Randoms, from a professional randomer

Some randomness for you all. I've been buried at work recently and haven't been able to post at my usual breakneck speed. Okay, maybe not so much breakneck as simply "regularly", but you get the idea:

1. recent music reviews:

Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked We Are: this is different from the previous offering from these guys. ThatOneWife got me listening to them more than I had in the past, and when we see them here in Salt Lake next month, it will be the second time for me, but about the fourth for her, I believe. The album is good, filled with more harmony and less 100MPH lyrics that have been the hallmark here. A good listen. They seem to be heading into adult contemporary, as opposed to top 40.

Bob Dylan - Modern Times: Better than I thought it would be. Good production values, good music, good lyrics (which you can actually understand), and a good album all around.

Diana Krall - From This Moment On: A great album, getting back to her bread and butter: jazz standards. She is expecting twins before the end of the year with her husband Elvis Costello, so one wonders how "treasured" this album should be for her fans. It's got the usual great piano work, good arrangements, great vocal work. It's just good.

Elton John - The Captain and the Kid: This was a return to the early collaborator, Bernie Taupin. This partnership produced some of the greatest pop/rock music of the 20th century. There are some who assign EJ to the group of touring geriatrics who are no longer relevant to current critical music. But since he's branched out into musical theater and film, sucessfully, I don't consider him irrelevant, but this album was not as good as I thought it would be. the Vast majority of people on the radio these days could take a lesson at his feet. Or three lessons, for some, because they just won't get it the first time around.

Oscar Peterson Trio with Stan Getz - The Silver Album: This is a standard Jazz album that should be in any collection. With Ray Brown, Stan Getz, Herb Ellis, Ocar Peterson, it was released in 1989 and is a timeless recording of great jazz standards.

2. The CEO and CFO of Costco have elected to tell the Board of Directors to not bother with their yearly bonuses this year. They were under investigation with regard to the stock option dating issues that have come under scrutiny lately. However, no impropriety was found, and no action was taken. But since there was an investigation, the two decided that they would forego the bonuses as a show of good company citizenship. The bonuses were scheduled to be $200,000 and $80,000. Which begs the question: with good citizens like this, why are you shopping at Sam's Club? Just sayin'.

3. Did you know that Sting was a member of the band in London for the opening of Tim Rice's and Andrew Lloyd Weber's first production run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat? I didn't think so. But it's true. He was hired at 60 pounds per week for a scheduled run of 6 weeks. The run was extended several times, each time selling out faster than the last. Needless to say, I am enjoying Sting's autobiography. I got it for my birthday a few weeks ago.

4. This is, I believe, the best use for lawn gnomes: Turd Burgling.

Just sayin.