Journey Pictures

Today's ultrasound, the final one prior to her birth in about a month.

Barack Obama and Jethro Tull

I’m a big fan of the band Jethro Tull.

You are probably at least passingly familiar with Jethro Tull from their 1971 album Aqualung which includes the classic songs “Aqualung” and “Locomotive Breath”. If that’s all you know about them then at the very least listen to the whole Aqualung album. It’s fantastic.

Yet Aqualung was one of their first albums. They have created so much great music. Here’s a small sampling of my recommendations:

Stand Up (1969): “A New Day Yesterday,” “Back to the Family”

War Child (1974): “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of A New Day,” “Bungle in the Jungle.”

Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll: Too Young to Die! (1976) One of my favorite albums. Listen to all of it (and buy yourself a copy) but pay attention to the guitars in “Salamander.”

Storm Watch (1979) Unlike Too Old/Too Young, I’m not a fan of the album itself but the guitars in the song “Dun Ringill” are beautiful. This is one of my all-time favorite songs.

The Broadsword and the Beast (1982): Another great album. Especially worth checking out are “Fallen on Hard Times,” and “Watching Me Watching You.”

Lastly on my list of Jethro Tull must-hears is the album Crest of the Knave (1987). The whole album is great, from the opening track “Steel Monkey,” to the final track “Raising Steam.” Listen to the whole deal. Buy the album. It’s fantastic.

That being said, there’s a flaw with it which has nothing to do with Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, or anyone else in the band. The flaw is that the band won the 1988 Grammy award for “Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Performance,” beating out both Metallica and Jane’s Addiction.

The band had a sense of humor about it, even putting out the statement “the flute is a metal instrument!”

Even so, they should have won an award for the album – just not that award.

Which brings me to our President, Barack Obama. The Nobel Foundation has awarded the 2009 Nobel Peach Prize to President Barack Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Um.. What?

I am a big fan of the President but isn’t it a little early to be awarding him a peace prize?

It’s Jethro Tull all over again. Right guy, wrong award.

Leads a guy to do some “Wond’ring Aloud.”

I donated, will you?

Brother J is doing the Portland AIDS Walk and would appreciate your support:

To all my friends and family... please tolerate the following form letter, slightly personalized by yours truly...... and if you feel you know someone who might feel compelled to give to a worthy cause, send them to the link as well.

I am walking in memory of my close friends whom I have lost to HIV/AIDS, Faron Purget and Chris Jacobsen.

Please read on below for the full information.


Please join me as I take a stand for HIV/AIDS activism. On October 11th, more than 10,000 of us will come together in Pioneer Courthouse Square with the goal of raising $325,000 for services provided by Cascade AIDS Project to prevent new HIV infections, care for people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, educate communities to eliminate stigma and shame and advocate for immediate action in combating the pandemic.

I’m writing to you today to ask for your support as I walk the 5k (3.1 mi) route and raise much needed funds for HIV and AIDS prevention, services and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Your donation will help Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) continue their important work in our community:

Please help me reach my goal of $500 by making a donation today; any amount helps! Make checks payable to Cascade AIDS Project, or donate to me online at www.cascadeaids.org. Your donation will make a difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS. Thank you for your support!

Thanks for reading guys!

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Cascade AIDS Project