The Top 5 James Bond actors

With Quantum of Solace, the new 007, coming out, it seems quite alright to just have a look at who has been the best, the most convincing, and most entertaining James Bond.

So from worst to first:

5. Timothy Dalton. The fact that he only held the title role for two movies, is evidence enough people didn't really feel him. He's just about the most stuck-up proper Englishman you'll ever meet. He acts like he has a freakin' broom up his arse. Thankfully for him, Dalton did get it on with the underrated Carey Lowell, which gives him bonus points for exploring the area before Richard Gere and his gerbil ass got his grubby mitts on her.

4. Roger Moore. Moore landed seven features as James Bond, and was responsible for many of the Bond movies' characteristic quips and traditions. But... with Moore you get the feeling that he's just looking for foreign pussy, and that the spy gig is only useful as it serves his first motivation. Speaking of that, he did get it on with the likes of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, Barbara Bach, and the Adamses (Maud and Tanya), so he did entertain a good standard.

3. Pierce Brosnan. For the current generation Brosnan was a convincing portrayor of the English secret agent. He had the humour, he had the physique and the intensity that made his four movies a joy to watch. He was also strong supporter for cultural diversity, having had relations with Michelle Yeoh and Halle Berry, as well as going international with Rosamund Pike, Sophie Marceau and Famke Janssen.

2. Daniel Craig. Craig is less the best James Bond and more the best 007... A far more serious, less humorous spy, but unlike Mr. Broomstick at number 5, you are utterly convinced that Craig is giving it his all. Hell, he looks like he cares more than any of his predecessors! His body of work is obviously still in progress, but so far he already made me afraid to face him at the poker table. The way he got Eva Green to sleep with him, was unfortunately more or less arranged, while the others always managed to simply gab their respective Bond Girls into the sack.

1. Sean Connery. Craig may be the best 007, but Sean is definitely the best James Bond. The man who coined the phrases "Bond, James Bond" and "Shaken, not stirred", is still going strong years later. Hell, Catherine Zeta Jones nearly folded herself up halfway to hang with Connery. The Scot is the man we all aspire to be, he has the accent we all wish we could emulate, and he looks like he could take you for a full twelve rounds of fisticuffs even though he is almost an octogenarian.

[Yes, I know there were only six different Bonds so far, so it's not like I have a wide variety...]

The most evil discussion a manager can have

At 6:50 a discussion starts which I have held far too often...

The Help Nobody Needs

Some people have their priorities straight, while others only think they do. And of those people some people deserve help, while others actually need it. Problem is that neither those who deserve help, nor those that need it, will ever ask for it. That's why families have something called interventions. That's why institutions exist like alcoholics anonymous.

It's also why bookstores and libraries have all kinds of self-help books on the shelf. These are convenient for individuals with problems, who recognize their own issues to a deep extent, and do not want to bother anyone else for it (or do not want to pay a professional for it).

However it can also deepen the problem further. Not only will he recognize his problems and attach an explanation for it, he will actually bring his entire understanding of the world in terms of that self-help book. And no matter how fruitful such books can be, no matter how many Oprah endorsements, it will only always be one point of view.

The thing about having friends and family is that someone can actually offer a different point of view. Not everyone's opinion will actually help, but at least it gives the individual a way to give his problem a place in the greater picture. And that is something self-help will never be able to give you.

H.H.G.: The Manny-less World Series

The World Series 2008 are between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. For one, it's the Series without Manny Ramirez, the Manny-less Series if you will. For Tampa it's the first trip to the October Classic, and in fact the first after they finally took the Devil out of their name. You know that name didn't sit well with the conservative party. For the Phillies it's time to cash in on their budding stars, and take home the price. Let's see where I pit them.

The Head Says: The Rays have got the slightly more impressive hitters I think. Evan Longoria (he of not-the-Desperate-Housewife), Carlos Pena, BJ Upton form a formidable lineup that proved this year to belong. The Phillies aren't pushovers however, with Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. Pitching-wise I think the Phillies are a bit ahead, with Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge. The Rays only have Scott Kazmir to show for it, and he's not even dominating this post-season. The Rays seem stronger and have the emotional win over the former World Series champions the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies are more rested and have had time to work out their gameplan watching the ALCS. All in all, this is a toss-up, but I would give it to the Phillies.

