Day of the Living Morning Glories

by Angie Loon
Imagine, sitting on your summer deck looking out into the yard. The green, green grass of home. Red delicious Dahlia's covered with blooms, salmon-colored Petunia's twinking eyes in the wind and the magnificant beauty of the Stargazer Lily.
As you sit there one dog day of summer morn, you notice the vines that have circled the Canna's great trunk. The old bicycle placed in the center of the flower bed to add to the funkiness of your flower bed is gone. Completely swallowed. The cries from the Bleeding Heart are wasted on deaf ears. The Morning Glories have taken over. Just like the fog coming up from the Wapsi, so to have the monsters of the summer, the Morning Glories.
This film has not yet been rated. Due to the graphic nature of the lifestyle of the fawna, the board of directors has not yet released their findings. They believe their Chairmen of the Board is lost in a bed of Morning Glories.

Hot Fuzz Big Nothin'

The Loon speaks for both of us on these two, especially the Big Nothin'. That is what it is.
Loved Hot Fuzz. Funny. Captivating. Cutting Edge Editing. Will have to watch just to study the technique. Those brits are so creative, hey?

Movie Reviews: Hot Fuzz and Big Nothing

Or: I got you pegged

Babe and I watched two movies starring Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead): Hot Fuzz 2007 and Big Nothing 2006.

Hot Fuzz was a great movie, co-written by Pegg. Fast-paced action, hot editing made for a frenetic movie. Co-starring Pegg's friend Nick Frost, Hot Fuzz was a satirical look at cop movies, with a quirky twist. Super Cop Pegg is sent to a small English village where nothing ever happens - or so they claim. Even if the action was somewhat predictable, the two actor's charms always held your attention. And the twist of the plot was creative. Truly a classic British comedy.

Big Nothing is another story. Co-starring David Schwimmer, the one redeeming value of this film might just be the acting of Pegg, playing a scumbag as opposed to his usual turn as the hero. However, even with the constant twists to the plot, the writing didn't pull it off. Almost cartoon-ish in storyline, the "surprises" became predictable. Possibly a waste of an evening.

So, big thumbs up for Hot Fuzz, thumbs down for Big Nothing.

Oh, but my goodness did they look good on the plasma!

Plasma, Stat!

Paging Dr. Looney, Paging Dr. Looney.......



We've got a turned-over and pushed 27 inch regular old-fashion TV that is not working. Owner says he "accidentally" pushed it over by cleaning out the rat's nest of wires underneath....

No pulse....No brain waves....

WE need a Plasma TV, stat!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Is anyone else out there having problems with their garden produce this season? Besides my tomatoes, I checked out my sweetcorn and there is not one single ear of corn on the stalk. How can this be? Coons? Or did the ears ever produce? And those tomatoes. I have been out there shaking my bushes everynight and still not many blossoms. The peppers I have are spicy, few and far between.
ANd the worst thing is this. WE finally got our tiller part picked up from the local hardware store. THey fixed it by getting a new part. It cost almost $50. Ouch! So, here's the lesson in tilling the garden. Pick up those frickin' red flags instead of tilling them into the soil. It could save you $50. Tim still loves me, I just have a lot of making up to do. Don't bother us for a couple of days if you know what I mean.:)

The 100s at Hoover Fest

What a great day for an outdoor gig! The 100s really rocked out the HooverFest this year. Blow the doors right off. Oh, wait there weren't any doors because it was outdoors.
Keep posted to our blog as we (Tim and myself) will be posting on YouTube several of the songs the guys played yesterday. Not only did the guys sound great, they looked great too. Fun was had by all. The dancers were there, for every song swaying to the sound of the guitar....the family was there cheering on their favorite musician and tons and tons of new fans stopped by to check out the scene. Stay tuned, a detailed report will be filed. Now, time to get moving. Literally.

