Carlson's Corner

For years, I received sweaters as gifts. I accepted them, and promptly never wore them. See the problem was that sweaters and I just didn't get along. It wasn't that I didn't like the look of sweaters I had received. They were quite nice. In fact, they weren't gaudy. You'd unlikely wear one to an ugly sweater party. The problem was me. I simply was too hot for sweaters. No, I'm not being conceited here. I have always been warm blooded. Put me in a sweater, and I'd burn up. Too hot. A bucket of sweat. Fast forward to the Winter of 2010. This winter has been cold. For example today was -17F below zero. So anyway, I've raided my (almost vintage) unworn sweaters this year. They are very nice, and I'm thankful that I have them. If you've given me a sweater in the last few years and were upset that I never wore it, I think I might have worn it yesterday. Or the day before. Or it will be worn later this week. Thank you.

Musicians who want to be successful need to be educated. In my two decades of performance, I have seen talented musicians fail because they didn't take the time to understand how this business works. In contrast, I've seen moderately talented musicians (myself included) have pretty successful runs simply because they understood the music business. For the entire article, please check out my latest post at JimCarlson.net: Sharpening Your Music Marketing Skills.

Jim will be performing solo shows @ Granite Peak this winter! All shows are from 2-10pm. November 26th December 30th January 8th January 16th February 26th March 26th For more details, check out www.jimcarlsonm usic.com or www.facebook.com/jimcarlsonmusic

Ok, ok, ok. First off, this is not a political entry . I really don't care if you are for or against the recently passed health care bill. I am hoping that we can move on and US Government will have the time to address another serious issue plaguing this great country: THE WRINKLE FREE SHIRT ISSUE As I have mentioned in a previous post , I've been dressing somewhat better these last few years. With dressing better, comes the responsibility of taking better care of my better clothes. Let me state, for the record, I don't mind ironing. That does not, in any way, indicate that I love the task either. So, enough banter. Here is the issue: I have purchased quite a few dress shirts in the last couple of years. I've been able to purchase some major label, high ticket shirts at amazingly low prices. I've also picked up some generic 'store brand' shirts. As I was doing laundry earlier today, I noticed that the shirts that were originally the highest priced o

Recently, Wisconsin passed a text message ban while driving . There has been a lot of discussion on the dangers of texting while driving. On the flip side, CNN recently reported that cell phone driving bans don't work . As discussed in the first article above, Wisconsin already has a law that outlaws distracted driving, or “being so engaged or occupied as to interfere with the safe driving of that vehicle.”. A couple of months ago, a friend traveling from Minneapolis said something that made me think. He said that he'd never think of texting while navigating the streets of the Twin Cities, but while driving to Wausau he felt comfortable placing an occasional text. I agree. I've been on the road quite a lot lately. When I'm circling the state Capitol in downtown Madison, I would not think of texting, changing a CD, playing with my iPod or even answering my phone. There is just too much going on. Add snow, bad visibility and rush hour, it is clear: Pay attention and

Personally, I hate year-end wrap ups. They are self indulgent, self righteous and generally of no interest to the general public (let alone people who know you). That said, here goes: I really have no New Year's Resolutions for 2010. 2009 was a year of continued change and in many ways, a year of refining focus. If anything, it can be said that 2009 was the foundation for 2010, and the important thing is to stay on task. So, what are the highlights ? After years of struggling to find consistency with my workouts, 2009 found remarkable consistency. I (generally) worked out 3 days a week. These workouts were quick, to the point, and proved to help me balance the stress that life can bring. I still need to work on more cardio, but every workout needs to be measured and adjusted on a continual basis. Food. I love food, and my lifestyle lends itself to lots of meals on the run. When I eat out, I like to eat things that most health experts will tell you are not quite up to par. Last year