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.

• Jeff Lake
• Yordanos Refu

The keynote speaker for the event was Riverstone alumnus Yordanos Refu, a refugee from Ethiopia who fled to Djibouti before relocating to Boise in 2001 with her family. Originally expecting to end up in Atlanta, Georgia, Refu jokes that their arrival in Boise was set in motion by a stamp mix-up at the airport.
Initially she was unsure of how life in Boise would go, as she said, “Idaho’s not known to many Americans, let alone an abroad person.”

In a way, Refu feels that not knowing anything about Idaho helped in her overall assimilation. She says that people from other countries have a “glamorized perception of the United States,” but with Idaho, “I didn’t have any previous assumptions, so it presented itself the way it was and we were really glad to take it.”

Boise proved a serendipitous end-destination, as Idaho is among the few places in the world (besides Ethiopia) that grows teff, the main grain in the traditional Ethiopian bread, injera.

Refu laughed as I marveled at the odds, adding, “We had more than one reason to feel at home here.” When I pressed her on the possibility of finding Ethiopian cuisine anywhere in Boise, she said quite proudly that the best place to go would be her own mother’s kitchen.

Refu is currently a junior studying International Political Economy andBusiness with a minor in Spanish and Education at the College of Idaho. She attributes much of her success to the International Baccalaureates she received from Riverstone, and since her graduation, she has continued to be involved in the IB program, which promotes and accredits international curricula at many schools around the world, including Riverstone. Having shared her experiences at conferences across the United States, Refu recently returned from Ohio, where she spoke to IB educators.

The Ohio Association of IB Schools is trying to turn more kids towards IB classes, so they enlisted Refu to, “in a way help the teachers make it [IB classes] more attractive to the students, and I was also speaking to the students as to why they should take the program.”

Refu believes in what the International Baccalaureate program and places like Riverstone have to offer. As she said in her address, “[Because of the program] I am not only continuing my education, but I have bigger aspirations for myself, for my family, and for my country as well as the world.”

She looked around the bleachers of current students before finishing. “This is the kind of place … this is where it all started for me.”

With only one year left in her undergraduate degree, Refu is already feeling the strain of being a full-time student. However, she insists that education is her main focus; something that becomes apparent when she discusses her future plans.

“I want to make everything I do meaningful,” she states. “I will be in Idaho after I graduate, taking it slowly from there. My hope after all that, after graduate school and everything, is hopefully to do something for my country. Particularly, if it works out, as Minister of Education.” She smiles. “But I’m up for anything.”

The bill encourages community colleges and professional-technical programs across the country to design and offer training programs and industrial certifications that are transferable anywhere in the country. The bill is supported by manufacturers, labor and community colleges, what Minnick spokesman John Foster called the "three-legged stool" of the workforce.

Alisha Hyslop at the Association for Career and Technical Education, which represents teachers and administrators at community colleges, said they support industry recognized credentials that are national and portable, but she said the bill appears to be driven mainly by industry concerns, specifically the National Association of Manufacturers.

But Minnick also demonstrated support from organized labor, quoting the Pacific Northwest Carpenters union in his press release, along with representatives of NAM and North Idaho College.

But here's the best part; the bill is short, as in a page. Here it is in its entirety, from the Library of Congress:

A BILL

To require that certain Federal job training and career education programs give priority to programs that provide a national industry-recognized and portable credential.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `American Manufacturing Efficiency and Retraining Investment Collaboration Act' or the `AMERICA Works Act'.

SEC. 2. NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND PORTABLE CREDENTIALS FOR JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS.

(a) Workforce Investment Act-

(1) GENERAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES- Section 134 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(f) Priority for Programs That Provide a National Industry-Recognized Credential- In selecting and approving training programs or services under this section, a State, a local board, and a one-stop delivery system shall give priority approval to programs that provide a national industry-recognized and portable credential, certificate, or degree.'.

(2) YOUTH ACTIVITIES- Section 129(c)(1)(C) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2854(c)(1)(C)) is amended by redesignating clauses (ii) through (iv) as clauses (iii) through (v), respectively, and inserting after clause (i) the following:

`(ii) to the extent available and appropriate, a national industry-recognized credential, certificate, or degree;'.

(b) Career and Technical Education- Section 3(5)(A)(ii) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302) is amended by inserting `that is nationally recognized and portable and which may provide a basis for additional credentials, certificates, or degrees' after `an industry-recognized credential'.

(c) Training Programs Under TAA- Section 236(a)(5) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296(a)(5)) is amended by inserting after the sentence that follows subparagraph (H)(ii) the following: `In approving training programs under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek to approve programs that provide a national industry-recognized and portable credential, certificate, or degree.'.

