Beatles' Tape Found In Attic

A reel-to-reel tape of a Beatles recording was found by a man in Liverpool who was cleaning out his father’s attic. (See? Clutter can be good!)

The tape is roughly 30 minutes in length, and contains early recordings of “I Feel Fine” and “I’m A Loser”. The boys can be heard bursting into laughter during a take of “I’ll Follow the Sun”. The tape also contains the only known recording of the un-released “Don’t Put Me Down Like This”.

The tape should easily sell for $25,000 or more.

Sort of makes you want to look in your own attic, eh?

My Secret Private Diary

Dear Diary,
To all the millions of readers out there who are viewing my blog on a daily basis, good morning. And to all those who join later, good afternoon. And to those other million who view at night, for heaven's sake Go to Bed. Just joking.
Seriously, have you ever had a conversation with the love of your life and it goes something like this? We can have a blog and everyone can read it. You just write what you are feeling or what pops into your mind. ANd then you find out that you can't write personal issues because it would be too personal and that is what an email is for. Now, I am confused. What do I write about? I would think that the subject of adult children would be ok, because afterall they are over 21 and they have their own myspace spots or facebook or something along those lines. Even the daughter has a facebook page and she is under-age. It is not like I am writing my social security number on the site. And suggesting the condition of our phyical bodies is another off limits? Well, I will tell you about my physical conditions diary. Because you want to know it. My knee hurts. After that cortizone injection it aches. After having surgery on it back in 1980, there is not much left of the cartiledge on the right one. So walking down the road with the dogs, it tends to ache. ANd diary, this year my back has gone thru some terrible dreadful strains and pulls and such. And darn it, it does hurt. Readers around the world need to hear about my aching back. Maybe I could help someone feel not as depressed about their own aging body. Afterall, I owe it to my public. They need to read all my intimate details. Like that time I dreamt about going on a date with Ted Nugent. The week earlier Becky Griffin and I went to the 5 Season's Center and we heard this incredible show. Ted Nugent, Black Foot and the Scorpions. Great show. I can even remember the outfit I was wearing. A black tank top, some gold colored big bell bottomed jeans and a black long scarf on my head. We drove down in Becky's parents car. You know, the car we drove around in the college parking lot backward because someone had told us it would take off the mileage. Don't think we really saw any mileage drop off. But I did have a dream about going on a date with Ted. So, there you go. Diary I dreamt about Ted Nugent, have an aching knee and occassional back strain and my significant other doesn't want me to talk about anything personal on our blog. Dogs are ok but not backs.
That is it for this edition of my secret, private diary on the internet.

Quick movie reviews

A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries 1998
Kris Kristopherson
Leelee Sobieski
Barbara Hershey
Jesse Bradford

A (dysfunctional) family living in France eventually moves back to the states, just as the daughter and adopted son enter the high school years.
Some good acting and a dark, if somewhat predictable, coming-of-age story.

One Night at McCool’s 2001
Matt Dillon
Liv Tyler
Michael Douglas
John Goodman
Paul Rieser
Andrew Dice Clay

Surprisingly intelligent comedy about a femme fatal who manipulates the lives of all the men who come in contact with her. I recommend it.

New York Doll 2005
Documentary about Arthur "Killer" Kane, bass player for the New York Dolls, recovering alcoholic and recent Mormon convert.

Angie says:
Pleasant surprise of a documentary. Poor Arthur. Not much of a Killer Kane, when we met him. Very nice man with a lot of resentment not well hidden. David Johansen looks and acts like the New York Doll he is/was. Still got that "coolness" but Arthur never succumbed to it.

And after finally re-capturing his former glory, he dies of leukemia.
Sad.

the 100s

Just a little inside news from what I have heard of the band's upcoming record. Oh, sorry I can't release that information or I'll really get kicked out of the band!!!!
From their show in Waubeek, you could hear some of their new songs. The guys have taken the next step in song writing. Oh, how cliche that must sound, but it is true.
Don't miss their upcoming show at the Hoover Fest, in West Branch, Iowa on August 2. Did I mention you should hear their new stuff?
Oh, and did you hear the 100s on "Down on the Corner" on KUNI radio last night? Great job KUNI and Bob Dorr. You rock Bob Dorr. http://www.kuniradio.org/ That Jeff Schmidt, not only is he a great guitarist/song-writer, he's a hard-hitting news producer. Way to go Jeff!

