UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Burger King apologizes to Hindus for ad

MADRID, July 9 (UPI) -- Fast food chain Burger King has apologized to Hindus for an ad run in Spain that depicted an Indian goddess with a beef burger, which the religion forbids.

Burger King pulled the advertisement after receiving complaints from Hindus around the world about the depiction of Lakshmi, the Indian goddess of wealth, with a "Texican Whopper" burger containing an all-beef patty, a beef chili-con-carne slice and an egg-based Cajun mayonnaise, which are all foods banned by the Hindu religion, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.

The ad was accompanied by the slogan: "La merienda es sagrada," which translates to, "The snack is sacred."

"We are apologizing because it wasn't our intent to offend anyone," Burger King spokeswoman Denise Wilson said. "Burger King Corporation values and respects all of its guests as well as the communities we serve. This in-store advertisement was running to support only local promotion for three restaurants in Spain and was not intended to offend anyone."

"Out of respect for the Hindu community, the limited-time advertisement has been removed from the restaurants," she said.

Man learns strip club a bad pick-up joint

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill., July 9 (UPI) -- Police say a 50-year-old man should not have become close to a woman he met in a strip club in Chicago Heights, Ill., given she allegedly stole from him.

Police said the unidentified man from Park Forest, Ill., originally met Rachel Klootwyk, 38, in a strip club and soon learned of her alleged health and financial problems, the SouthtownStar reported Thursday.

After the man started helping out his strip club friend by paying some of her bills, Klootwyk allegedly learned his bank account information and began using his funds as her own.

Park Forest Police Chief Tom Fleming told the SouthtownStar the man alerted police after learning of $3,700 worth of unauthorized account withdrawals.

"These are tough economic times for everyone, including bad guys," Fleming said regarding the felony financial identity theft charge against Klootwyk.

"Sometimes, you get what you expect. Generally, you meet better people at church than you do at a strip club."

Singer's revenge on United: A hit song

CHICAGO, July 9 (UPI) -- A Canadian singer allegedly stiffed by United Airlines after baggage handlers smashed his $3,500 guitar found that revenge is a ditty best served on YouTube.

Dave Carroll's "United Breaks Guitars" became an instant hit on the video-sharing Web site, viewed more than 503,000 times since being posted Monday.

And now a spokeswoman for the Chicago airline tells the Chicago Tribune it has changed its mind and is "in conversation" with Carroll "to make what happened right."

It even asked Carroll for permission to use the video internally to amend its corporate culture.

The country music song --which Carroll decided to write rather than fume -- recounts how he and other members of his Sons of Maxwell band, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, had changed planes at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago when they heard another passenger who was looking out the window exclaim, "My God, they're throwing guitars out there."

Carroll said he discovered when he arrived in Omaha, Neb., that the base of his $3,500 Taylor acoustic guitar had been smashed, the Tribune reported.

He fixed it for $1,200 and tried in vain to get compensation for nearly a year, says his song, the first of three about the saga.

The song's refrain is that he "should have flown with someone else or gone by car -- 'cause United breaks guitars."

For its part, United considers the parody "excellent," spokeswoman Robin Urbanski tells the Tribune.

And Rob Bradford, United's managing director of customer solutions, called Carroll Wednesday to apologize for the foul-up and to ask if the carrier could use the video internally to help change its culture, the Tribune says.

Okapi born in Denver Zoo

DENVER, July 9 (UPI) -- The Denver Zoo has welcomed its fifth baby okapi, the first of the species to be delivered at the zoo since December 2007.

The okapi, the only surviving species closely related to the giraffe, is native to the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is threatened by a long running civil war.

The zoo announced Thursday the latest arrival, a female named Kalispell, was born June 27. At the moment, Kalispell is still in seclusion with her mother.

The okapi, which stands about 5 feet tall when full-grown, looks something like a cross between a giraffe and a zebra, with a relatively long neck -- although short compared to a giraffe -- and black-and-white striped legs and hindquarters, although their bodies are covered with reddish fur. They are known for their foot-long purple tongues.

Ninety okapi are now living in U.S. zoos, producing about six young a year. Experts are unsure how many survive in the wild since okapi like to keep out of sight in the forests.