Atypical Events

Entire Town gets Free Vegas Getaway

Posted by jessie under News, Travel

Las Vegas officials have decided which American town is most in need of a vacation, and they are sending the entire town to enjoy four nights in Sin City, free of charge.

Next weekend, nearly half of the residents of Cranfills Gap, Texas, population 358, will be flying out to Las Vegas for a free vacation, that is, if they are over 21 and able to get the time off from work.

The free trip comes courtesy of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority, who are providing the trip as part of a promotional campaign for Vegas tourism. Cranfills Gap was chosen from a list of over 125 small cities in America deemed in need of some rest and relaxation.

The entire trip will be filmed from start to finish, resulting in a documentary film and about half a dozen commercials.

Town residents who are able to go on the trip will leave on Saturday, December 13th. They will get to stay in Vegas for five days, all expenses paid. The trip will put Cranfills Gap on the map as the first American city to take a mass vacation together.

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Airport Karaoke Spreads Holiday Cheer

Posted by jessie under News, Travel

If you’re traveling through Houston’s Bush International Airport during the next few weeks, you may notice sounds of the season being sung not by a choir, but by your fellow travelers.

The airport has set up Karaoke booths for travelers who want to get into the holiday spirit and kill time while waiting for their flight. Singers will have hundreds of song titles to choose from and will also win small prizes for singing.

(Link)

Oahu to Implement Bike-Share Program

Posted by jessie under News, Travel

If you happen to be living or traveling in Oahu next summer, you may be able to get around on new rental bicycles that are part of a proposed ride-share program.

Starting next June, Oahu plans to launch the Momentum B-cycle project, a privately-funded pilot program with a goal is of having bike racks across Oahu located within a five mile radius of rail transit stops.

People would be able to pay to rent a bike in one place, and leave it at a designated rack at their destination. Initially, there will be ten solar-powered bike racks where riders will be able to unlock a bike by swiping either their credit card or bike-share pass.

People who paid for the service would be able to check bikes out and drop them off at locations on Oahu, making it easier for residents and tourists to access mass transit and other points of interest around the island.

Anyone who wants to use the bikes will be able to purchase a weekly, monthly or yearly pass.
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Musicians Speak out Against Racial Profiling at London Clubs

Posted by jessie under Music, News

In London, musicians and fans are fighting against a police measure that has been accused of using racial profiling to help determine which venues and acts run the risk of drawing dangerous crowds at music concerts.

Form 696 is used to assess risk for music events. It requires that the licensees of clubs and venues submit to the police the names, aliases, private addresses and phone numbers of all musicians and performers that are going to appear at a venue in advance of the event.

The form also requires information on the ethnic background of the audience and the type of music will be played at the event. Some of the questions on the form have been seen as targeting black and Asian people.

Information gathered from Form 696 will be used by police to determine particular venues or performers that tend to draw a troublesome crowd.

Police say that the information ultimately helps them make sure that events are safe.
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