Our question of the day off Questionland is more of an answer of the day. In a lengthy response to A&E editor Amy Atkins' question "Do raccoons hibernate?" user Trespasser somehow slipped in the following oh-no-you-didn't raccoon cutdown:

"If La-Z-Boy made a recliner out of half-eaten bacon, you can be sure a raccoon would never be chivalrous enough to offer that seat to a lady."

Geeeeenius.

A case, filed in Idaho District Court in September against TTJ's Inc., d/b/a The Sport Cellar, a/k/a Boomers' Sports Cellar and Club 301 and The Garden, a/k/a Boomers' Garden, Jay B. Starnes, lists among the plaintiffs, Songs of Universal Inc., EMI Blackwood Music Inc., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI and Taylor Allison Swift, an individual d/b/a Taylor Swift Music.

Boomers' Sports Cellar owner Jay Starnes couldn't be reached for comment, but a daytime employee at the bar said she'd only learned of the allegations after someone from Georgia kept calling repeatedly asking about the story, so she looked it up online.

One half of the famous large-scale, Reichstag-wrapping, umbrella-happy duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude passed away suddenly on Wednesday, Nov. 18, due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. The couple stole the spotlight in 2005 with their contentious Central Park installation The Gates, which draped thousands of white frames with fluttering orange cloth throughout Central Park in New York City.

Christo, who has created temporary public art with wife Jeanne-Claude for the past 51 years, notes on the couple’s Web site that he will continue on with the projects they currently have in production. Over the River, plans to suspend miles of woven fabric over a stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado, while The Mastaba involves erecting a pyramid-like structure from 410,000 oil barrels in the United Arab Emirates.
Though the artistic nature of duo’s work has long been debated, Jeanne-Claude and Christo have undoubtably embodied the phrase “go big or go home.”

• "Shhhhh. Ms. Winfrey is thinking."

Ending her "talk" show—she talks and ... uh ... everybody listens—will free her up to dedicate her energies to her new cable television network. No, you didn't read wrong. Not her new cable television show, her cable television network.

OWN as it will be called, NATURALLY, will be a "joint venture between her production company and Discovery Communications. It is intended to replace the Discovery Health Channel in more than 70 million households."

I wonder if it will be one of Ms. Winfrey's favorite things?

• TMP dancer Chanel DaSilva shows off Matthew Grover's "Highwheeler."

After the cash was tallied from auction bids as well as the money we raised on beer and wine, the auction grossed more than $15,000. Once we've paid the bill for framing every piece, we expect to put more than $12,000 into Boise Weekly's private art grant, for which any local artist or organization is eligible to apply. That's roughly $800 more than we've ever put back into the art community. The grant process opens in January, so get your ideas ready.

Since 2002, when Boise Weekly held its first auction, we've raised $92,838 for the arts community. That first year, we netted a mere $3,196, which was donated to children's arts programs through the YMCA.

Fun facts about the auction:
• 350 people attended this year, a record to date.
• Also a record to date: the number of bidders at 94.
• This year's highest bid $1,200. The record bid is $1,900, which was in 2007.
• Beer and wine sales raised about $400, which bought you a keg of beer, three cases of wine and 18 bottles of beer.
• In 2007, BW employees spent $3,520 collectively on covers. In 2008, we spent $1,160 and this year, we threw down a meager $160. But we're only slightly puzzled by those numbers: 2007 was back in the day before we all had kids and mortgages. Take it from someone who didn't buy a darn thing—it wasn't because I didn't love a few pieces enough to look at them everyday.

• Two auction attendees look for the meaning of life in a cover.

Now that we've sold all of our art, the walls in BW's offices are back to bare grey. Get paintin/drawing/scupltin/shootin so that we have something to look at.

Today’s Questionland question of the day today comes from squeaky-clean user Trespasser.

"Where do you begin washing? I read a study that says most showerers begin with scrubbing their bellies. Is it true of you? I'm a left-arm loofah-er, myself."