Tomato Talk

Is anyone else having problems with their tomato crop this season? I do not have many blossom's on my plants. Too much rain perhaps? If you have any ideas on what I could do to produce more blossom's write me back! Angie

The new bedroom is here, the new bedroom is here!

Or "How to Hurt Your Back in an Evening"

Well, our basement master bedroom remodeling project is completed. Two days shy of being SEVEN months in the making! (If you need some contractor advice, have we got some!) We now have a larger master bedroom, with room to move around in. A chair for me to watch TV while Ang sleeps, dresser drawers that can open all the way, etc.

Of course, in our excitement, we moved everything in one night! Four dressers, the bed, chairs, TV, etc. (First thing I did was hookup the TV, go figure.) Oh, my aching back! Do not try this at home.

So, after several months of aggravation, living with a full room's worth of items stuck in every other room, nowhere to put the computer, etc, etc, etc - it is done!

Now we can sleep in comfort - I hope it was worth it!

Hey, Mow!

Or - "Oops, I was Wrong!"

In a previous post (We Live in a Rainforest) I implied that I was avoiding mowing. Total lie! Now that it has stopped raining every day, I have to constantly mow to keep up with it! I am never "done" with the entire yard. Just when I feel like I have finished every section, I have to start over again! Apparently I could mow every day until it snows! What's up with that? Crazy life!

Exciting New Blog!

Head on over to "The Loon's Mushing Report" http://mushingloon.blogspot.com/ for up-to-the-minute stories, rumors and facts about mushing and sleddog racing!

I'll still keep you up to date on the biggest stories in the sport on this page, but for a more detailed, day-to-day report, hit the link!

Hike!

Rock drummers are top athletes

Playing the drums for a rock band requires the stamina of a Premiership footballer, research suggests.

Tests on Clem Burke, the veteran Blondie drummer, revealed that 90 minutes of drumming could raise his heart rate to 190 beats a minute.

Despite rock's reputation for unhealthy living, Dr Marcus Smith, from Chichester University, said drummers needed "extraordinary stamina".

A hour in concert could burn between 400 and 600 calories, he said.

Burke was connected to equipment to measure his heart rate and oxygen uptake, and the levels of lactic acid in his blood.

He found that during a performance, his heart averaged between 140 and 150 beats a minute, peaking at 190, levels comparable to other top athletes.

Drummers burn 4-600 calories per hour

He said: "Footballers can normally expect to play 40 to 50 games a year - but in one 12 month period, Clem played 90-minute sets at 100 concerts.

"Footballer find playing a Champions League game once every two weeks a drain, but these guys are doing it every day when they are on tour.

"It is clear that their fitness levels need to be outstanding - through monitoring Clem's performance in controlled conditions, we have been able to map the extraordinary stamina required by professional drummers."

The project was conducted jointly by the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chichester.

A dedicated "drumming laboratory" is now being built at the Gloucester campus and it is hoped that other professional drummers will be tested.

Dr Steve Draper, from Gloucestershire University, said: "This is the first facility of its kind in the world."

Professor Edward Winter, a specialist in the physiology of exercise at Sheffield University, said that the challenge of playing the drums should not be underestimated.

He said that at 190 beats per minute Clem Burke was probably exceeding the maximum heart rate predicted for a man of his age.

"Rock drumming in particular is very energetic, and to add to this, these guys are playing in a hot environment - you'll see them literally dripping with sweat."

Story from BBC NEWS

Driver Cat-fight!

Here's a great clip of an argument between Indy car drivers Danica Patrick and Milka Duno:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXDEPrIr9I

No ESPY for Lance

Champion musher Lance Mackey did not win an ESPY this year, for the second year in a row. Lance was nominated for "Best Outdoor Athlete of the Year". The winner was Army Captain Scott Smiley, blinded in Iraq, he climbed Mount Rainier in Washington state in July 2007.

