Dream of Genie Bride Is to Grant Wishes of Mortals

--Today’s the day that a Bahraini genie queen and her fiance tie the knot. So to mark the occasion she is offering a “free wish” to every mortal. An advertisement announcing the offer, published in several Arab- and European-based publications, cautions: “The wish has to be reasonable and immortality is excluded.” Instructions are quite explicit. The wish should be made at 7 p.m. “any local time” after donning a neck bracelet with the name of the genie royal couple, Queen Bilqas and King Barqan, and the date of the wedding. Non-believers are forewarned: “If a total of 19,000 non-believers make fun of us over an area of 19,000 kilometers they will be hit by an earthquake within a minimum of 19 days and a maximum of 57 days.” Several theologians confirmed that the Koran, the Muslim holy book, explicitly acknowledges the existence of genies, who can take on human or animal forms and influence human affairs. But the unique offer has stirred controversy among many Muslim nations. “To deal with genies is to play with fire,” said Sheik Muawwad Awad Ibrahim, the director of guidance at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Religious Affairs.

--He used to be plain James Earl Haughawout (pronounced hug-a-what). But he decided that his name didn’t reflect what a cool dude he really is. So he changed it to Pink James Earl Haughawout Panther. Panther, a postal employee in Nanjemoy, Md., has been a fan of the Pink Panther, that suave cartoon feline, since he was a student at Parkdale High School, home of the panthers. As his interest grew, he acquired a houseful of Pink Panther memorabilia, including stuffed dolls--one almost as tall as himself--calendars, buttons, stationery, decals, bed sheets and a wind-up panther that talks. He has a Pink Panther tattoo on his arm. And a pink telephone. And a wife named Annie, a former Washington Redskins cheerleader, who owns pink pants, a pink sweater, a pink satin bowling jacket and a pink synthetic fur coat. “Pink is not my favorite color,” Panther said, “but it is the image. The image is cool, and to be cool is to be yourself.”

--James Ale has a future in politics. When he decided that his town needed a playground, the 9-year-old went to the mayor of Davie, Fla., briefcase in hand, to make his pitch. His father printed up business cards for the boy, who recruited six friends to fight for the playground. His effort paid off: Davie planners are designing a $4,000 park with swings, slides and a basketball area that should open next month.