Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader isn’t sure why he didn’t jump on the bandwagon sooner! What bandwagon… Well the “rate your favorite James Bond” bandwagon of course. All the best blogs are doing it. Sir Basil. FLiG.

So here you go:

1. Sean Connery - is there really any doubt of this? He could even pull it off wearing that horrid rug in “Never Say Never Again.”

2. Daniel Craig - Heresy for putting him so far up the list? No. Your Maximum Leader really thinks he nailed the role. The upcoming film might affect this rating… But for the moment here he is.

3. Pierce Brosnan - Now we are getting towards the dregs. Brosnan was a less-Roger-Moore than Roger Moore Bond.

4. Roger Moore - Sure he did “Moonraker”… But he also did “For Your Eyes Only.”

5. George Lazenby - “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” would - without a doubt - be the best James Bond film made if it had anyone but George Lazenby starring in it.

6. Timothy Dalton - Always looked constipated. ‘Nuff said.

And for those of you who care… Back in November of 2006 your Maximum Leader rated his favourite Bond girls… That list still stands…

Did your Maximum Leader mention that he received the new James Bond novel for his birthday this year? He did. He read it. “Devil May Care” by Sebastian Faulks The “big deal” about this book was that Faulks was going to “write in the style” of Ian Fleming. The “style” was a decernable attempt to replicate the way in which Ian Fleming turned a phrase or wrote action. Alas… The story just seemed to wear thin on your Maximum Leader. Indeed, he’s now sat for a few minutes just trying to remember the plot at all. There are a few parts of the book that he could remember (bombers blowing up a big hydrofoil in one part). But on the balance the book was completely forgettable.

Your Maximum Leader just might sit down tonight with a scotch and watch “From Russia with Love.” (Or he might sit down with a scotch and watch Tivo’ed episodes of “Burn Notice” and “Penn & Teller’s Bullshit.”)

Carry on.