A rumor has made the rounds in Downtown Boise recently that Tom Grainey's/J.T. Toad's pub is for sale. It's been with the same family for decades. I left voice mails for the owner, but he didn't return the calls. (Swell.) Normally, I would say this indicates the rumor might be true. But maybe he's just on a really long fishing vacation. Whatever the case, I spoke to management at Grainey's who claimed it's not for sale. On the other hand, when does management anywhere know what the owner is up to?

"For sale" rumors get ignited about Downtown bars every other week or so. The Bouquet -- another Downtown staple with lots of history -- also has been rumored to be on the market in the past year or so. In reality, that club's owner just sold his side catering business and is now focusing exclusively on The Bouquet, which is improving its live-music offerings in cooperation with promoter Bravo Entertainment. Bravo, of course, operates The Big Easy, which plans to change its name in 2008.

Mickey Mouse is being forced to redesign Disneyland's most popular ride because Americans have gobbled too many Big Macs.

The fear of rollercoasters suddenly seems a hell of a lot more logical.

Vermont-based Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are drumming up a national buzz with a fiery roots-rock show. They’ll open for Gov’t Mule on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at The Big Easy. Potter, 24, has mad stage presence. She sings and plays guitar and keys. Below is video of the band rocking “Stop the Bus” (from their latest CD, "This is Somewhere") at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. If you want to see another cool clip, search YouTube for “Grace Potter and Joe Satriani cover Cortez the Killer.”

P.S. I swear I’m not smitten with Potter just because she told me on the phone that she wasn’t wearing underwear.

J.Lo FINALLY admitted she’s in a family way. Gee, ya think?

Is there ANY musician Winona Ryder HASN'T been with? Here's a 21-stud photo salute to all the boys she's loved before. (Is that Ryan Adams or a hedgehog?)

“24” is the latest victim of the writers’ strike. Can't Jack Bauer just blow up these dang picketers?

Why shouldn't Jewel try to knock Faith Hill down the country charts? She's hot, she's blonde and she can yodel. It worked for Bon Jovi.

Rosie O’Donnell won't be on MSNBC after all. As if anyone other than Donald Trump really cared.

If you haven't gotten around to it yet, you really should watch Jerry Seinfeld humiliate Larry King.

It's not Britney Spears' fault she's nuts. Blame her mom.

I’m taking vacation Nov. 19-25, but I swear it’s for Thanksgiving, not because I’m a huge nerd and need prep time for ”Battlestar Galactica: Razor.” I do admit that I'm chewing off my arm because the actual TV series won't return until April.

Ex-British Special Forces adventurer Bear Grylls is still trying to claw his way out from underneath a pile of public-relations elephant dung regarding his Discovery Channel series "Man vs. Wild." Seems ol' Bear was "roughing it" in a motel and staging certain "wild" scenes. Then there's the gigantic list of bad advice he supposedly has given: Thirsty in the wild? Yes! Drink your own urine, of course!

Grylls' show can't compare to the more compelling, blue-collar "Survivorman." I am totally freaking addicted to "Survivorman." Host Les Stroud gets dumped off in the middle of nowhere with little but a ton of camera equipment to lug and a Canadian sense of humor. Not only does Stroud have to survive (he often looks downright miserable at night), he has to film everything by himself. That's hardcore. Grylls has a camera crew. Not hardcore.

Pollstar is reporting that country singer Brad Paisley — who picked up two CMAs on Wednesday night — will perform Jan. 23, 2008, at the Idaho Center in Nampa. No announcement has been made, and the Idaho Center doesn't have a signed contract, but I'm betting this one is going to happen. Paisley would be a major concert for Treasure Valley country fans. Not as big as Kenny Cheesy, er, Chesney, but probably as big (or slightly bigger than), say, Keith Urban. Paisley plays real country music, but he appeals to that 20- and 30-something fan with a fashionable tattoo on the small of her back.

1. Maktub, "Know Your Name"
2. Eagles, "Last Good Time in Town"
3. Britney Spears, "Piece of Me"
4. Alison Krauss/Robert Plant, "Your Long Journey"
5. Patti Griffin, "No Bad News"
6. Puscifer, "Queen B"
7. The Whigs, "Right Hand on My Heart"
8. Maktub, "Open Mind"

"The Other Studio" airs at 9 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM "The River."

Like many Treasure Valley residents, I found Idaho State Police's eight-bar "Bikinigate" sex-sting operation in March to be hilarious misguided. (I kept imagining police chasing around male dancer Party Boy from MTV's "Jackass.") On the other hand, some Idahoans probably think it's a swell way to spend our tax dollars. One thing we all can agree on: It gobbles up time and money in dragged-out legal proceedings. Here's an update from ISP's public information officer, who was kind enough to gather all the specifics. This is grave business for these business owners. Notice how by not agreeing to settle, bikini bars The Torch and Torch 2 are flat-out risking their liquor licenses:

The Wu-Tang Clan, one of hardcore rap's most influential acts, will headline The Big Easy on Friday, Dec. 28. All eight living original members will be there: RZA, GZA/Genius, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah (my favorite), U-God, Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa. Missing, of course, will be the incomparable Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who died in 2004.

It's only been six years since "The X-Files" called it quits, but that seems like an eternity. I'm fired up over the news that Mulder and Scully will return to the big screen next summer. Being a card-carrying sci-fi nerd, I still watch "X-Files" reruns almost every weeknight as I fall asleep. (There are 77 episodes on my TiVo at the moment. Pathetic, I know.)

The first "X-Files" movie wasn't all that exciting, because the TV series was still on the air. I'm way more fired up about this sequel. "The X-Files" did a terrific job from an aliens/monsters/supernatural angle, but the underlying romantic tension between Mulder and Scully provided much of the series' spark. They finally locked lips romantically in season seven, but what most fans ultimately craved was probably akin to the the video clip below -- a love scene gone awry that was never used. I'm not usually this sappy, but I can't help loving Gillian Anderson's laugh at the very end: