LOLLAPALOOKAVILLE: Texans Bail On Belmont, Please Touch Say ‘Please Don’t’
The Austin, Texas, outfit that proposed a three-day pop festival for Belmont Plateau in August has withdrawn the bid and is pursuing alternative plans, park officials said today. A competing proposal from Larry Magid’s Electric Factory Concerts has not been withdrawn, Magid said late today, although he added that he had strong reservations about the site. Magid said today that a scaled-down, two-day event in and around the Mann Music Center might be more appropriate. And in a letter to the park last week, he suggested that June might be a better time. ” Officials at the zoo, the Mann and the Please Touch Museum have raised concerns about potential festival damage and fallout. [via INQUIRER]
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DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENT: It’s The Parking Stupid!
Philadelphia loves to shop online. Zogby International says the city ranked first in the nation for people who say they intend to buy some or all of their holiday gifts online. More than 79 percent say they’ll point and click to complete their lists this season. Most of those asked say shopping online was more convenient, and even if they eventually buy a gift at a store, almost half say they’ll use the internet to compare prices. A growing number – 40 percent – say they’ve used their cell phone to comparison shop or buy online. [via KYW]
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Brit Teacher Arrested In Sudan For Letting Students Name Teddy Bear ‘Mohammed’
KHARTOUM (Reuters) — A British primary school teacher has been arrested in Sudan, accused of insulting Islam’s Prophet by letting her class of 7-year-olds name a teddy bear Mohammed, her school said on Monday. Police arrested Gillian Gibbons, 54 of Liverpool, on Sunday at her home inside the Unity High School premises after a number of parents complained to Sudan’s Ministry of Education, said Unity director Robert Boulos. The country’s state-controlled Sudanese Media Centre reported late Sunday that Gibbons had been accused of “insulting the Prophet Mohammad.” It said charges were being prepared “under article 125 of the criminal law” which covers insults against faith and religion. Teachers at the school in central Khartoum said Gibbons made an innocent mistake and simply let her pupils choose their favourite name for the toy as part of a school project. If convicted, Gibbons could be sentenced to 40 lashes, six months in prison or a fine, said Ghazi Suleiman, the head of the Sudan Human Rights Group. [via REUTERS]