While occasional moments of confusion are common and could be totally innocuous, it is worth exploring whether they could be signs of the early stages of cognitive decline. If you relate to three or more of the following scenarios, it might be time to speak with a neurologist.
You may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful house.”
Does your house seem different, or is it the same as it ever was? Have a look around. Do you recognize the people in the photos? If the answer is “yes”, then it probably is your house. If not, it might be time to apologize to the family that does live there and make a hasty exit.
You may find yourself in another part of the world.
They say travel is good for the soul—however, it can be frightening if you have no idea where you are or how you got there. Being in such a predicament could be an early indicator of dementia. That being said, if your head hurts and your wallet is missing, you’ve probably just been bludgeoned and robbed.
You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile.
If you suddenly realize you’re barreling down the highway in a car you don’t recognize, slowly pull off the road. Compare the name on the registration to your driver’s license. Are they the same? Good—though that means you may be experiencing dementia-related confusion. If not, it’s likely you stole the car while drunk and should probably ditch it and flee on foot.
You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack.
If you live in certain parts of the southern United States, living in the type of narrow, rectangular residence called a “shotgun house” would be no cause for alarm, as they are quite common. But if you’re unsure if you’ve ever lived in one before, perform a quick check: Do you have a Southern accent? Are you hungry for jambalaya? Do you know what chitlins are?
You may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful wife.”
Prosopagnosia, which is the inability to recognize the faces of familiar people, can be scary to experience. If you’re having trouble determining if the woman beside you is your wife or a total stranger, go ahead and ask her. If she screams that she’s never seen you before in her life, calmly climb out of bed and wait for the police to arrive.
You may ask yourself, “How do I work this?”
As we grow older, it’s perfectly normal to occasionally be confused by technology. It would be understandable to be asking yourself this question while trying to operate the newest iPhone. However, if you’ve been a pilot for years and are suddenly bewildered by the control panel, it may be a sign of a larger problem—not only for you, but for your passengers as well.
Additional warning signs of cognitive problems to be aware of include dressing in ill-fitting clothing, such as a comically oversized suit, or making sporadic, jerky movements that resemble some strange dance. Consider yourself fortunate if something like the above only happens to you once in a lifetime.
Devo’s 7th studio album was their first without drummer Alan “the human metronome” Myers, and folks, he dodged a bullet. The spud boys tried to get butts out to the dance floor with this bland techno-pop, but frankly I’d rather sign mine up to test rat traps on. Musically, this proves their de-evolution theory, though! Maybe that was the point?
The last album they released before calling it quits for the majority of the 90s. And, it was a well-earned respite, because these guys sound tired. One big redeeming aspect of this one was the Devo “uniform” for this era was straight-up leisure suits, and c’mon, that’s pretty funny.
Stuff you’ll find on “Shout”: the dinkiest synth trumpet sound you ever heard, Mark Mothersbaugh sounding like Sting sometimes for some reason, and a pretty solid Hendrix cover. Luckily, this sounds as though it’s likely what Paul Reubens heard and enjoyed enough to hire Mothersbaugh to score Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. Imagine if that position had gone to Hans Zimmer??!
Devo’s big comeback record doesn’t disappoint. A solid record that sincerely doesn’t sound at all like music made by dudes approaching their 70s. Hell, for all we know they ARE robots!
Now we’re talkin’! The follow up to their most popular album found them actively seeking to reject their newfound post “Whip It” fame and firmly digging their heels back into being uncool and proud of it. Also, it’s the one with the plastic pompadours.
Hell yeah. In a sea of bangers, gotta give a special shout-out to “Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA” for containing one of Bob Mothersbaugh’s career-best guitar solos. Heck, the same song’s even one of Mark’s best synth solos. Dang, should this be ranked higher??
A potentially controversial rank position, but I’m ready to defend myself. I’m talking physically, too. Even if it boiled down to fisticuffs, I think I’d be able to hold my own… we Devo freaks aren’t an especially buff bunch, but we do fight very dirty. Anyway, this album rules.
Between Whip It, Girl U Want, and the introduction of the now-iconic Energy Dome look, this album may be the “obvious” one… but bread is an obvious food, and it’s still absolutely delicious.
Any one of these songs could, and should, replace the Star Spangled Banner as our National Anthem.
