Braindead Shithead

Hey, you buncha crazy Shitheads! Took a self-imposed break from blogging/internet this week, but now I'm back. I also plan to rededicate myself to blogging/reading/commenting. Go figure!

Anyhoo, here is this week's Grammar Rock entry (and I think the last?), "Interjection!"

btw Is anyone else having trouble logging into Blogger? Keeps trying to funnel me into the Beta version login with my gmail account. I have to use Firefox just to login!

Coffee! That's it. Hey, you know what makes for a really good cup of coffee? Yeeaah. That's right. Fungus. Tasty!

Joe, While Window Shopping, Comes Across a Provocative Sales Display

"Dag! I'd like to [verb] that live lingerie model in the window!"

"Well, all right, but don't you think it would be better in the [noun] ?"

A couple of cool theremin performances I found floating out there on YouTube. Heh. I should build me a theremin. That and the Japanese music should really piss off the neighbors.

Apparently, it's suddenly news in Australia that
police departments (Victoria's specifically) use the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Index, in order to weed out the crazies in their applicants. Though, I have to say, they think it takes 60-90 minutes to complete. Um, I think I did it in 15. We're not talking brain surgery here.

Yeah, it's pretty freaking common. Many, many places I've come across in my employment search use some sort of "personality questionnaire", no doubt derived from this test, and others like it.

Myself, I just took it last week, and dear god, laughed my ass off at some of the questions. Really? It's not exactly hard to figure out what you should and should not answer "true" to.

Though, for what it's worth? My favorite item was phrased something like this "Some people tell me I have a drinking problem, but I disagree". Right. How do you answer that? Yes, they do, and I disagree, which puts me in denial. False, they tell me I have a drinking problem, and I agree? Personally, I don't drink terribly often, so no, no one has told me I have a drinking problem, and no, I haven't disagreed with the nonexistent confrontation...I'm hurting my head right now.

Here are a few items that you, too, can answer true or false to.

My table manners are not quite as good at home as when I am out.
(I don't have a table at home. So, technically, I don't have table manners at all at home.)

I often hear voices without knowing where they come from.
(Are the boys in their room or DB's room? Crap, I don't know where they're coming from!)

In walking, I am very careful to step over sidewalk cracks.
(Not since I turned 8 and got a different OCD problem)

I would like to be an auto racer.
(I don't like crashing. Sorry.)

Sometimes I am so strongly attracted by the personal articles of others, such as shoes, gloves, etc, I want to handle or steal them.
(Um, does someone else's man count? Mmm, I'd like to handle HIM!)

Someone has control over my mind.
(Yeah. Me.)

I am afraid to be alone in the dark.
(Well, I do sleep with my teddy bear.)

In school, my marks in classroom behaviour were quite regularly bad.
(Quite regularly bad? Can somebody call the grammar police please?)

Dirt frightens or disgusts me.
(Only the dirt around Trojan. And Chernobyl.)

Evil spirits possess me at times.
(All my spirits are nice!)

I like repairing door latches.
(As opposed to living without a lock, yes, yes I do.)

Someone has it in for me.
(Dude, this "someone" gets around, don't they? I'll admit, that's the only part of that stupid-ass Family Circus I liked. "Someone", "Not Me", and "I Don't Know.")

In all seriousness? I understand the reason for these tests, but truly, a person has to answer honestly. And if they don't, then it's completely pointless. I took it as part of a diagnostic process that I started, but trying to give this to someone who doesn't want to participate? Pointless. And far too easy, if you've got a mind to, to figure out what the answers are that who ever's giving it wants to see. So, it annoys me that this is suddenly news.

You've probably seen this Google Maps/Google Earth image of a group of buildings on a Navy base in San Diego all over the web. Well, I've got the facts for you over at Neural Gourmet if you'll pardon the shameless self-promotion.

Something a little different this week: James Bond, as told by John Barry.

There is only one Bond composer. John Barry's lush scores were sometimes too good for the films they framed. In fact, some of the best Barry scores accompanied the worst (IMO) Bond films!

To assemble a list of 10 songs, I needed a few ground rules:
- No title songs (okay, I cheated a little bit)
- Only Barry-scored films (duh!)
- Only original releases (None of this remastered, best of, ultimate edition crap!)
- I have to own the damn soundtrack (To my complete surprise, I own neither A View To A Kill or The Living Daylights!)

In the spirit of these rules, I think I've assembled an interesting list that covers the entire Barry/Bond catalog. I am terribly disappointed to exclude The Living Daylights. I feel Barry did some of his best work on this film, with many elements bleeding over into his masterpiece, Dances With Wolves, which followed only a few years later. Shame on me!

From the beginning, From Russia With Love. I cheated by including the theme (without vocal). Also, here is the first and best version of "007". Next comes the instrumental version of Goldfinger. Overall, I'd have to say Goldfinger is one of my least favorite Barry scores for Bond. Weird, huh? Then we have the haunting "Bomb" theme from Thunderball.

I believe the score to You Only Live Twice might very well be Barry's best Bond. That's why it receives the honor of two entries, "The Wedding" and "Capsule In Space." He quickly followed with On Her Majesty's Secret Service (my favorite Bond film, in case you were wondering). You're probably saying, "Hey, where's Louis?!?" Have no fear! Check the Rapidshare File for a few special treats. Connery gets a nice sendoff with the score to Diamonds Are Forever, or, as I like to call it, "Cha-Ching!!!"

Barry had a notoriously short time to compose The Man With The Golden Gun, but still managed to create a catchy-as-hell theme. This was the first Bond movie I ever saw, and it holds a special place in my heart (despite how awful it is). Moonraker is also spoiled with a better score than it deserves. Not represented is Octopussy. While a fine score, it was unable to place in the Top 10. Oh, if only Barry had scored The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only. What might have been.

Mix Time: 40 minutes
Rapidshare File