News Of The Weird - 11

Bizarre but true stories about real people collected by syndicated columnist Chuck Shepherd.

James Clifford Hanna, of Canada’s Yukon Territory, argued in court in February that “James Clifford Hanna” was merely a name involuntarily given to him and that since he never officially accepted it, he can’t be forced to pay James Clifford Hanna’s taxes. (He lost.)

In December, Terry Dresdow of Milwaukee became the latest person to have his car stolen and retrofitted by the thief with fancy equipment, and then to get his car back after the thief was caught. His 1989 Chevrolet Caprice, which cost him $1,200 used, now has a top-of-the-line stereo system, deluxe spoked wheels and keyless entry.

Reader favorites:
–While camping in California’s Mojave Desert, artist Trevor Corneliusien, 26, chained his own ankles together in order to draw an image of his legs, but when he finished, he realized he did not have the key to unlock the chain. He told sheriff’s deputies that he hopped around the desert for 12 hours before arriving at a gas station, where he called for help (January).

–Convicted methamphetamine user Daniel Zeiszler, 22, burned his hand and arm last year in a South San Francisco hotel room attempting to extract meth from his own urine in a crude recycling attempt. At his sentencing in December (at which he got five months in jail), his lawyer acknowledged that it would take “gallons” of urine to extract a usable amount of meth, rather than the one bladderful Zeiszler was working with.
(Send your Weird News to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa FL 33679 or [email protected] or go to www.NewsoftheWeird.com.) NEWS OF THE WEIRD