The Odd Truth, March 17, 2005
The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Joey Arak.
The God Of Burgers
The people with the golden arches may be known for selling the biggest number of burgers, but the Clinton Station Diner in Union Township, New Jersey is home to the biggest single burger in the country.
On the menu, the burger is called "Zeus." It's seven pounds of USDA choice ground round going for $29.95. It's 50-cents extra if you want cheese.
If the "Zeus" doesn't fit your appetite, then you can try the three-pound "Atlas" or the two-pound "Hercules." The burgers are being offered to celebrate the diner's one year anniversary.
The actual total weight of the hamburger, including the bun and a couple of slices of tomato and half a head of lettuce, is 12.5 pounds. If you can eat the entire thing in three hours or less - it's free.
Driving While TIPSY
MOORHEAD, Minn. - Having a vanity plate that reads "TIPSY" may not be such a great idea after all.
Josiah Johnson, 23, said his license plate might have tipped off the Clay County sheriff's deputy who pulled him over Friday after he left Coach's Sports Pub in Moorhead.
Now he faces third-degree drunken driving charges after his blood-alcohol level allegedly registered twice the legal limit.
Johnson said he bought the personalized license plate for his Jeep to describe the way it rode, then kept it as a joke when he got a Chevy Silverado because he likes to party.
"It doesn't mean I drink and drive," he said. "It just means I have a good time."
Johnson, who was slated to appear in court March 22, said he'll never drink and drive again.
"I feel really stupid," he said.
Cookie Crook Steals From Scouts
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A group of Girl Scouts had a very unhappy encounter with a Cookie Monster.
The girls stood in disbelief as a man came to their cookie booth at a supermarket and ran off with an envelope containing $320.
One of the five girls from Troop 4180 had recommended a box of Thin Mints when the man reached into the cash drawer and grabbed the envelope. An adult with the girls chased the thief but couldn't catch him.
Troop leader Jeri Smith said the third- through fifth-graders were in disbelief.
"It was a bad experience. They were really shook up," she said.
The girls were working their stand inside a Kroger store about 2:30 p.m. Saturday when the man came by and said he'd never bought Girl Scout cookies. He handed one of the girls $3, then said he wanted a second box but only gave her $2 more.
When the girl pointed it out, the man snatched the envelope.
Smith said the money would have paid for the girls to go to summer camp. Kroger employees took up a $25 collection, but Smith said the girls won't sell from a booth anymore.
Kangaroo Loose In Kentucky
POOLE, Ky. - A strange sight from Down Under startled residents of this western Kentucky community.
Members of the Poole Homemakers Club were at a meeting downtown Tuesday when they looked out and saw what they thought was a kangaroo.
Nedra Wilson, first to spot the animal, said it hopped up a driveway and around a carport. He then headed south on U.S. 41-A, she said.
"I bet it was going 25 mph," she said. "He was really getting it. We haven't had that much excitement in Poole in a while."
Actually, the animal that club members saw was likely a wallaby, a small kangaroo that is native to Australia. There were two of them on the loose after they escaped their pen.
The animals belong to the family of Stephen and Betty Bell. The family moved to Poole about six months ago. Stephen Bell is from Australia.
The Bells said the animals escaped sometime Monday. One was later recaptured and the other returned on its own.
'Queer Eye' For Those Sox Guys
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Hands off the hair.
That from Boston Red Sox star Johnny Damon, who nixed cutting his famous long locks during taping for an appearance on the Bravo cable show "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy."
A contract for his book being issued in April requires him to keep his hair long.
Queer Eyes' five gay makeover artists are taking on five members of the Sox for an upcoming episode. Damon, Kevin Millar, Doug Mirabelli, Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek are taking part, after the show's executive producer says their wives pitched the idea.
Taping began this week while the Red Sox go through spring training in Florida.
And it turns out the Sox may even have helped the Fab Five. "They're teaching us how to spit," fashion adviser Carson Kressley said.
Championing The Three-Day Work Week
REDMOND, Wash. - There are good days and bad days.
And as far as work goes, Microsoft says there are barely more good ones than bad ones.
The computer company says an online survey found workers average only three productive days per week. It says the survey got responses from some 38,000 people worldwide who say they're working longer but less productively.
The top time-wasters were vague objectives, poor communication and ineffective meetings.
Workers in the survey said they get an average of 42 e-mails a day.
Hockey Getting Blue?
BUFFALO, N.Y. - If the NHL ever returns, hockey could look different: a lot bluer. The Buffalo Sabres are using their Rochester, New York, farm club to test blue ice. A game Sunday against Cleveland will be played on an ice surface the Sabres call "electric powder blue." Of course, the blue lines won't show up very well, so they'll be fluorescent orange. Club and league officials will be watching the game, to see if the blue ice makes it easier for fans to follow the action in the arena and on TV.
Hiking Marathon
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent - Earl Daniel and Joel Butcher will probably want to stay off their feet for a while. The pair trekked across the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, walking six days straight without sleeping. By the time they reached the capital of Kingstown, they had walked for more than 144 hours. Political leaders and well-wishers walked the last four miles with the marathon walkers. Both men spent Monday night in a hospital as a precaution. They were released in good shape yesterday, but the duo got some bad news: Guinness World Records won't recognize the feat.
Guinness World Records Ltd. confirmed that the men had contacted the company but said the category would not be recognized, because it is "impossible to compare" one person's performance with another's.
"Individuals often walk at different speeds" and "some individuals may choose a more demanding course" while "the time people take for necessary breaks may vary," Guinness spokeswoman Laura McTurk said.
Marathon Marathon
MARQUETTE, Mich. - Running a marathon is just a walk in the park for Pam Reed. The 44-year-old Michigan woman is among the elite ultramarathoners. She's planning a 300-mile non-stop run starting a week from Friday. No one has ever run that distance before, male or female. She'll be making her 300-mile run on a closed course in Arizona. Her only stops will be for bathroom breaks. Reed figures she'll cover the 300 miles in 60 to 72 hours. She also expects to wear out two or three pairs of running shoes.
Mayor's Rock Career On Hold
BALTIMORE - Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley is hanging up his guitar. He fronts a Celtic rock band called O'Malley's March. After a last round of St. Patrick's Day gigs, O'Malley says he'll concentrate on his political career. The Democrat is considered a likely candidate for the 2006 Maryland governor's race. O'Malley has posted a letter to fans on his band's Web site. He says he loves playing, but it's time to get the state moving in the right direction. O'Malley is also trying to get his music fans to sign up with the campaign.
Say Cheese
MILWAUKEE - Today, someone will be the new big cheese. Cheese makers from across the country are competing in the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Milwaukee. The judges will sample more than 1,000 cheeses from 25 states. The connoisseurs of curd will poke, prod, chew and sniff the contenders. But the 14 judges won't be swallowing. They spit out the cheese they taste. Being the big cheese is a big deal. Mike Gingrich says his business has quadrupled since being crowned the cheese champ two years ago.