Carlson's Corner

I try to give those who enter my life a 'blanket' amount of trust. This is an 'innocent until proven guilty' offering, loosely based on the belief that there is [some] good in everyone. From this base, one can earn more ... or completely destroy what they have been given. Trust is as difficult to explain as any human emotion. In it's essence, it is the ability to open one's self to vulnerability....with the belief that doing so will not lead to exploitation. Trust, of course, means dramatically different things to different people in different circumstances. A lifetime of trust can be broken in a moment. Ironically, the reverse can also be true... A world of trust can be granted in an instant. Recently someone indicated that they trust me in a way that is well beyond the scope of the friendship I thought we had. How did this happen? What did I do to earn this trust? I am not sure I want the responsibility. It is easy blame others when they break our faith.

One of the most inspirational bands in my career is back. James the Band has reformed. "Just Like Fred Astaire" and "The Shining" from my " Out of Fashion " CD were originally recorded by James. In 2001, Roger Bardo (an original member of the Jim Carlson Trio, and clearly one of the best people I have ever had the opportunity to know) and I flew across the pond to attend the 'last' James performance at Wembley Arena in London. Their UK tour sold out immediately, and new recordings are pending.

Saturday night I was a guest at the Bucks / Nuggets game in Milwaukee. I'm certainly not the biggest hoops fan in the world, but actually being sideline at an NBA game is an amazing experience. (This was my second NBA game of the season, I was also a guest at a Bulls / Celtics game in December.) Unfortunately, Michael Redd and Allen Iverson were both out with injuries (although Redd warmed up with the Bucks). I was impressed with Carmelo Anthony and the amazing play of the Bucks 5' 5" Earl Boykins . The game was very competitive, (which was a bit surprising considering Milwaukee's 19-32 record) with the Nuggets edging to a 109 to 102 win. Another highlight of the trip was a sitting near Bucks President (and owner) Herb Kohl . Here is a US Senator, multimillionaire, and NBA team owner sitting in the stands among the fans. He was absolutely approachable and treated those around him with complete class. I'm not big into politics, but I am impressed with Kohl'

Literally. As I write this, Wausau is experiencing a balmy -11°F. Windchill? -37° F. Welcome to Siberia. It is going to get worse, the air temp will drop to the -18° range as the windchill drops to around -41°. Super Bowl Sunday's high will reach -7°. I've always been amazed at the contrast we experience here in God's Country. In the Summer, we reach 100° and higher... I've seen Winter's hit under -30°. That is a 130° temperature change. Think about it. Cars. How can they handle such tolerances? On top of it, cars are engineered to withstand the temperature extremes of the entire country...I've witnessed nearly 130° temps in Phoenix. It is simply amazing. The irony is, this winter has been unseasonably warm. December was one of the warmest on record. We are paying dearly. Dearly.