PS You may have to read the three other lengthy pieces of legislation this bill amends in order to fully comprehend this stuff. But it's still short.

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."

"Bad kids need a good whipping and if that doesn't work they should be sent to military school to straighten them out," I countered.

"You're so f***ing wrong. Oh My God," she continued to harp. At this point all I began to hear were the muted sounds of a trumpet like the parents in Charlie Brown holiday special.

I admit, while I'm most certainly, almost perfectly right, I may also be wrong, or at least a behind-the-times-once-correct-but-now-not-correct kind of wrong.

Let me start from the beginning. Once upon a time I, too, was a kid. I know it's hard to believe but I started out as two zygotes, merging to become the lump of flesh, bone, sinew and partially functioning nerve tissue I am today.

While being reared, I challenged authoritay just like any red-blooded American youth to assert my independence. I occasionally encountered old-fashioned parenting attitudes that I thought were wrong. This occasionally led to being grounded and even the occasional ass-beating. The ass-beatings brought new meaning to the phrase "being reared", unlike the modern prison definition of "being reared." It was a time when you could beat your children without Wal-Mart security cameras watching your every move. Ahhh, the good old days.

On one particular occasion the old-fashioned attitudes reared their ugly head. When my father had mistakenly thought I was mouthing off at him while working in the corn feild, he threw a shovel at me. For the record, I may have been mouthing off but that part of my memory could have had some selective censoring and I don't recall those details. The next few seconds, however, are burned into my brain.

I watched the shovel woosh-woosh like a helicopter blade towards me in slow motion. I had plenty of time as he hammer-threw it from about 75 yards away. As it neared, I timed my jump to avoid it as I believed it would fall short. Time seemed to slow down even more as it got closer and as I jumped, the handle whacked me in the shin. My lack of ability to jump high (another story for another time) had allowed the shovel to hit me. But had I not jumped, I may not have had the opportunity to make zygotes of my own and spawn to this very day.

While it didn't break my leg, I still can feel the dent it left in my shin. It is a reminder that no matter what I had done to deserve (or not deserve) my punishment and suffer the wrath of an angry dad, sometimes you got to... crap, I don't know. What lesson is there in this? Don't mouth off to someone with a shovel? Sometimes you got to jump to avoid a ball-severing blow? Maybe I should have ran to one side or the other? Long ago child abuse laws were more lax? Or how about sometimes you need to create dramatic situations to have a good story to tell later.

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.)

Nigeria who were in the middle of hosting their first U-17 FIFA world cup (which they lost in the final to Switzerland), had no chance of qualifying for South Africa 2010 as they were two points behind group leader Tunisia with a game to go. They took the advice of former captain and player maker Jay Jay Okocha and focused on their game against Kenya, which they came from behind to win 3-2 thanks to Obefemi Martin’s brace. But that win would have had no effect if Tunisia had done what everybody thought was an easy task for them. To beat Mozambique or draw to qualify, but Mozambique had to quench the thirst of missing out of the African Cup of Nations by producing a great performance to seal their place to Angola coming January which cancels Tunisia’s World Cup hope.

With Cameroon getting the win they needed in Morocco to qualify to the World Cup on the expense of Gabon, who lost to Togo, it was the Arab African nation that had more drama and tasks to do last night. The game between Algeria vs. Egypt started on a wrong foot as the Algerian tour bus was attacked at the airport by Egyptian supporters leaving some players bleeding. But Algeria traveled the Pharaoh's territory with a slight advantages as they only needed a win, draw, or a 1-0 loss to book their plane to South Africa.

For Egypt on the other hand, they had to win by three goals to qualify while two goals would give them a second chance, a one game play-off in a neutral country, Sudan. The game went just halfway in favor of the Egyptian as they scored a goal in the last minute of additional time to earn themselves a play-off in Sudan coming next Wednesday. That means five teams in Africa are through to South Africa 2010 which are Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Cameroon and Nigeria while the faithful of Algeria and Egypt are waiting in the Sudan coming this Wednesday, November 18.

Most African football supporters are praying for Egypt to qualify for one and only one reason: they want the best football nations in Africa to represent the continent on this one chance we have the tournament played on our soil, and the fact that Egypt has been dominating African football for the past six years winning the last two African Cup of Nations, it will be a shame if they would miss out of this one chance to show off against the the likes of Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, etc. … in South Africa where they will have the advantage of the supporters.

Across the ocean, France had won their first leg play-off against Republic of Ireland, thanks to Nicolas Anelka’s goal, and Portugal managed the same margin victory in theirs against Bosnia-Herzegovina, both nations have to produce the same result on Wednesday to ensure their place in South Africa. And remember! These two are among the world giants and great star people want to see coming June 2010. For all the fixture and result go to FIFA.com.