So far, user Ronnie also admits to being a left-armer: “Left arm ... Riveting answer I know. Butt crack is second to last ... then my hands of course.”

User Jessi, on the other hand, starts things off by washing her hands.

Do you have a bodycleaning routine? Or do you prefer to go with the flow? After quick glance at You Tube, it seems like the manliest soap detonation spot for the American male is the left arm:

While in Japan, it looks like the ladies are left-thighers:

In looking for a Liz Lemon food quote today (don't ask), I came across Insanewiches, a site dedicated to cool and clever examples of that all-important food source, the sandwich. That led me to Fancy Fast Food, a site that shows what true gourmets can do with fast food. The funny factor isn't as high on these sites, but they are still now on my "sites I must visit every day" list.

• If by insane you mean delicious, then yes. They are insane.

Be careful looking through these at work. Some of the material may be unsuitable—especially on Regretsy and Ugliest Tattoos (people are so weird)—and you may look up to see it's suddenly 5 p.m. and you never even started that important report that was due today.

Let me know of any I missed.

Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood opened last weekend and as of Nov. 17 was boasting a 49-inch base with four of seven lifts up and running. Of course, it’s a wet snow locals fondly refer to as Cascade cement, but it’s still snow and people are skiing on it.

Further down the mountain, Mt. Hood Meadows is open as well with 38 inches at the base and 46 inches mid mountain. Over in Government Camp, Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, the largest night skiing area in the country, is shooting for a Friday, Nov. 20 opening, depending on conditions. The hill has roughly 22 inches mid mountain.

A little further to the south, Mt. Bachelor is reaping the benefits of the storms that have been hammering the Pacific Cost, as well. The resort in Bend, Ore., is projecting a Friday, Nov. 20, opening and as of mid week was reporting a 21-inch base with 12-inches mid mountain.

Check the mountain cameras at both Timberline and Bachelor for some inspiration.

The Old Idaho Penitentiary will open its gates for the last night tour of the year on Friday, Nov. 20, giving visitors the chance to check out the ghosts of prisons past for themselves.

The pen will be open from 6-9 p.m., with guided tours leaving at 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 pm. The brave of heart can check out the cells on their own self-guided tour any time during the evening.
Not surprisingly, the tour is not recommended for young children.

Admission is $10 for all ages, and visitors are asked to bring a flashlight and dress for cold weather.

Fanfarlo, Knitting Factory Boise from Boise Weekly on Vimeo.

The crowd was, unsurprisingly, exactly what you’d expect at a show where the majority of the audience won their tickets on the radio: Random.

A selection of cross-armed teens staked their claim at the front of the stage, while a few feet back, a sprinkling of 20-somethings tapped their toes and cast sideways glances at a ubiquitous tanked dude sloshing his drink and ironically waving a lighter. Even further back, the majority of the audience—old, young, couples on dates—sat politely at cocktail tables and took in the show.

Though the audience is rarely what stands out about a concert, it’s worthy mentioning in this particular instance because the band seemed noticeably perplexed by the assortment of folks in attendance. After selling out their first tour stop in Chicago, and packing venues with hipsters from Minneapolis to Salt Lake, it has got to be an odd turn to play a not-even-half-full show to an all-ages crowd mostly unfamiliar with your music.

But despite seemingly not being able to read the crowd, Fanfarlo put on a solid (though slightly short) show, whipping out a couple of new numbers and a double encore.

The opening band, Freelance Whales (which I sadly missed) I hear also put on a good show. Here’s a video from lastnight of the New York-based harmonium and waterphone-playing folk pop band busting out the song “Generator ^ First Floor” off their new album Weathervanes.

Freelance Whales, Knitting Factory Boise from Boise Weekly on Vimeo.

Think Nampa First and Think Boise First are local-first initiatives created by Sustainable Community Connections. The translation: it's all about supporting local biz.

