News of the Weird

Two really odd news stories, both from down under(ish). I don't know if that means something.

First, from Melbourne, Australia, a Darwin Award candidate - an 18 year old man who decided to play chicken with oncoming traffic while in his underwear. Not surprisingly, he got hit and seriously injured. The cops are giving him no sympathy:

'Police are dismayed at the utter stupidity of a man who decided to play chicken on the Tullamarine Freeway,' the [Police] statement said.

'It was lucky nobody was killed as a result and police couldn't believe anybody would be foolish enough to take such grave risks with their personal safety and that of other road users.' The driver and passenger in the car were unhurt, though the vehicle was a write-off.

Damn, must have been a big dude!

Second, from New Zealand, comes some judicial activism of an odd sort:

A judge in New Zealand made a young girl a ward of court so that she could change the name she hated - Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.

Judge Rob Murfitt said that the name embarrassed the nine-year-old and could expose her to teasing.

He attacked a trend of giving children bizarre names, citing several examples.

Officials had blocked Sex Fruit, Keenan Got Lucy and Yeah Detroit, he said, but Number 16 Bus Shelter, Violence and Midnight Chardonnay had been allowed.

Geez, what happened to the good ol' days, when people named their kids Dweezil or Brooklyn?