OBITER

What's in a Name?

A family court judge in New Zealand has had enough with parents giving their children bizarre names. Just ask Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. He had her renamed after the nine-year-old girl's lawyer informed the court that she was so embarrassed by her name, she refused to reveal it and was known as just `K'. In his ruling, Judge Rob Murfitt cited a list of other unfortunate names. Although registration officials have blocked some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter, Benson and Hedges (for a pair of twins) 'and tragically, Violence,' he said.

Membership and its Privileges

A disbarred Manhattan lawyer who pleaded guilty to statutory rape has sued American Express for giving police credit card information which he claims led to his 2006 capture in Grimsby, Ontario. The 44-year-old said American Express violated its agreement to withhold customer information from third parties.

Why so Serious?

A man In Michigan, USA, accused of trying to steal a large Batman movie poster from a cinema lobby while dressed as The Joker, found that the joke was on him when he was charged with malicious destruction of property, attempted larceny and using a mask to conceal his identity during the commission of a crime. The latter two charges were subsequently dropped in a plea bargain. He was eventually ordered to serve one day in jail, perform 16 hours of community service and pay US$685 in fines. Police say he was wearing a purple suit, green wig and face paint when they arrested him.

What's in a Name (2)?

On the other side of the world, Swedish authorities say parents can now name their newborns 'Budweiser' or 'Metallica' if they so wish. For decades, Swedish tax authorities had banned parents from naming their children after fast-food chains, rock bands or their favourite brand of beer. But tax authority spokesman Lars Tegenfeldt says the guidelines have been relaxed. He says 'there is nothing negative about a name like Coca-Cola or McDonald's today. In the 1970s, maybe it was.' Still, authorities are drawing the line at giving children swear words for names.