If we hiss, they will run and we will have to chase after them, an unnecessary expenditure of calories.

Hooo hoo hooooo.

I got so much work done on polypeptide the other day. SO MUCH WORK DONE. Like a whole half-minute of animation at least. This has cause a thunderbolt of glee to follow me throughout this very dull and rainy week.
A friend of mine turned me onto a band called Dragonland. A sort of powermetal / rockopera hybrid. Their music is all loud and epic and catchy. And being, I assume, a rather unknown band, finding music by them is near impossible.

We got Terry Gilliam's films "Jabberwocky" in not long ago. Based of course, on the deranged poem. It's the only Gilliam film I have yet to see, so now I have to wait patiently for my chance to nab it.
My friend's Tom and Mike have introduced me to a lovely lass named Tifferny who has been kind enough to accompany us on our bizarre adventures across the sub-urban landscape known as Tampa and it's mutant stepchild, Clearwater. She works in a crazy costume shop in Ybor.

Ybor is an odd place. It truly is where culture of Tampa is strongest. It is a large, very old, and rundown city. In most places, it would be called "The Ghetto" but it isn't really. Surrounded by old cuban architecture, and brick streets, it's really a lovely place to just be in. Inside of Ybor, is a place called Centro Ybor. Basically a large hive of fancy restaurants, cigar shops, parlors, bars, dance clubs, and other places where music, food, and dancing are the main attraction. There's also some wonderful spanish food restaurants, a tattoo place, and a Gameworks. Being the nerd I am, usually Gameworks in the first stop. Watching my friends flail themselves about on Dance Dance Revolution, or wasting a few quarters to fail miserably at House Of the Dead 4.

The only bad thing about Ybor, is that each time I'm there, someone I completely do not know claims they know me. And starts talking to me about things I know nothing about. Mistaking me for someone else. This is particularly weird when the person is angry. I still recall the HUGE fat guy who started bellowing I owed him something and tried to run across the street at me. Luckily, a trolley about as long as was wide, went by, stopping him in his tracks.
At first, I'd try to tell these people I don't know who they are / get the hell off my back. Now I just nod and listen. It's fascinating all the dumb crap people will babble if they think you are someone else. It's fascinating.

Speaking of people, it's time once again to post some of my favorite customers.

This clownlike fellow comes in pretty often. He is roughly 8 feet tall and usually comes in with his toddler son. He has a booming deep voice, and like many people, only rents new movies, despite if they are any good or not.

This guy comes in every couple of weeks with his cute redhead girlfriend/wife. They usually rent good scifi movies and horror films. They both have a sort of emo/punk rock vibe to how they dress and look. His partner has like 10 earings on one of her ears. I remember the day they first signed up for an account.


This guy is Mr.Aziz. He's quite a character. He's like 7 feet tall, wide and round, with muscular forearms. One would think the guy is a professional wrestler or something. But he isn't. In fact I don't know what he is. But he's fucking funny. He rents like 12 movies at a time, comes back, and jokes about how much better the movies would have been if (and then he tells a bizarre great story idea).
He comes in at night and takes his time. He's always sweating and usually pissed off at something, but he's a very nice bloke. Often hangs around just to shoot the breeze.
One of those regulars everyone knows by heart.

Apparently Tim Burton's remake of "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is based off the broadway musical and NOT off the original black-and-white horror film starring horror film actor Todd Slaughter.
I don't know whether this is a good or bad thing. The preview pics show Johnny Depp looking....well.....ALOT like he did in Edward Scissorhands. Same hairdo. Same facial expression. Almost the same costume.
I was kinda hoping it was going to be a remake of the original dark comedy film with Todd Slaughter, except maybe with the awesome Christopher Lee playing the main role. Lee would make a great homicidal barber. Oh well. I'll have to wait to see the trailer, whenever the hell that premieres.

I am really REALLY looking forward to "The Last Winter" starring Ron Perlman. It looks brilliant. But it seems to be an independent film, so chances are slim I'll get to see it until it's on DVD. Feck.