The clock is ticking. More than 70 Nice Packages up for grabs in this year's Strangercrombie auction, packages you can purchase either for yourself, or for some lucky person you love. Bidding closes at 5:30 p.m. this coming Friday, December 17. You have from now until then to bid on a heavenly host prizes, from dinner with the mayor to bowling with Maria Cantwell, from a party at the Pacific Science Center Laser Dome to laser hair removal, from drinks with a Scissor Sister to a shopping spree at Easy Street Records. Want to put anything you want on the cover of The Stranger? You can. Want to bring a date to every show at the Showbox and Chop Suey next year? Go to www.thestranger.com now.

Every penny raised by Strangercrombie goes directly to Northwest Harvest, which in turn buys food for hungry people, who in turn eat it, thereby not starving to death. The generosity of everyone involved in Strangercrombie is staggering--from the businesses who have donated goods, to the local personalities who have donated time, to bidders like you. To one and all, we say thanks. Now let's get to the tote board…

The bidding has been going strong since last week's Stranger hit the streets. The top five items at press time: The Does Your Band Suck? Package, with its incredible array of rock-group-friendly accessories (52 weeks of free ads in the Stranger, critiques from Sub Pop and Barsuk, promotion from Sonic Boom records, a fabulous Gibson Guitar, and more) is the clear leader, at $1,126. But You Answer the Questions in Savage Love is hot on its heels at $1,025, followed closely by the astonishing Movie Lover's Package (including a year's worth of passes to Landmark Theaters and the NW Film Forum, a region-free DVD player with rentals from Scarecrow Video, and lots more) at $564, and the What You Really, Really Want Package--a 40-gig iPod programmed by The Stranger's own Dave Segal--at $455. Rounding out the top five is Harvey Danger Writes Your Theme Song, which currently stands at $503.

Oh, and about our cover… a four-color, full-page ad in The Stranger sells for $3,000. The Put Anything You Want on Our Cover package is currently going for $230, an absolute steal! Surely there's a small local business (yes, you can put an ad on our cover!), a huge cigarette company (even for smokes!), or striving visual artist out there who would like to find this package in their stocking on Christmas morning! This package might wind up being the bargain of the year...

There are dozens of other gifts available at every price level. At press time, more than $13,313 has been bid. In the immortal words of Sen. John Kerry, we can do better, but only with your help.