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Darby's at the Market, 112 13th Ave. So, Nampa. For more information, visit thinknampafirst.org.

But what Radio Boise, as it is now called, would offer when people spin the dial to 89.9 (RadioBoise.org has been been broadcasting over the Internet for about four years) would be so much more than publicity for those on it and entertainment for those listening.

For a piece on an upcoming benefit Radio Boise is holding to raise money for its terrestrial operations (see Arts News, Page 28 in tomorrow's issue), I spoke to Built To Spill guitarist Brett Netson—the band is headlining at the fundraiser. BTS has been a regular element on many a benefit line-up of late, their ability to draw a crowd and their desire to help the community never a question.

But the Radio Boise benefit is of particular importance to Netson. He spoke candidly and at length about how, without something like Radio Boise, a community is left susceptible to the dangers of corporate takeover and how local, community radio isn't a privilege, it's a right.

Here's Netson in his own words:

"Culturally speaking, a group of people like us in a town like this without some kind of a central place, a culture is left really vulnerable to the influences of massive corporate stronghold happening right now in our country and around the world."

This goes way, way beyond local. I'm trying to say, culturally speaking, it's a place where people can call and know that real people are on the other side of the phone. That's a big deal. It's something that should happen no matter what in the sense that citizens own the airwaves. It was designed to be a service. It's not like that any more and it's appalling that there hasn't been any kind of college radio or a local radio of any kind."

We have so many corporations telling us who we are. With a community station, a community can define who they are themselves. Regardless of what they play, that's not even what's important to me, it's just that they exist. We have the right to have that. It should be happening in addition to fire departments and a police force. There's all these instances of catastrophes happening in smaller towns and nobody even knew what was happening because the radio stations were automated. Who do you call?"

A community station offers a place for dialog, real people saying real things. Without that dialog and people relating to each other and people feeling like they’re not alone, our culture is vulnerable."

All of the proceeds from the BW cover art auction—which, during the last eight years, have amounted to more than $75,000—are donated back to the arts community in the form of grants. Last year, the whopping $12,820 in net proceeds was distributed five ways: $5,400 to the Basque Arborglyph Mural Project, $1,000 to the Mend Project, $2,500 to the Boise Open Studios Collective Organization, $600 to the Cabin and $500 to Thee Art Of.

The Basque Project, which received the largest lump sum, used the funds to study local Aspen trees, which were long-ago painstakingly carved with Basque sheepherder’s names, poetry and pictures. With the help of the BW cover auction grant, digital images of the tree carvings have been created and will be incorporated into a mural. The mural will soon adorn the yard of the Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga house on the Basque Block. The Mend Project, the second largest grant recipient, used the funds to put on their Spectacled event, through which 1,000 pairs of glasses were donated to the non profit Unite for Sight. The Boise Open Studios Collective Organization used their cash to put on their annual Open Studios event the weekend of Oct. 2-4, 2009, while The Cabin used their grant to hire artist Bill Carman to design the covers of The Cabin’s Idaho Writing Camps annual student anthology. Last but not least, Thee Art Of pumped their BW grant bucks into the annual Boise Creative and Improvisational Music Festival.

For more info on these grants, check out the nifty video put together by BW intern Blair Davison:

BW Cover Art Grant Recipients from Boise Weekly on Vimeo.

• Courtesy of AdultSwim
• ATHF's Master Shake, Frylock and Meatwad find a genie in a bottle, baby.

Beginning today, viewers who visit adultswimshop.com can create fully customizable DVDs on demand. Though not all of the Adult Swim shows nor all of the episodes are available, for now you can choose from a selection of Aqua Teen Hunger Force; The Drinky Crow Show; Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil; Robot Chicken; Sealab 2021; Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!; The Venture Bros.; and The Young Person's Guide to History.

You can watch clips of the available episodes before choosing, and then create the DVD with an easy drag-and-drop interface. Then pick from three DVD menu options, review the whole shebang and follow the link to checkout. Within about 48 hours you—or whoever is lucky enough to get this as a gift from you—will be feet-up on the table, popcorn/nachos/M&Ms/giant sandwich in hand, enjoying the Adult Swim shows you want to watch without having to sit through King of the Hill or Family Guy reruns first.

That’s right all entries for BOTH Fiction 101 and Bad Cartoon must be in our hot little hands no later than noon on Wednesday, Nov. 18 (that’s in just two days, folks).

What’s at stake? Honor, glory and, of course, bragging rights. And in the case of Fiction 101, some cold, hard cash.

Here are the details on Fiction 101:

- Each entry must be exactly 101 words. The story title does not apply to the word count total. Microsoft Word will determine word count.

- No poetry.

- No handwritten entries.

- $10 entry fee per story.

- Put your name, address and phone number on the back of each entry.

- BW staff and freelancers are not eligible to enter.

- Winning entries are published in the Jan. 6 issue of Boise Weekly. And in addition to getting published, winners always get paid. Every year, we always dole out several hundreds of dollars to the winners.

- Mail in or drop off your entry at BWHQ, 523 Broad St., Boise, ID, 83702. Please do not send cash via snail mail.

While there’s no cash prize for Bad Cartoon, there is the chance that your very worst (read best) work will be published each and every week for one whole year if you win.

Top selections will be published in the Dec. 2 issue of Boise Weekly. Entry is free, and you can submit as many cartoons as you like, just remember to put you name and contact info on the back only, and get them in by noon on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Hand posted an update on that story yesterday after Chris Oates at treasuredvalley.com sent him a study on eating habits and political ideology. At the risk of creating one giant foodie/media circle jerk (radio guy to blogger to radio guy to BW to ...), I'll recommend the new post, which says, among several funny things:

"When shown a picture of an apple corer: 71% of conservatives were more likely to both have one and use it. Liberals were 15% more likely to “have no clue” what this is."

And, of course, Hand's new post includes data on whether liberals are more partial to arugula.

(And in the interest of full disclosure: Hand, Oates and myself are all members of a once-monthly locavore group, along with BW staffers Nathaniel Hoffman and Deanna Darr, and a long list of other media types who shall remained unnamed for their own safety. Yes, it's a media/foodie conspiracy, folks.)

Bryant said that the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) is a system mean to ferret out a national champion, not to "put together a playoff system ... the top three teams are what they always are. You've got Florida, Alabama and Texas, but then that No. 4 spot is a tricky spot ... if you're not one of the big top teams, you cannot lose. You have to be perfect."

Simon wanted to know if, with their record, Boise State should be considered a big team now. Bryant has often said that Boise State doesn't get the credit it deserves. But maybe for a reason.

"Their schedule is so weak," Bryant said. "I've argued back and forth with our college football experts and they say, 'Look. Boise State can go undefeated every year. Their schedule isn't strong enough and they don't deserve consideration with the big dogs ... with the Pac 10 or even the Big 10 or Big 12.' It doesn't matter what they do. My position has always been what is the point of going undefeated if you can never win a national championship," he said, laughing. "It's obvious that at some point, you have to have some form of playoff to determine who the best team in the country is."

Regardless of the outcome of today's 1 p.m. Broncos vs. Vandals match at Boise State—the most highly anticipated sports rivalry in the Gem State—outside opinions of the Broncos may not change. But you can be damn sure thousands of people in blue and orange already believe their team has earned the right to play with the big dogs.

Earlier today we got a colorful Evite cluing us in to a vintage boot sale going down at the Linen Building this Sunday, Nov. 15. On a background of floating, spur-clad cowboy boots, the invitation promised “Western boots. Buy, sell trade. Worn, vintage, custom. Hundreds of pairs, most sizes.”

