Free Republic

A pair of graphic designers say they thought it would be funny to misidentify a Russian Orthodox church as "The Mosque" on a tote bag that displays a map of Williamsburg landmarks. But the church isn't amused. Derick Holt, 30, and Milton Carter, 33, both of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, said they considered it "ironic hipster" humor to deliberately mislabel the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration on North 12th Street. "That's just what everyone calls it, as in 'Let's meet at "The Mosque" side of the park,' " said Carter, who, along with Holt, runs a business called Brooklyn Novelty. "If...

Bah Hummer Indie rockers reject big money from the king of gas guzzlers The Thermals, a rambunctious rock band from Portland, Ore., were en route between gigs last year when they got a phone call from their label, Sub Pop. Hummer wanted to pay them $50,000 for the right to use their song "It's Trivia" in a commercial. "We thought about it for about 15 seconds, maybe," lead singer Hutch Harris said. They said no. Washington D.C.'s Trans Am were offered $180,000 by Hummer for the song "Total Information Awareness." "We figured it was almost like giving music to the...