection that elevated bread, cheese and wine to objects of desire, ice has entered an epicurean age, coming in new shapes and sizes.

The nursery gets back to basics

Once upon a time, the ideal for a child's room was a cozy haven filled with sturdy push-pull toys, handmade dolls and a few baskets of dress-up clothes.

That was before batteries, computer programs for toddlers and the array of stuff that talks, squawks, jangles and jolts in little hands.

Some modern parents want to lower the volume on tech toys and on children's environment as a whole.