The Odd Truth, Nov. 30, 2002

The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.

'Turkey Terrorist' Ad Under Fire

NORFOLK, Va. - The nation's largest animal rights group is under fire for a television campaign featuring a "turkey terrorist" taking hostages in a supermarket. It is appearing on only one station.

The commercial by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals depicts a store manager being bound and gagged and shoppers taken hostage, while an unseen terrorist threatens to beat, scald and dismember anyone who resists.

The terrorist is revealed to be a turkey puppet, which urges people to stop eating meat.

"I think it is always inappropriate to promote propaganda that puts fear in anyone's mind," said Sherrie Rosenblatt, spokeswoman for the National Turkey Federation.

Norfolk-based PETA did not apologize for the commercial, despite a pledge following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that it would play down its incendiary messages.

"A fake supermarket takeover has zip to do with the events of Sept. 11," spokeswoman Lisa Lange said. "You'd really have to be a big grump not to see the humor in all of this."

Lange said only one television station, in Minnesota, had accepted the commercial.

Unable To Fly, Pelican Walks South

OTTAWA, Wis. - A white pelican rescued from the cold North this week had a broken wing, but its sense of direction appeared to be fine.

Phil Thieme found the bird trudging south, first along his driveway and then down the road near southeastern Wisconsin's Horicon Marsh. Fearing for the pelican's life, he and his neighbors corralled it Monday using a net and a blanket.

"It was bound and determined to go south. It kept walking down the middle of the road," said Jean Seinke, one of the rescuers.

The pelican was taken to Ottawa's Wildlife in Need Center, which will try to repair the wing surgically, said Judy Budnick, the center's executive director. She said it was not known how the protected bird was injured.

Tom Erdman, curator of the Richter Museum of Natural History at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, said the pelican would have an urge to go south this time of year, but probably had more immediate motivations.

"It could theoretically be walking south. It's a delightful thought," Erdman said. But he added that "survival was probably the first thing on its mind — looking for open water and fish."

Father Dollar Bill Delivers

LOS ANGELES - Some folks on L.A.'s Skid Row are thankful for Father Dollar Bill. The 83-year-old retired priest spent his Thanksgiving handing out dollar bills to the homeless. It's something Reverend Maurice Chase has been doing for 20 years. In the process he picked up the nickname Father Dollar Bill. He says he started out giving away about $500, but as the homeless population grows he has had to carry as much as $4,000. He also brings $5, $20 and $100 bills for people with special needs. Why do it? Chase explains that Mother Teresa once said "touch the poor," and that's what he's trying to do.

Turkey Thieves Nabbed

SHAFTER, California - It wasn't exactly a trail of bread crumbs. But police in Shafter, California, did manage to find the people they say nearly ruined Thanksgiving for a bunch of seniors. Officers followed a trail of footprints to an apartment near the Walker Senior Center. Inside, police found about $2,000 worth of food and equipment that had been slated for the center's Thanksgiving dinner. Most of the food, including the turkeys, had to be tossed because it hadn't been properly refrigerated. The senior center bought replacement food for Thanksgiving. But officials say the loss will put a big dent in its budget. Three of the alleged thieves have been busted and police are looking for a fourth.

In Defense Of Fruitcake

CORSICANA, Texas - Fruitcake is the Rodney Dangerfield of desserts. Now bakery owner Bob McNutt says it's time for fruitcake to get some respect. His Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas, shipped 1.5 million fruitcakes last year. He predicts he'll sell even more this season. But McNutt feels fruitcake is getting a bad rap. He says fruitcake is like steak, everything depends on the quality. McNutt believes the fruitcake haters have only tried inferior varieties. He adds fruitcake is a comfort food, but don't wait to eat it. McNutt says fruitcakes don't last forever.

Cyber-Porn Bandit On The Loose

GILLETTE, Wyoming - Some folks in Gillette, Wyo., got a surprise when their computers started logging into porn sites. It's not a case of cyber-possession — but of breaking and entering. Police say they're looking for a burglar who's been breaking into homes. Apparently, the guy is just using the homeowners' PCs to go to X-rated Web pages. In some cases the crook also used stolen checks to buy memberships in the porn sites. The owners only discovered the break-ins after the computer settings were changed to automatically log on to the porn Web pages.