The Heart Says: The Rays definitely have the better story. A team which was dead last in 2007, is now the AL Champion. It's an impressive turn of events, which can only get better winning the Series outright. They've got the defense down pat, which will have to work wonders against the Phillies hitters. The Phillies on the other hand have the hopes of an entire city on their shoulders, which hasn't had a ticker tape parade since the eighties, while Tampa Bay already enjoyed a Super Bowl and a Stanley Cup this decade. So I'm actually hoping for Philadelphia to win.

The Gut Says: I don't know where it's coming from, but I keep thinking the upstarts, the rookie team, the team with only ten years under its belt, the longshot, will win it all. We were all quite surprised the Rays could actually be for real. In fact in any season I simulate in MVP Baseball, if Tampa Bay manages to win the playoff, I redo the season for the unrealistic outcome. That's how much of a stretch it was to think of the Rays anything else but a terrible team, and yet here they are.

I'm not sure about this at all, and the money put on this will be small. There aren't any villains on either team, although a strong charismatic player is also decidedly lacking in either team as well. On the other hand the Series is freed from the clutches of Manny-mania, so huzzah. So... let's give it to the Rays, and see if Tampa Bay is becoming the hotbed of American pro sports.

The true reason behind cycling's downturn

The German Cycling Tour will not take place in 2009. Low viewing ratings led to a lack of sponsorship, forcing the organizers to abandon the race for next year.

The low ratings are blamed on the doping cases. People argue that sports fans have no interest anymore to follow a tainted game.

**HELLOOOO**

Sports fans are not watching cycling not because of doping... they're not watching because cycling is a crap spectator sport! Baseball is more affected by doping cases in recent times, and still millions of Americans keep tuning in to watch the Rays and Red Sox, and the Phillies in the World Series.

If you wanna see the sights the cyclists ride through, go watch the Travel Channel. If you wanna see speed, go watch MotoGP. Granted, cycling at speeds averaging 50 km/h through mountains is a monumental physical effort. That doesn't make it a sport I wanna tune into more than I wanna see paint dry.

If you're blaming doping on cycling's doom, you're severely overestimating cycling's value in the global landscape.

The value of multiple passports

Being part of a nation gives you a lot of privileges, if you're part of the right nation, that is. So many people want to be American for example. You got bloody lotteries for Green Cards for chrissakes.

Having more nationalities could potentially give you more privileges, but also a lot more hassle and responsibilities. Might not be worth trouble, although you do always have a point of conversation. And if the IT career doesn't work out, you could always enter the spy game.

Now we've got Ahmed Aboutaleb. The first Moroccan-born mayor of a major Dutch city. Countless people are opposing his appointment, because he has two passports, a Moroccan one and a Dutch one. They feel he has a conflict of interest, and should never have been in a position of power.

Now, I do not presume to know all the details of Dutch and Moroccan nationality, but unless Morocco plans to physically take over Rotterdam, and make it part of their nation, I do not see this conflict of interest. If he does have one conflict, it's appointing fellow socialist party members to positions of power, and frankly, don't we all.

Having multiple nationalities does make a person richer, although it may burden him with more regulation than he cares for. It could very well be called courageous to have more than one passport.

More evidence F1 is turning into WWE

They're actually giving Bourdais a time penalty for driving out of the pits? They're really just coming up with stuff now to get Ferrari a world title.

What's next? Massa gets an automatic pole position in the next race? Hamilton gets pushed back on the grid for wearing green on Fridays? Ferrari can freely take shortcuts on all circuits?

Seriously, if you want to be a sports entertainment company, just give Vince McMahon a ring. Or get Vince Russo. Then we'll probably get sudden and silly rule changes, like suddenly having to go in the opposite direction, or having to take 10 m jumps. We'll probably also get ridiculous soap opera stories, like Lewis Hamilton's dad sleeping with one of the race queens, or Raikonnen getting a wedgie from Alonso. We'll get toilet humour like Massa having to drive in a seat for two hours, which Ron Dennis just shit and pissed on.

So True, So True

The stupidest thing I heard

The working culture nowadays is so stressful, that it allows people to say stupid things. Stupid things like, "you earned your rest". That is simply impossible. Rest is a state of mind. It's not a commodity to be traded for work and effort. You can do such things with vacation days.

So, the next person who tells me I earned my rest, is going over the balcony.

No... This is why I watch football