Music Night

Friday Night means Music Night at the Looney Farm. This night was a little more subdued because of the daughter being home. It kinda felt like when you were a teenager and you had your parent at home. We didn't crank up the stereo as loud as we had wanted, but we listened to some incredible pieces of music. It always amazes me when we start out we don't really know the direction the night will take us and the last song and artist is the encore of the evening, no doubt. Without further adu here is the list:
Alejandro Escovedo (3) cuts from his new CD Real Animal. "Nuns Song" "Chip n' Tony" and "Hollywood Hills"
Nuns and Hollywood Hills are both really great Al songs. Nuns is more rocking with an incredible drum performance by Hector Munoz. The more I listen, the more I absorb it. Hollywood Hills really highlights the brillance of Al and his orchestra. The strings don't define his music, they provide the depth of the creative soul. Chip n Tony is a great rock n roll bar song, perhaps a bit predictable but it is what it is.
Neal Coty-Tim picked this and I was blown away that I had never heard of this guy. He played two cuts from Chance & Circumstance and Legacy. He'll have to fill you in on the actual song names, as I am not sure. To sum up this man, Neal Coty, great alt-country sound and feel to his music. Where has he been? I want to take these CD's and put them in my car and listen to them. Who cares if they are ten years old, they are new to me now!
The Replacements-CD Don't Tell a Soul cut "Achin' to Be"
I wanted to share some of my old music with Tim and I choose this song because if memory served me, it was one of my favorites and had some grittiness that I thought Tim would appreciate. After listening, I was right. Yes, it had some of that 80 polished punkness to it, but there is a great alt-country beat, harmonica, and that roughness that makes them one of the great bands from the 80's.
John Mellencamp-CD Human Wheels
Tim's Choice. Now, since I was totally blown away by this and unfamiliar with the CD, I'm not sure which cut he chose? Incredible. Tim really pulled this out of his basement of fine, fitting tunes. Mellencamp put together a great band and sound. I used to listen to him way, way back in the days when he was Cougar ya know. He was there in my car, in my bedroom singing to me everynight and morning (in that order) and I couldn't believe that I had left him like a used boyfriend who didn't have a car. Pleasantly pleased I was with this. Nice job Tim. You win Producer's Excellence this evening with 2 great picks. Tim Up by 2.
Keith Richards-Talk is Cheap "Struggle"
I wanted to surprise Tim with something he may have not heard before. And this was one. Not as brillant as Mellencamp or a catch as Neal Coty, but a surprise. If you have never heard Richards sing, you should at least give it a spin and make your own conclusion. Not everyone is a singer and there is a reason. Enough said.
Dido-No Angel
Tim's choice and again, I don't know which cut. However, it was cool. Great voice, good arrangement of instruments. It has that sound of the faintest of the vocal, strong sound but the effect makes it seem like the voice is far off. I'm sure there is a technical term for it but for now I'll just call it "spacey" because that seems to fit.
Sinead O'Connor-CD "I Don't Want WHat I Haven't Got" title cut
In keeping with the theme of spaciness, I pulled this one out of my collection. It had not been in the CD player for years and years but I was glad I did. This cut is over a 5 minute accapella piece that maintains perfect pitch throughout, we swear no edits. Incredible voice Sinead has and I wanted to play more cuts but will have to save them for next friday. I got Tim with this.
Kathleen Edwards-CD Asking for FLowers
You now by now the routine. Angie doesn't know the cut Tim provided however, what he played was amazing. Kathleen had violens, and other great instrument arrangements. If you are a fan, you should be pleased with the direction of this artist. She is taking huge strides in growing as an artist and songwriter. Deeper more emotional musicanship yet not being pretenous. (IS there spell check in this program?:)
Jason Castro-American Idol "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
We had to see if this performance held up in time. It has only been six months, and I would conclude that it does indeed. He is cute and all, but has a style all his own that fits him. I would look forward to his own CD that I'm sure he'll release after all the Idol stuff is over.
Annie Lennox/Dave Stewart Unplugged "Here Comes the Rain, Again"
Everytime I see this, hear this I get chills. Chills of brillance, chills of emotions, chills of love lost. These two are masters of their profession. You can't top this.
Annie Lennox is the best female vocalist of all time. IF you are a vocalist, listen to her, watch her. Her phrasing, her vocal pitch, tone, emphasis is perfection of each and every note. Her whole body is her instrument.
Magnolia Electric Co. DVD
Tim played me some of the boxed set he borrowed from buddy and fellow 100 Dave Pedersen. Needless to say, Angie had her fill of friday night beer and after laying on the couch to relax and listen to tunes, ended up falling asleep during the DVD. NOw, I did watch for awhile so my review will be limited and short. Great pictures of the countryside of Canada. The songs (what I heard in limited viewing) were subdued yet peaceful and dark. Nothing rocked me awake is what I mean. That is ok. I didn't need to be shook awake. I need to give this another try, like say today while Tim is getting ready to perform tonight at Hoover fest. So, I am not putting this down, need more time to listen with an alert mind.
Overall night: Tim wins with the male vocalist the Neal Coty find. Angie wins female vocalist category with the Sinead O'Conner song.

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.