There is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of NBA pundits picking the Heat over the Bulls are over simplifying their analysis of the Bulls Heat match-up. Most are breaking it down by saying it's two superstars over one. Chris Mullin, a typically shrewd NBA mind, says this series boils down to two perimeter teams and the Heat have more perimeter firepower with their two superstars so they will win. However, I say they are way undervaluing a few very important factors in this match-up: the last minute re-emergence of Carlos Boozer and his typically-stellar playoff presence and the enormous advantage the Bulls bench has over the Heat bench. The Heat bench is a haphazard mix of aging and/or one-dimensional talent, which collectively is not greater than the sum of its parts, which is what you have with the Bulls bench.
Last but not least, when Tom Thibodeau tells his team to jump, they ask how high. Whereas King James (LeBrick) is the dominant personality on the Heat. Spoelstra is smart but he is not a big time presence, certainly not enough to over ride LeBron when needed, in contrast to how Phil Jackson got MJ and Kobe to bend to his will when their teams needed to go that direction.
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What do you do after spending a decade as the world's most powerful wizard, earning over $100 million in the most successful film franchise of all time and developing into one of the most beloved celebrities of your time? It may seem like a tough question, Daniel Radcliffe seems confident that he'll be able to work his magic going into the future.
Speaking at the 92Y in New York City on Monday, Radcliffe held court with an audience excited to hear about his past, present and future. The city is already privy to one of his next big steps: while the world waits for the July premiere of his final Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," Radcliffe has charmed and delighted theater-goers this spring with his leading role in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"; when he wasn't nominated for a Tony earlier in May, there were uproars of indignation. Radcliffe, modest as ever, laughed off the snub and said it didn't bother him.
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There's no doubt that "green" is trending right now, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Google real-time search; its been bagged and tagged as cool, which on a certain level is fantastic. Such momentum doesn't come along very often. Banksy pieces scream environmental concern, car engines run on energy efficiency, and the current green movement has ignited its own pop culture firebrand, as evidenced by newly prominent green and environmental sections in major publications around the world.
The problem remains because cool doesn't solve it. Often the buck stops at a relatively superficial level: you might go to a cool green event or buy a sustainable pair of skinny jeans, but that won't get you to go out and start planting trees or recycling all of your trash. Studies and exposés can often have a similarly stunted impact. We rely on the awareness that news media and institutions bring to the issues. They give us the facts, without them there's nowhere for change to begin. Yet, a jarring study about Amazon deforestation or a piece on the immense loss in The Great Barrier Reef may make our jaw drop, but it won't set that collective jaw on a hard mission to change such destruction.
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Sony Music built the palace where last week's Grammy darlings and indisputable music industry queens Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin live. Both honored for a lifetime of artistry, the world was reminded of the solo female artists lasting magical power. But for Sony, the list doesn't end there. A closer look will show that label bloodline filled with more industry queens, princesses, and duchesses than any other, and a proven half-century of lady-centric executive leadership in Clive, Tommy, Donnie and Barry. So if you have the keys to the castle Sony, why live anywhere else?
Out of 2010s Top 5 #1 hits, 3 were from solo female artists -- beyond that, 8 out of the Top 15. Out of those 8, Sony Music was the home to 6. Sony's dominance in the category is not isolated to 2010; their successes span decades and are textbook examples of brilliant solo female development and success. From Whitney to Celine, Mariah to Christina, and Alicia to Britney -- there are billions of dollars in net receipts and a legacy that runs strong with Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Kesha, Pink, and Shakira. Not only is there no label better -- there's no one even close. And with more than 30 solo female multi-platinum artists on the roster and in the catalog, Sony should cease all operations involving anything else.
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