Thanksgiving Proclamation Lightens Up

HARTFORD, Conn. — To some churches, Gov. John G. Rowland's Thanksgiving proclamation seemed as old as the holiday itself.

The governor had issued the same proclamation since he was sworn in for his first term in 1995. In it, he urged people to "reflect upon all they have, remember the sacrifices of others and express their gratitude in gestures of assistance toward those in need."

But Rowland changed the statement for this Thanksgiving in response to complaints from the public, said Dan Moreland, a staff assistant for the governor who writes state proclamations.

"Many churches have lobbied against the old proclamation. They are tired of reading the same one," Moreland said. "I think the governor just really liked the old one."

The new result?

"The cheerful ambiance of the holiday season embraces our senses, warming our homes as it soothes the heart and soul," the latest proclamation reads.

"Visions of long bountiful tables filled with generations of family evolve into the resonance of stories and laughter. Tantalizing aromas linger through our subconscious, provoking reminiscence of gatherings from years past. All of our hard working and earnest efforts throughout the year seem to have culminated on this day."

Karma Cleared 50 Years Late

SANTA FE, N.M. — A guilty conscience has led to the return of a sandstone ball taken a half-century ago from atop a pillar at the entrance to Santa Fe's Cathedral Park.

The man who took the sphere as a teenager recently gave it to Stuart Ashman, director of the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, and asked him to return it, Ashman said.

"He wanted to clear his karma," he said.

For the past half-century, the formal entrance to the downtown park has been asymmetrical — one pillar crowned with a 10-inch, 30-pound ball, the other not.

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, recalled sitting atop the pillar to watch a parade in 1952 and noticing the stone was loose. He removed it and took it home, Ashman said.

"He treasured it for many years," he said. "He told me at one point an uncle of his incorporated it into a stone wall and he said, 'No, no, that's mine,' and he took it out."

Ashman said the man, now 64, recently was packing to move and decided he didn't want to take the stone.

But he didn't want to face the priests at St. Francis Cathedral, so he took it to Ashman in a large plastic bucket and asked him to act as an intermediary.

Hunting Knife Saves Hunter's Life

AUGUSTA, Maine — It wasn't a gun that saved hunter Keith Ellis' life — it was his knife.

Ellis, 41, escaped serious injury Monday when a .243-caliber bullet grazed his hip and hit his knife while he was hunting near his home in a rural part of Augusta.

Game wardens believe the bullet came from the gun of a 13-year-old boy who was in a tree stand and was hunting with his father, spokesman Mark Latti of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department said.

The bullet grazed Ellis' hip and deflected off his folding knife, which he was carrying in a leather sheath on his belt. The bullet's impact spun Ellis around.

"It actually felt like a bee sting at first, and then I heard a loud bang," Ellis said. "I looked down and saw a hole through five layers of clothing and my knife split in two."

Ellis, who was wearing blaze orange, said he's certain the knife prevented the bullet from entering his body and possibly killing him.

"I owe it all to someone above," he said.

Crook Nabbed Lifting Plates From Cruiser

ARLINGTON, Va. - Mistake one: stealing license plates. Mistake two: stealing license plates off an unmarked police car -- with an officer still inside. Police in Arlington, Virginia, says that's exactly what one man tried to do. Two plain-clothes officers parked their unmarked cars in a lot while they sat talking the other night. Another car pulled into the lot and parked right next to one of the police cars. Investigators say the driver got out, took a look around, then walked to the front of one of the police cars and began unscrewing the plate. But the would-be plate-napper didn't get far. Fernando Arraya of Washington D.C. was arrested right away.

Sex Shop Owner Finds God, Opens Bible Shop

PUTNEY, Ky. - When an eastern Kentucky man became a devout Christian last month, he decided to convert his business too -- from a sex shop into a Bible bookstore.

The red building that used to be Love World now has a fresh coat of white paint and has reopened as Mike's Place, with shelves full of Bibles and other Christian merchandise.

Michael Braithwaite burned his adult novelty shop's $10,000 worth of merchandise in a bonfire. In his words, "I couldn't sell it any longer. It's something you can't do when you're saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost."

Braithwaite's Christian neighbors couldn't be happier, and are helping to support him and his family until the new business starts making a profit.

Pole Sets New Pole-Sitting Record

BERLIN - A young Pole set a new pole-sitting world record Wednesday, coming down from his perch in a German fun park after 196 days and nights.