Not to discredit Captain Smiley, but Lance's accomplishment deserved to win. It was as if Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France twice in the same year, two weeks apart, and then did that two years in a row! Talk about an "Iron Man" - the Incredible Lance Mackey!

Oh well, we'll keep mushing as an obscure sport.

It'll be our little secret!

We Live In A Rainforest

Or "How I Avoided Mowing Again!"

We live on a 5 acre farm we call "Crooked Tree Acres". On it, we have a small ranch house, a big old barn, big garden, a couple of raspberry patches, the back woods and the east woods. We probably mow 2-and-a-half to 3 acres. That's a lot.

Last fall, one of the riding mowers died, and so I was able to get me a "Big Boy" mower - a John Deere 445 Garden Tractor with a 60 inch mowing deck. Whoo hoo! I've cut my mowing time by more than half!

Of course, that was before gas prices hit nearly $4.00/gal. Sort of takes some of the charm out of it, eh?

So even though I now think that not mowing isn't so bad, the longer it gets, the slower it takes to mow. It's a vicious circle!

Well, the hot, humid days with spotty showers make the Amazon sound like Alaska - cool and comfortable! Our grass grows like crazy ( I swear you can see it!) but it is so wet that I can't mow without plugging up the mower and leaving huge piles of grass.

Guess I'll just sit inside, watch some tube and drink a beer.

Life in the Rainforest isn't so bad.

Ode to Music

Music is motivating. It makes us feel,

Dance,

Laugh,

Cry,

Smile,

The loneliness of a solemn note,

The lightness of an acoustic guitar accompanied with the angelic voice of a harmony,

The earth-pounding thunder of the backbeat

The intensity of a thrash metal band

Lunging

Movie: The Beguiled

The Beguiled 1971
Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page
While imprisoned in a Confederate girls boarding school, a Union soldier cons his way into each of the lonely women's hearts.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066819/

Possibly my all-time favorite Clint Eastwood movie. Every character is conniving, scheming, lying and under-handed. Clint works it hard, playing pitiful, sexy, pious and aggressive with equal ability. The females are all equally talented, portraying their various emotions and outward appearances with sincerity. The young actresses are very well cast.

This movie is a precursor to Misery, in that "I'd cut off his leg just to make him love me" kind of way. And just as Clint's character will say, sleep or do anything to get what he wants (to escape), so too will all the women say, sleep or do anything to get what they want - a man!

This is a classic early 70's movie - the cheesy music and funky camera moves add to the charm.
The loose sexual morality (plus lesbian and incestuous undertones) just add to the surreal atmosphere.

While this is not the deepest, best written or even fully thought-out movie, it is a crazy roller-coaster ride of naughty emotions, supported by great acting.

We recorded this off of one of the Encore Movie channels. You definitely want the R-rated, uncut version. If you get a chance to see it, don't miss it!

And then you just might be one of "the beguiled", along with the entire cast!

Un-bear-able

Just finished watching "Primetime: The Outsiders" on ABC, from last week, about Charlie Vandergaw, the retired schoolteacher who lives with bears in Alaska.
He's crazy. He needs to be eaten by a bear! He is training them to go to houses and get food from humans. It can't be good in the long run. The more they get socialized, the more dangerous it becomes.
He is similar to Timothy Treadwell, the guy who also lived with bears in Alaska. He got himself and his innocent girlfriend eaten.

I found myself cheering for the bears to eat Charlie!

It's arrogant and naive to to think he is not a "normal" human, but has a special relationship with bears. He said this was the way it was until humans mucked it up, but I don't think that humans lived with bears in prehistoric times! He is training them to be around humans, and that's dangerous.
Interesting and well done report. Hope to catch more of the series.


I do, however, have a special relationship with beers!

