Thank goodness we have Karl Malone.
Without the Mailman, Utah would not be represented in Forbes' 2001 "Celebrity Power List" of the 100 richest, most popular and most powerful entertainers and athletes, named in the business magazine's March 19 issue.
The Utah Jazz power forward was ranked 67th in this year's CPL, just behind the Portland Trail Blazers' Scottie Pippen but ahead of Greg Norman, golfdom's "Great White Shark."
Forbes noted that Malone, the NBA's second leading all-time scorer, received his $15.75 million salary in a lump sum before the 2000-01 basketball season got under way last fall. He also garnered endorsement deals with Field and Stream magazine and AmazingOutdoors.com.
But money isn't everything, assures Forbes. Its Celebrity Power List also takes into account "other measures of stardom," including Internet popularity, press clippings, magazine cover stories and TV/radio mentions.
Malone was ranked 59th in the salary category, had 68,800 Internet hits and 8,968 press clippings, got a goose egg for magazine cover stories (I guess they don't count the Utah Jazz in-house magazine "Home Court"), and eight TV and radio mentions.
By comparison, Forbes' top CPL guy, actor Tom Cruise, earned $43.2 million, garnered 139,000 Internet points, 11,715 press clippings, 11 magazine covers and 136 TV and radio mentions.
Golfer Tiger Woods was second to Cruise even though Tiger walloped Tom in every category except magazine covers — only five — but had $53 million in salary, 363,000 Internet points, 47,149 press clippings (the most of the top 100) and 235 TV/radio mentions.
Forbes clearly gave a lot of weight to Tom's six more 'zine covers.
Among other category winners were the Beatles with 1.43 million Internet points — pretty amazing considering the group broke up in 1970. "Star Wars" producer George Lucas led the money ranks with $250 million, and Secretary of Defense Colin Powell won the TV/radio mentions with 540.
Sadly, I failed to make the cut again this year, but I'm optimistic about 2002.
We've all been hearing a lot about "feng shui" recently, a Chinese home-decorating technique that, as near as I can tell, has to do with creating what we called "good vibes" back in the '60s.
I don't think my house has much feng shui going for it — unless you count the accidents our two puppies have on the carpet about a dozen times a day.
But now feng shui has come to Utah. Hamlet Homes has built and decorated a feng shui-correct model town home at its Traverse Ridge development on South Mountain.
"It's the art of creating balance in a (home)," said Sharon Stasney, owner of The Feng Shui Shop in Sugar House, which provided decor items for the house.
"It's just good, logical design," said Leanna Huber of the Salt Lake Ethan Allen store, which provided the furniture and interior design.
Stasney said the model's wall colors — bright green and a "soft" purple — are "upward moving colors for abundance and prosperity."
A bright green wall in the kitchen represents "tree energy or the morning energy that comes from the east," said Hamlet sales representative Phil Mosher. "That's considered good 'chi,' or positive energy."
But expect a lot of bad hair days and mismatched shirts and ties with feng shui. Huber says no mirrors are allowed in the bedroom because mirrors create energy, or "yang chi," described as a "heavy, unmotivated feeling" that is not conducive to a good night's sleep.
Nor do electronics belong in a feng shui bedroom. Even in the other rooms of the house, the TV and stereo should be kept behind doors.
"The response has been exciting," said sales manager Dave Irwin. "Reaction to the house has been overwhelming. Many people have visited just to see the concept in design."
E-MAIL: max@desnews.com