Living

Health Department Inspections for Nov. 18

Thurston County Health Inspections

The magic of music and love

When he says he's an incurable romantic, Eric Michael Gillett isn't kidding.

Mayer makes sure music rises above tabloids

If you're engrossed in the tabloid Internet gossip that has come to define the celebrity world, then John Mayer's latest CD, "Battle Studies," could provide enough fodder to fill at least a dozen Perez Hilton blog posts or at least one story in US Weekly.

Fans thirst for 'New Moon'

Filmmaker Chris Weitz said that he knew the "Twilight" phenomenon had gone off the rails when the female immigration officer at the Canadian border already knew who he was. And when paparazzi pictures of him and his family eating hot dogs showed up on the Internet. And when he faced the audience at July's Comic-Con convention in San Diego.

Don’t let the name scare you Another side of the Holocaust Warm up for winter Chihiro in Wonderland Jazzy Matassa Big Baby Comic timing

“Koyaanisqatsi” is a mouthful. (It’s a Hopi word meaning “crazy life.”) But the 1982 Godrey Reggio film is not difficult to understand. It’s a visual poem composed of photography of landscapes, set to the music of pianist Philip Glass. In preparation for Glass’s concert April 1 in Olympia, The Washington Center for the Performing Arts will screen all three “Qatsi” movies. See “Koyaanisqatsi” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the center, 512 Washington St. S.E., Olympia. Tickets are $3.75-$7.50. Call 360-753-8586 or go to www.washingtoncenter.org. “Bent,” the current production of South Puget Sound Community College’s drama department, takes audiences into the nightmare of life as a gay man in Nazi Germany. The intense drama continues with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Minnaert Center for the Arts at SPSCC, 2011 Mottman Road S.W., Olympia. Tickets are $12.50 general admission, $10 for students and SPSCC faculty and staff, $2.50 for SPSCC students. For tickets, call 360-753-8586. For more about the production, call 360-596-5411. Snow is falling in high altitudes. If that doesn’t seem like good news, Northwest Snowboards’ winter video premiere might change your mind. And if you don’t like snow, don’t worry. Videos will include skateboarding. The premiere is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. S.E., Olympia. Tickets are $7 at the box office, $6 in advance at Northwest Snowboards, 2413 Harrison Ave., Olympia. Show is for all ages with a beer garden for ages 21 and older only. Call 360-754-5378. Hiyao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” is an animated adventure that echoes “Alice in Wonderland.” Although a 35-millimeter print of the 2002 movie is this month’s offering in Olympia Film Society’s Kids and Family Film Series, “Spirited Away” is not just kids’ stuff. “Think you’re too hip for Japanese animé about a lost 10-year-old girl whose parents turn into snorting pigs? Get over it,” Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers wrote in his four-star review. The film screens at 4 p.m. Saturday at Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. S.E., Olympia. Tickets are $7, $4 for OFS members, $3 for kids. Call 360-754-5378. Seattle jazz singer Greta Matassa has been named the top jazz vocalist in the Northwest by Earshot Jazz four times. “If Greta Matassa is not a jazz star outside of the Seattle area, it’s only because Matassa hasn’t performed much outside of the Seattle area,” Marty Hughley wrote of her in The Oregonian. Fortunately

Cool jazz for clean water

Turning water into wine is a well-known example of a miracle.

Horror classic opens film series

Ever wish you could go to film school? The Olympia Film Society has a film series that could help you replicate the experience.

Go against the grain this Thanksgiving with Cornish Hen

Sometimes, Thanksgiving takes a different turn. Perhaps you need to cook for fewer guests, or you don’t have enough refrigerator room for a giant bird. Or maybe you’re simply one of the few Americans who doesn’t especially care for turkey. It’s nice to have a few alternative-to-turkey tricks in the recipe box.

Comfort food that's easy on the waistline

With the onslaught of the cold and wet weather, I've taken refuge in the kitchen, roasting winter squash for soup the color of autumn leaves. A splash of cream mixed atop a warm bowl of soup adds that feel and flavor that seems only fat can produce.

Professional touch

From their restaurants to your kitchen - South Sound chefs this year contributed 15 recipes for a dressed up Thanksgiving meal.