John Adams

We just finished all seven episodes of HBO's "John Adams" miniseries. It has been incredible! The story of the birth of a nation, from the perspective of a man for whom dedication to duty and service to his country comes before all - including, to his detriment, his family.
First of all, the amazing Paul Giamatti in the title role is a pleasure to watch. He is a great actor and the fact that he is not "Hollywood pretty" is all the better. He brings a dignity and a passion to the character. He can play any role, I'm convinced.
Laura Linney as Abigail Adams is another perfect casting choice. She is strong, loving , smart and influential. They are a great couple, on-screen as well as on script.
Stephen Dillane is great as a dapper Thomas Jefferson. Hero, philanthropist, womanizer, rebel? Complicated, to say the least. And yet still lovable.
The incomparable Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin - brilliant, wacky, egotistical, sophisticated. A great actor playing a great man greatly! He is, as always, a joy to watch.
The minor characters are well cast as well, especially the Adams children, both the young and the older.
Historically accurate, yet still compelling and dramatic.
The costumes, makeup and sets all deserve recognition, as well.
Fantastic production!

The Lost Weekend

Another weekend has come and gone quickly by. We (The 100s) had a great show Saturday night in Waubeek. The weather was nearly perfect, the crowd was good and the fireworks were awesome!
A big thank you to the great fans who danced the entire show - you guys are an inspiration to us!
The band was rockin' and had a great time - until the power went off with about 8 bars left in the last song of the night! Oh well, best laid plans.
My thanks go out to my band mates - their talents never cease to amaze me! And a special thanks to my darling Angela for her support of the band - you rock my world!

Sunday was a day to recover, and other than the usual farm chores and some mowing, most of the day was spent indoors, watching TV. Trying to post to the blog but we lost our Internet connection.

And before you know it, back to the work week.

Sigh - another lost weekend.

Groundbreaking Discovery Channel Series Chronicles One of the Toughest Races on Earth

- Premiering October 2008, IDITAROD (working title) Shows a Musher's Preparation is No Match for Mother Nature -

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 10, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Discovery Channel continues its exploration into and chronicling of the fascinating world around us with the groundbreaking series IDITAROD (wt). The world premiere of this original series is slated for October 2008. This historic 1,150 mile sled dog race over some of the world's most beautiful -- and most challenging -- terrain was documented from beginning to end through the eyes of the men and women who dared to take on the monumental challenge.

In this six-part series, viewers will get a rare look into one of the harshest races on the planet -- The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Across frozen rivers, barren tundra, mountains and thick forest in freezing temperatures, this grueling race from Anchorage to Nome puts mushers and their dog teams through the ultimate test of human and animal teamwork and endurance.

"This new series truly defines adventure programming," said John Ford, president and general manager of Discovery Channel. "Viewers will once again travel back to Alaska, one of the toughest places on earth, where they will see the sheer will and determination it takes for men and women to compete in and complete this 1,150 mile race. The stories of these competitors deserve to be told and we are proud to do it."

Mushers from around the world convene in Alaska each March to run the "Last Great Race on Earth." Some prepare all year for this legendary race while others fit in training around their full-time jobs. Some are carrying on a proud family tradition while others are first generation mushers. Discovery Channel will follow returning race veterans and rookies alike to see, through their eyes, what it takes to compete not only against each other but also Mother Nature.

Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Quotes

"I'm only here to be used."

"Know your role!"

Quote

"as long as there are two men that occupy the same space in time, wars are inevitable."

Angela Looney

Vote for Musher Lance Mackey for an ESPY

In 2007, dog musher Lance Mackey proved the impossible is possible winning two 1,000 mile races back to back. So, in 2008, he decided to do it again.

Now the only musher on the face of the planet to win back to back 1000 mile (plus) races is headed back to Hollywood for the second year in a row as the ESPY nominee in the category of “Best Outdoor Athlete.”

“Last year I was in awe… it is a very big deal… and some of the greatest names in sports are a part of it. It’s a humbling experience to just be nominated. But this time around I’m going to soak it all up and enjoy myself.” said Mackey.

The ESPY’s are voted on by the public. Anyone can cast their ballot online by logging on to: http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/specialsection/espys2008/#/voting/bestoutdoorathlete/. Log on today and cast your vote for the athlete who best exemplifies the “Best Outdoor Athlete” in sports: Lance Mackey!