Daniel Baraniuk, an out-of-work 27-year-old from Gdansk, collected nearly $23,000 for winning the World Pole-Sitting Championship. Organizers said he also secured a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Ten competitors mounted their 8-foot 21/2-inch poles at Heidepark in the northern town of Soltau on May 15. They were allowed to leave their 24- by 16-inch seats, every two hours for 10 minutes.

Baraniuk, whose closest rival fell off his pole in October, said he gave up because of boredom as the number of visitors to the park dropped with the seasonal temperatures.

Family To Secede From Small Town

OMER, Mich. — A tiny Michigan city may soon get tinier.

Cheryl and Kevin Perry and her parents want to secede from Omer, population 337, and attach to neighboring Arenac Township.

The issue goes to voters in Omer and the township on Dec. 17.

The families say they're tired of paying taxes for water service they don't get. To split from the city, Michigan law requires that voters give their approval.

"We pay city taxes but have absolutely zero benefits from the city," Cheryl Perry said.

"We have no street lights, no sidewalks, no water. Even the city limits sign is posted before you come to our property. Why keep paying for things we don't get?" said Perry, whose lot adjoins her father's.

Omer officials aren't thrilled by the proposed split. But they aren't protesting it.

"What can they say?" said Susan Hegenauer, Omer's clerk. "I think the biggest concern for the city is the election cost."

Prowling Turkey Mysteriously Vanishes

OBERLIN, Ohio — A turkey that spooked children and left telltale droppings on backyard decks in this campus community has mysteriously disappeared — just as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

"As far as we know, it's still out there," Dan Kramer, a wildlife management supervisor for 19 northeast Ohio counties, said Tuesday.

He said there was no reason to believe the turkey was headed to someone's holiday dinner table.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife got at least 20 complaints about the bird. Wildlife officers looked for the turkey but couldn't find it.

A school principal had warned children that the turkey was becoming bolder and had sharp talons. Another resident began carrying a stick after her dog reportedly was attacked.

John H. Scofield, chairman of the physics and astronomy department at Oberlin College, had seen the turkey regularly over the past year but not in the past 1½ weeks.

"I'm guessing somebody got him, but I'm not sure," said Scofield, whose Bronco II had become a favored roosting spot for the turkey during neighborhood visits in Oberlin, about 30 miles southwest of Cleveland.

Taxidermy Tableaux

LONDON - Like something out of an early "Toy Story," the kittens cluster rigidly around a table laden with tea and cakes, while nearby two rakish squirrels smoke their pipes — watched by a two-headed lamb and conjoined twin piglets.

The owners of Mr. Potter's Museum of Curiosities, a Victorian collection of stuffed animals in whimsical poses, said Tuesday they have put one of Britain's oddest collections up for sale.

"Victorian taxidermy was very popular once but is not really in favor now," said Kevin Moore, owner of the mid-18th century Jamaica Inn in southwest England, where the 6,000 figures are set out in sentimental — some would say tasteless — tableaux.

Moore said the Jamaica Inn, which inspired Daphne du Maurier's novel of the same name, needs more tourist accommodation and, as it already houses a waxwork display illustrating local tales of ghosts and smugglers, the stuffed animals have to go.

The collection is one of the most elaborate surviving examples of the 19th century craze for anthropomorphic displays of stuffed animals. Some of the pieces were lent last year to a major Victorian exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Moore, who hopes to raise some $3.1 million, says he has had offers from collectors in the United States and Europe.

Does Santa Have A Rap Sheet?

MILWAUKEE — Before Santa can distribute any toys in a downtown mall, chances are some folks have tried to find out if he's been naughty or nice.

The company that manages The Shops of Grand Avenue mall in downtown Milwaukee insist all Santas undergo a criminal background check and drug testing.

"It's just a sign of the times for all businesses that provide services to families and children," said Barbara Sacco, vice president of marketing for Faison & Associates,

Nancy Conley, marketing director at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, said background checks and drug screening have become common place when hiring Santas.

"Even the elves are finger-printed and drug-tested," Conley said.

Pre-employ.com specializes in background checks for job applicants. It found that about 70 of 1,000 shopping mall Santa and Santa helper applicants had committed misdemeanors or felonies in the last seven years.

The offenses included indecent exposure, soliciting prostitution and drunken driving.

