Operation: Budding Genius

Judge condemns bizarre child names – MSN Odd News | MSN UK News – news & weather

A judge has attacked a bizarre trend in New Zealand for giving children strange names as he made a nine-year-old called Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii a ward of court.

Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt listed a series of unfortunate names that he said were embarrassing or made children seem foolish among their peers.

Some names, including Fish and Chips, Yeah Detroit, Stallion, Twisty Poi, Keenan Got Lucy and Sex Fruit, were blocked by registration officials, he said.

But others were allowed, including Number 16 Bus Shelter, Midnight Chardonnay, “and tragically, Violence,” the judge said.

The names were mentioned in Murfitt’s decision on a custody battle over the nine-year-old girl from the North Island town of Hawera, who was so embarrassed at the name her parents had given her – Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii – that she never told her closest friends what it was.

She told people her name was “K” because she feared being “mocked and teased,” the girl’s lawyer, Colleen MacLeod, told the court.

Cat face…..he’s got the face of a cat

Bizarre but funny youtube vid

The former head of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has penned a book promising “explosive revelations” about the inquiry into her disappearance.

Goncalo Amaral plans to launch his book on Thursday, just days after parents Kate and Gerry are due to be relieved of their ’suspect’ status.

Prosecutors are tomorrow expected to close the case, freeing the McCanns, from Rothley, Lancashire, and their legal team to see the case files that have remained secret until now.

Under Portuguese law, after a further three weeks the files will be open to the public.

They are expected to cite a lack of evidence for the shelving of the case.

In his book Truth About the Lies, Amaral, who is thought to believe Madeleine is dead, is expected to criticise British police for their role in the investigation, according to The Observer newspaper.

The McCanns’ lawyer in Portugal, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, dismissed talk of “explosive revelations”.

He told The Observer that he expected the so-called truth to amount to no more than “speculation” on the author’s part.

British police this week flew to Portugal to discuss with prosecutors exactly what information would be released when the investigation had closed.

A Portuguese newspaper accused officers of trying to stop their European counterparts from releasing DNA evidence from the investigation.

Under the headline ‘English in Portimao to Protect Secrecy’, the newspaper Correio da Manha claimed two Leicestershire officers tried to stop information – including results of a DNA test on a sample from the McCanns’ Renault Scenic hire car – from being made public.

Last year, the McCanns were the subject of allegations in the Portuguese press over DNA allegedly found in the boot of the car.

The couple hired the car almost a month after Madeleine, then aged three, vanished while on a family holiday in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz.

The McCanns, both 40, from Rothley Leicestershire, have always insisted that if such traces were found, there were wholly innocent explanations for it. They deny any involvement in Madeleine’s disappearance.

Excerpt extracted from the Daily Mail

Four national newspaper groups have agreed to pay £600,000 in libel damages to Robert Murat and two other people over claims they were involved in the abduction of Madeleine McCann.

News International, Mirror Group Newspapers, Express Newspapers and Associated Newspapers acknowledged making “false claims” about Robert Murat, his friend Michaela Walczuch and IT consultant Sergey Malinka in a statement read out in court. Appologies will run in Express Newspapers titles; the Daily Express, Sunday Express and Daily Star; Associated’s Daily Mail, London Evening Standard and Metro; MGN’s Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Daily Record; and News International’s Sun and News of the World.

The court heard that the papers between them ran almost 100 articles mentioning either Murat or the two other claimants, Sergey Malinka and Mikala Walczuch. Some reports suggested that the claimamnts has paedophile tendencies or connection with paedophiles or paedophile websites and inferred that they had lied to the police or obstructed the investigations.

Murat’s lawyer, Louis Charalambous said “Until now Robert Murat has had to watch silently as the worst elements of the British media have gone about destroying his good name and reputation. The behaviour of the tabloid journalists and their editors has been grossly irresponsible, demonstrating a reckless disregard for truth.”

According to the Guardian Murat said: “I’m pleased that the publications concerned have admitted the falsity of all their allegations and I can now start to rebuild my life.

“Today’s statement of full apology in open court means I can emerge from this action with vindication and with the recognition and acknowledgement that what was said against me was wholly untrue.”

A handout picture released on the news website and public relations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Sepah News, shows an image apparently digitally altered to show four missiles rising into the air instead of three during a test-firing at an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert on July 9, 2008. The 2nd right missile has apparently been added through digital retouching to cover a grounded missile that may have failed during the test. (Sepah News / July 9, 2008)

Infamous photo fakes — chicagotribune.com

A handout picture released on the news website and public relations arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Sepah News, shows an image apparently digitally altered to show four missiles rising into the air instead of three during a test-firing at an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert on July 9, 2008. The 2nd right missile has apparently been added through digital retouching to cover a grounded missile that may have failed during the test. (Sepah News / July 9, 2008)

Infamous photo fakes — chicagotribune.com

Media Matters – Fox News airs altered photos of NY Times reporters: "Summary: During a segment in which Fox & Friends co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade labeled New York Times reporter Jacques Steinberg and editor Steven Reddicliffe 'attack dogs,' Fox News featured photos of Steinberg and Reddicliffe that appeared to have been digitally altered — the journalists' teeth had been yellowed, their facial features exaggerated, and portions of Reddicliffe's hair moved further back on his head.

I have just experienced 2 earthquakes in just 24 hours. The first earthquake on July 15th hit Rhodes in Greece at 6.26am and was widely reported. The second earthquake however hit durng the early hours of July 16th however the tremor was not felt by all. This has not put me off returning to the island however as it was a beautiful island which I would like to take more time to explore. I thoroughly recommend a holiday there even during an earthquake!