Sign up is free!

by the Iditarod.com staff

Angie is gonna get a whole new wardrobe!

Tony Stewart was granted a release from the final year of his contract with JGR and will head to HAAS/CNC Racing as a part-owner and driver. The team will be renamed Stewart Haas Racing in 2009. Rumors have it that Tony will change both car numbers next season. The rumors say that Stewart would probably choose the #14 as his car number to honor his hero, the great A.J. Foyt. It looks as if current Penske driver Ryan Newman will join Tony. Old Spice and Office Depot will probably be Tony's sponsers, and rumors have it Newman will field a car sponsored by Jack Daniels.

The Sporting News

New "Mattress"

After spending parts of 3 weekends, we have completed a 50 by 25 foot dog kennel on the west side of the barn!
This is in addition to the 12 x 12 on the south side. And they can go through the barn from one to the other, about 75 feet.
More exercise and grass to eat! (doggy salad bar) They like it.

Angie and I put in 100 feet of fence, and I built a 6 foot gate to get my mower inside. Other than the cost of materials, the only other cost was Angie's back - she tried to roll a rock to block a low spot and hurt her back in a bad way!
Several days and many Ibuprofen later, she seems to be doing much better.
Stupid rock!

Now we have room for several sleddogs...

"You have to say dog kennel to Mr Lambert because if you say mattress he puts a bag over his head."

Angie's Garden

This seasons garden is far from what I have grown in the past. I didn't get a chance to start planting anything until the end of April and I just started with onion sets. The ground was so cold and we did not till that past fall so the soil was in pretty rough shape. (Not cutting down the Loon-just telling the truth.) WHen I did get the potatoes in the ground still was cold. ANd the early corn went in about the same time and it took forever for it to come up. It is now about 2 feet tall and tassling. Such a sight for sore eyes. My peas didn't get planted until mid May so right now they are looking shabby. It was so wet for such a long spell and then it didn't rain for weeks and got the ground all dry. ANd then to top it off, the last time I tilled I got the rope that starts the tiller wrapped around itself so I couldn't get it started. Tim had to take it apart and buy a new rope and now we have to take it in to a shop to get it put back together. Seems like there is always something. However, a bright spot is the cherry tree and red raspberries are producing record crops. Too bad I don't have enough time or energy to get out there and pick more. Maybe tonight!

Hopkins Review by Angie

"Hopkins" This ABC summer series is a cross between the first seasons of ER and the artistic elements of the early Grey's Anatomy. It is more dramatic then the Trauma: LIfe in the ER reality show and it has just the right amount of medicine and doctor lingo for the audience like myself who loves to hear those big medicine-laced words. I would agree with the Loon on the Indy songs. As refreshing as the music is to this world of garbled pop stylized crap, I found it be annoying to the point of me wanting to throw my favorite pillow at the screen. Enough already I proclaim!!! Yeah, the producers did catch a break by finding a doctor who is going thru a divorce. Talk about an emotional roller coaster. As anyone who has gone thru a divorce knows, they ALL are like that. Some turn uglier than others but in the long run they are similiar. It is a death of a relationship and it is sad no matter what the outcome is. And when Tim needs a new brain, I will in fact take him to Johns Hopkins to have the doc work on him. So, in summing up, I loved the first episode of Hopkins and could hardly wait for the second. This is one reality/drama that I will watch and look forward to all the drama and hospital chaos on a weekly basis. I don't know how long they can produce a show of this caliber but I will enjoy it in the process.

Summer TV Fare

Here's some of the TV shows we're watching this summer:

John Adams - HBO
Hopkins - ABC
Arrested Development Season 1 (thanks Duncan!)
Six Feet Under Season 2 (possibly my favorite series of all time!)


And these are some of the "guy shows" that Tim watches when Angie falls asleep:

Ax Men (ended)
Ice Road Truckers
Reno 911
Tougher In Alaska
Extreme Alaska
The Universe
Modern Marvels
and coming this fall from the creators of
Ax Men, Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch - Iditarod!

New Music

Here are some of the CDs we've gotten in the last year or so. (Angie can let me know what I've forgotten!)
The ones that were "gifts" (ie: copies) are credited.