Santa Plus, of O'Fallon, Mo., scrutinizes the backgrounds of more than 500 Santas it places in 250 malls in 46 states, including Mayfair and Bayshore mall in Glendale.

That goes for Mrs. Claus and Santa's helpers, said Jerry Helton, vice president of marketing at Santa Plus, a division of Eastman Kodak.

Jeb's Mistaken Congratulation

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Two years ago, we didn't know who won the election in Florida. Now, Florida Governor Jeb Bush is having a little trouble figuring out who won in Vermont. Bush has sent a letter of congratulations to "governor-elect" Doug Racine. But Racine lost the race to Republican Jim Douglas. In the mistaken letter, Bush tells Racine that he can look forward to "one of the most rewarding and challenging jobs in America." A spokeswoman for Bush blames the goof on a staff error. She says the real winner has also been congratulated.

Royal Dog Captures A Nation's Heart, Yes She Does!

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thai readers on Tuesday began chasing the tale of a dog that has so captured the king's heart he wrote a book about her.

"The Story of Thongdaeng," by King Bhumibol Adulyadej went on sale Tuesday, and the publisher said the first printing of 100,000 copies was all but sold out in a few hours.

Thongdaeng, which means "copper" — the dog's color — came to public attention last December, when the 74-year-old monarch told the story of the mutt's 1998 adoption, as part of a plea for Thais to treat strays kindly during his annual birthday speech.

Earlier this year shirts bearing the dog's image were sold to raise funds for the king's charitable projects. The shirts became high fashion after the king and members of his family were photographed wearing them. The book's proceeds go to support stray dogs and an animal hospital through the king's Chaipattana Foundation.

Although billed as the tale of a man and his dog, the book also contains lessons about gratitude and honesty.

"Other dogs, even her own children, would show their delight when they meet the king, by jumping onto his lap and licking his face," reads one passage.

"Thongdaeng would never do that. She always stays lower than him. Even when he pulls her up to embrace her, Thongdaeng would quickly crouch on the floor, her ears down in a respectful manner, as if saying 'I dare not; it's not proper.' To show respect and loyalty, she would lick the king's hands heartily and continuously."

X-Rated Rip Off

SANFORD, Fla. - The handcuffs are gone and so are the whips. Not to mention the garter belts and the panties. Police in Sanford, Florida, are trying to solve an X-rated rip off. Someone swiped more than $12,000 worth of lingerie and sex toys from an adult vendor. The crook virtually cleaned out the stock of Sweet Undies, a booth at a local flea market. Owner Marie Abascal says now she has nothing to offer customers hoping for a naughty Christmas.

Nebraska Celebrates Rat Olympics

LINCOLN, Neb. - 2002 is an Olympic year, if you're a rat. Next week, the Rat Olympics return to the Lincoln campus of Nebraska Wesleyan. The rodents will be competing in all sorts of Olympic events like track, weight lifting and long jump. Trainers and their rats will be vying for gold, silver and bronze medals. Psychology Professor Spencer Morrison says training rats is a great way for students to study animal behavior. Morrison adds the spectators will be amazed by the rats' ability and agility. Competition for the big cheese begins a week from Thursday.

Brothel's Future Up For Grabs

RENO, Nev. - The federal government still hasn't decided what to do with the Mustang Ranch.

It's been three years since the government seized the infamous Nevada brothel. The owners and manager had been convicted in a federal fraud and racketeering trial, so the ranch was forfeited.

There was one plan to turn the Mustang Ranch into a real ranch for wild mustangs. That idea was dropped.

And now, the Bureau of Land Management has decided to do some soliciting of its own -- for some suggestions on what to do with the property that was the site of Nevada's first legal bordello.

An agency spokesman says one thing is certain -- there won't be any more prostitution there.

Other than that -- he says the government is keeping an open mind.

High Risk Employment

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A Malaysian snake charmer trying to coax his pet cobra out of a box was fatally bitten during a public performance.

A news report says the victim apparently lost patience with the snake as it defied orders to crawl out during a show on an Indonesian island.

According to a fellow performer, the snake charmer was bitten on the hand when he pulled the snake out by its tail. The man died at a hospital three hours later.

Invasion of The Grave Snatcher

LONDON - A man who reserved a burial plot in a country churchyard was shocked to discover that somebody had stolen his grave.

The plot in Gamlingay, 12 miles west of Cambridge, was booked by local postman Sid Hibbitt but recently filled, a parish official said Monday.

