True story. While I was out of town last week on a rough R & R sojourn to St. Augustine, the big local news was the city of Winter Park under siege by a deranged squirrel! On the very site of our monthly Popcorn Flicks presentations in Central Park, this psychotic little mammal (or is it a rodent?) attacked people four days in a row leading up to our packed screening of THE PRINCESS BRIDE. No disrespect intended to the victims both young and old (who I'm sure were quite traumatized and now have to endure a series of rabies shots even though authorities pronounced the ultimately apprehended beast "not rabid"), but that must have been one pissed off furball. According to the newspaper coverage, one local even trapped it under a bucket and called animal control, but when they didn't show up for over two hours, he let it go! And thus the reign of terror continued...

Perhaps this predator was related to the meat-eating black squirrel I saw in NYC last September. Whatever his deal, he's destroying all that good will generated by Florida's world-famous water-skiing squirrel, a role model for proper rodent (mammal?) behavior. The good news is that the culprit was caught and put down before it had a chance to maim any of the 700 or so parents and kids at the Thursday night Popcorn Flick. See--I miss all the exciting crap when I go away.

--Matthew

There's a chance that the attacking squirrel could be immortalized next year when the Major Indoor Soccer League team hits town.

But not if Legolas/Will Turner has anything to say about it.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_soccerblog/2006/08/your_fightin_fi.html#more

hmmm rodents ARE mammals.