Son Volt - The Search
Whiskeytown - Strangers Almanac
John Doe - A Year in the Wilderness (thanks Dave!)
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
Jason Isbel - Sirens of the Ditch
Ryan Bignham - Mescalito
Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade (thanks Dave!)
Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight (thanks Alex!)
Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creations Dark (thanks Dave!)
Mana - Amar es Combatir
Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers

Flood Result

I've said since the beginning that the long-term story of the Flood of 08 is the strain on social services.
Unemployment, homelessness, uninsured.
I'm afraid that this is the result of the flood.

The Digital Age

Or "We live in a time-shifted world."

We utilize our DishNet DVR (Digital Video Recorder) for nearly all of our television viewing. And while it is extremely convenient - watch what you want, when you want - it also means we are not usually current with the normal broadcast season.
So if you're looking for revues of current shows, you may be out of luck here!

For instance, we recorded all 7 episodes of "John Adams" on HBO and are just now working our way through them. Don't worry, there WILL be a revue coming! (Oh yeah!)

Hopefully, we'll watch most weekly series within the week, so the posts will be somewhat current.

I am a few weeks behind on "Ice Road Truckers", however.

Music Night

Friday night is Music Night in the Looney household.
Here is the playlist for Friday, July 4th:
(CD unless otherwise noted)

Kathleen Edwards
Robert Randolph
Gillian Welch
Led Zeppelin (CD and DVD)
Eric Johnson (DVD)
Rilo Kiley (DVR)

The 100s LIVE!

Angie's favorite band, the 100s are set to perform at FB and Co. in Waubeek this weekend. You can't afford to miss this set. Opening act at 5:00pm, The 100s at 7:00, followed by fireworks. Get there early or be square.

Television Show Review: Hopkins

Eight years after ABC News aired "Hopkins 24/7," its cameras return to Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Hospital for a new six-part documentary about the lives of the caregivers on its staff, and the patients who come through its doors.

Tim's revue:
One of the first true "reality" shows, ABC has once again captured the real-life drama at a leading hospital. Last night was episode 2, an emotional roller-coaster ride. A woman awaiting a lung transplant suffered the highs and lows of waiting for a suitable organ. And the producers got lucky, as one of the doctors chosen to be followed separated from his wife. Yes, we are entertained by others' emotional pain, but to me, everyone knows that kind of pain and can relate.

Sadly, the producers use WAY too much "indy rock" and it becomes distracting. There is enough drama (and this isn't supposed to be "Grey's Anatomy") and it doesn't need to be "heightened" by the use of music. I don't need a twenty-something girl singing about her life while watching a fifty-something woman hanging on to her life. It's insulting to me and her both!

But the stories so far have been intense, the doctors have been great (if I ever need brain surgery, send me to Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa!) and the production is otherwise top-notch.

Can't wait for next week!

Movie Review: Limbo

Limbo 1999
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164085/
When an unhappy mother-daughter pair get stuck on an island with the woman's unlikely boyfriend, all must face their demons - both imagined and unimagined.

Tim says:
This movie left me in limbo. It was neither good nor bad. Perhaps a bit ambitious in intent – writer/director John Sayles wanted to say a very deep message but didn’t pull it off.
While the attempt was there, the execution was lacking. I didn’t care about the characters; they were mostly caricatures. Yes, they were left in limbo at the end, and so was the audience, but by that point, I didn’t care if they were rescued or not.

Angie says:
This movie was predictable as they come. I knew practically the exact words they were going to recite as well as what the plot after each page was. However, the actor David Starnhart, was doing a superb job as the nerdy guy who can keep the women alive. Mary Elizabeth’s performance was blaize to say the least. Perhaps it wasn’t her fault, as the depth of the character’s was as deep as the paper it was written on. The outdoor scenery was breathtaking and I wondered if they would have spent more time on developing a script as they did researching location sites, this movie could have BEEN. The name says it all, Limbo. Which it left me in a state of not knowing whether I just wasted 90 precious minutes of my life or if I am as surfacey as Masterino’s thespian abilities.