The Odd Truth, June 13, 2005
The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.
Love, Marriage & Yankee-Hating
SKOWHEGAN, Maine - Red Sox Nation would have been proud of Stanley Whitaker and Reagan Merrill.
For their weekend wedding, Whitaker was dressed in a Red Sox jersey with catcher Jason Varitek's name and number on the back. The best man was decked out in Curt Schilling's jersey, and the ushers also wore Red Sox shirts.
Merrill and her father walked down the aisle to the accompaniment of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Bridesmaids carried carnations fashioned in the shape of baseballs.
For their vows, the couple promised to love, honor -- and never cheer for the Yankees.
Jason Bersani, a Universal Life Church minister, presided over the ceremony even though he's a fan of the Yankees. "This will probably be one of the most bizarre things you've ever witnessed," he told the guests.
Following the ceremony, the newlyweds and guests went to a reception to dine on hot dogs, nachos and popcorn.
Indonesia Prez: Text Me!
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may be regretting the day he gave out his cell phone number.
The leader received thousands of short message texts that overloaded his phone, just one day after he asked people having problems with bureaucracy to complain directly to him.
"The number of the messages reached thousands," said Andi Alfian Mallarangeng, a presidential spokesman, on Sunday.
On Saturday, in a meeting with farmers and fishermen in the West Java town of Purwakarta that was broadcast live, Yudhoyono publicly announced his cell phone number saying he was prepared to listen to people's complaints.
Most of the resulting messages complained about delay of salary payments, land disputes, lack of services of bureaucracy, high living cost, corruption and chaotic traffic conditions.
"We apologize to all Indonesian people over this happening," Mallarangeng said. "We are trying to find out ways of creating a system that is able to accommodate so a lot number of messages."
Beautiful Flowers Bring Big Stink
ERIE, Pa. - The white blossoms clinging to branches outside the federal courthouse here may be related to roses, but in this case a rose by another name may smell sweeter.
About a dozen young hawthorn trees recently blossomed outside the entrance to the new federal complex in Erie, giving visitors and workers an eyeful of delicate, small, white flowers but also a noseful of what smells like something dead or rotting.
"They say, 'Oh my God, what is that smell out there?' We say, 'Oh, it's just our wonderful trees,"' said Frank Gressley, a U.S. Marshals Service court security officer.
It's unclear why officials picked the hawthorn trees or placed them next to the front door.
The trees may have been selected more for their aesthetics than olfactory impact, said Jim Sellmer, an associate professor of ornamental horticulture at Pennsylvania State University.
"You have to ask, 'Do you not want your people to go to work?' It is a pretty flower, but the stench is enough to drive people away," Sellmer said.
Mix-Up Yields Dirty Surgery
RALEIGH, N.C. - Regulators say about 3,800 patients at two North Carolina hospitals were operated on last year with instruments washed in hydraulic fluid instead of detergent.
The hospitals in Durham and Raleigh are run by Duke University Health System.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says the hospitals put patients in "immediate jeopardy" by not detecting the problem, despite complaints from medical staff about slick tools. The agency says the hospitals did not fix the problem for weeks.
The mix-up apparently occurred when an elevator company drained hydraulic fluid into empty detergent barrels last summer. The detergent supplier later picked up the barrels and mistakenly redistributed them as washing fluid.
Duke Health officials told patients the likelihood of infection from the tools was "no more than the risk normally associated" with the surgeries, but some patients report lingering health effects.
Cops: No Honking For Peace
TIBURON, Calif. - Californians honking for peace could be looking for trouble. Officers in the tiny Northern California town of Tiburon have been pulling over drivers who honk for peace. The motorists are blowing their horns in sympathy as they pass a weekly peace vigil. One demonstrator says honking is as American as apple pie. But police Captain Dave Hutton says excessive honking is an "unlawful use of horn" and officers are simply doing their job. Some neighbors have complained about the noise. So far, officers have issued three tickets and nine warnings.
Hair Collector Will Keep Armstrong's Lock
WESTPORT, Conn. - John Reznikoff intends on keeping Neil Armstrong's hair. Reznikoff bought a lock of Armstrong's hair from the former astronaut's barber. Lawyers for the first man on the moon have demanded the hair back, or a $3,000 donation to a charity of Armstrong's choice. Reznikoff says he's keeping the hair but will make the charitable contribution. Reznikoff is listed by the Guinness people as having the world's largest collection of hair from historical figures and celebs. He says one of his prized possessions is a lock of Lincoln's hair, cut the night of the president's assassination. The Connecticut collector admits some might think his hair clippings are kind of creepy. But he says someday his collection of locks could help unlock the secrets of DNA.