"It's a mystery," parish council clerk Lesley Mayne said. "I couldn't find any record of any burial taking place. I checked with the local undertakers and they knew nothing about it."

Mayne said she noticed the grave, which had no headstone, about six weeks ago.

"It could just be that some paperwork has gone missing and there will be an innocent explanation. I don't think it will be anything sinister," she said.

Police said they planned to remove whatever is buried, but said nothing suggested foul play.

Hibbitt, 54, booked the plot in 1989 because it was next to the grave of a woman who had helped care for him when he was a child.

"I was at a funeral a few weeks ago when I noticed that the grave had been taken," Hibbitt said. "I was shocked. It's annoying but it's no use me getting cross about it."

He said he still hoped to be buried in the plot but his decision would depend on the outcome of the police investigation.

"If anything sinister has been going on I'm not going in there," Hibbitt said.

I'm Dreaming Of A White ... Holiday?

TORONTO - The big green thing decorated with bright lights in front of Toronto City Hall may soon be a "Christmas Tree" once again.

Last week city bureaucrats felt that by calling it a "Christmas Tree" they may offend people who don't celebrate Christmas.

As a result, they said it would be known simply as a "holiday tree."

Faced with a flurry of complaints, Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman responded by saying all the political correctness was driving people "nuts."

The Toronto Sun reports that Lastman says he will introduce a motion as early as today saying it will be OK to once again call it a "Christmas Tree."

Tennessee Gov. Rejects 'Vegetarian Month'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Don Sundquist has refused to proclaim a "Vegetarian Month," leaving a vegetarian group with a bad taste.

"He is discriminating against vegetarians," said Lige Weill, president of the Knoxville-based Tennessee Vegetarian Society. "They sign proclamations for everything: baton twirling, anything."

Sundquist spokeswoman Melanie Catania told The Tennessean newspaper that such proclamations "are a tool to promote a positive message ... We don't use proclamations to get involved in political arguments, and this fell into that category."

The proposed proclamation says, "Our food supply should be safe and wholesome, rather than laced with pathogens, fat, cholesterol, hormones and carcinogens leading to heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic afflictions that each year cripple and kill millions."

It says meat farms destroy public lands and waterways, deplete water, soil and energy resources and that animals raised for food are often mishandled and mistreated.

Weill said the governor was free to tone down the language.

Former Govs. Lamar Alexander and Ned McWherter rejected similar proclamations.

Alexander ultimately proclaimed a "World Vegetarian Day" in 1986 and was then criticized by livestock growers and the meat industry. He subsequently signed proclamations for the beef, pork and poultry industries and served beef at a luncheon on "Vegetarian Day."

Hunters Donate Deer To Homeless

MONTPELIER0, Vt. - Let them eat -- deer. Hunter Rick Delphia doesn't want to shoot more than he can use. So, he's donating venison to food banks. The Waterbury, Vermont, man has started a local chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry. The group pays to have donated deer butchered, frozen and delivered to food banks. So far this year, Delphia has bagged two deer, which he's contributed. He hopes to get eight more by the time deer season ends. Delphia says he loves to hunt, but hates to waste all that good meat. He hopes other hunters will feel the same.

No Gifts For Naughty Santa Thief

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Police are looking for the naughty person who stole Santa's wallet and pants from the Martinsburg Mall last week.

Clarence Esser, 68, of Winchester, Va., had his wallet and navy blue work pants stolen from the break room Thursday as he listened to children's holiday wishes while playing Santa Claus, police said Saturday.

Esser said he lost $215, treasured pictures and important documents in the theft.

"I had everything in it," Esser said.

Although he doubts he'll ever see the cash, he is hoping the person who took the wallet will return it to the customer service desk at the mall with no questions asked.

Esser said he wants to get back a card indicating he has artificial hips because it comes in handy at airports when trying to pass through the metal detector.

Had it not been for a Good Samaritan, Esser may have been stranded at Santa's Toyworks without anything to wear.

"A nice lady in the candle shop in the mall bought me a pair of pants so I could go home," Esser said.

Chris Cregar, owner of Bearly Believable, said mall security came into her store after the theft was reported and asked if she had noticed anyone suspicious.

Cregar then dashed out and bought Esser a pair of sweatpants.

"It's a sad day when people prey on Santa Claus," she said.