Though we weren’t able to reach the boot sale’s organizer for more info, we’re assuming they're one of many booths at the November Sunday Market at the Linen Building. So, if a new pair vintage kicks, tunes by singer-songwriter Thomas Paul and a champagne brunch by Open Table Catering sound like your idea of a perfect Sunday, then head down to the Linen Building from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and kick up your heels.

Seriously.

The Japanese have created a bra/bustier that turns into a putting green as fast as you can undo the clasp. It's perfect for those times when you're walking around in your underwear, carrying a putter and you just have to sink a 3-foot putt.

But hey, with two cups, you double your chances.

MEN, the organization is currently looking for the next Mrs. Ada County who will compete in personal interview, physical fitness and evening wear on April 23 and 24 at Capitol High School. The winner will represent our area in the 2010 Mrs. Idaho Pageant and that winner of that contest will then move on to challenge wives from all 50 states to see who will be crowned the next Mrs. America.

MEN, if you think your wife is the most beautiful woman in Idaho, we're happy for the both of you, but beauty is only one of the requirements necessary to see your bride go on to the finals. She must also be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Idaho. Sounds simple enough, right? BUT THERE'S MORE.

MEN, your spouse must also fulfill one other condition, one very non-specific requirement that may, sadly, prevent her from walking away with an arm full of roses and a crystal tiara. According to the Team, candidates must also "be of good moral character."

MEN, maybe you should just let your wife fill out the application for herself. You may find out a little something about her moral fortitude that you'd rather you hadn't. Tell her to visit mrsidahoamerica.com or e-mail mrsidahoteam@yahoo.com for more information.

• mrsidahoamerica.com
• "Mrs. Idaho America 2009 Jamie Hilton and the 2009 delegates."

Local punk/rock trio RevoltRevolt is so excited about the release of their debut full-length Chordata (Spark & Shine), which comes out on Tuesday, Nov. 17, they're going to celebrate twice.

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, fellow locals Juntura will join them at Neurolux and then on Friday, Nov. 20, you can catch them again—and this time you can take the kids—for an in-store performance at Record Exchange.

If you haven't heard them yet, check out RevoltRevolt's music at myspace.com/revoltrevoltmusic.

A&E editor Amy Atkins is gearing up for an interview with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo (formerly of Suicidal Tendencies) this weekend. In preparation, she recently posed this question to the Questionland universe:

"If you could ask Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo one question, what would it be?"

Have you had a deep, lingering question moshing in your mind since the first time you thrashed your bleached blond, feathered mane to "Enter Sandman"? (Like, "Do you actually sleep with one eye open?") Now's your chance to ask it.

Well, now's your chance to ask Atkins to consider asking it for you.

- Each entry must be exactly 101 words. The story title does not apply to the word count total. Microsoft Word will determine word count.

- No poetry.

- No handwritten entries.

- $10 entry fee per story.

- Put your name, address and phone number on the back of each entry.

- BW staff and freelancers are not eligible to enter.

- All entries are due to BWHQ by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Winning entries are published in the Jan. 6 issue of Boise Weekly. And in addition to getting published, winners always get paid. Every year, we always dole out several hundreds of dollars to the winners.

Mail in or drop off your entry at BWHQ, 523 Broad St., Boise, ID, 83702. Please do not send cash via snail mail.

With new album Lost In Dreams at his side, Stigers is currently in "The Country That Loves The Hoff" (Germany) playing 14 cities in 17 days as well as two dates at Duc des Lombards, a jazz club on Paris' Rue de Lombards.

Then tomorrow, he jets off to London to host—not play, host—a concert and live broadcast tribute to Johnny Mercer, the American singer-songwriter who penned the likes of such classics "That Old Black Magic," "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Jeepers Creepers." The show will air on BBC Radio 2, but if you can't tune into that, you can listen to the show for the following week online at BBC.co.uk.

On a side note, a recent People.com article suggests Kevin Costner is Germany's new Hoff (as if that's a compliment). Maybe People thinks so, but now that the Germans have seen Stigers, they may not want Costner or Hasselhoff back.