Month: December 2009

Go Away With … Ivanka Trump

Jae-Ha Kim

Ivanka Trump could’ve coasted on her good looks and her father’s money, but that’s not her style. Armed with a degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, Trump, 28, may be more low-key than her famous father, Donald, but she may be just as driven. Besides being a vice president at her family’s real estate company, Trump has authored the new book The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life (Touchstone, $24.99). She also has a line of fine jewelry featured in her Ivanka Trump Collection.

Go Away With … Rob Thomas

Jae-Ha Kim

Born in West Germany on a U.S. military base, Rob Thomas was born to travel. The frontman for Matchbox Twenty, Thomas also collaborated with Carlos Santana (he was the voice of the hit single “Smooth”) and is currently finishing up a U.S. tour to promote his second solo album “Cradlesong.” After that he’ll head off to Australia in February to perform concerts there. “My first time out of the country was to Australia,” says Thomas, 37. “Every first trip is fun, but after you’ve visited a few times, you get the lay of the land down and find favorite spots. Each spot gets better every trip.”

“Kyle XY” — 3rd and final season

Jae-Ha Kim

Originally airing on ABC Family in 2009, the third season of “Kyle XY” begins with promise. Kyle (Matt Dallas) effortlessly goes into heroic mode when he has to rescue his girlfriend Amanda (Kristen Prout) from a covert organization. When he himself is endangered, he relies on his fellow lab-created “sister” Jessi XX (Jaimie Alexander) to come to his aid.

Go Away With…Paul Potts

Jae-Ha Kim

Before Susan Boyle made a name for herself on “Britain’s Got Talent,” there was Paul Potts. The former cell phone salesman and amateur opera singer won the first season of the talent show in 2007 and sparked both interest and controversy. Some naysayers said he was a working musician and should’ve been disqualified from the competition. In truth, Potts did have stage experience, but he had never received payment for his work. In other words, he hadn’t relinquished his amateur status.

Go Away With … Larry Harris

Jae-Ha Kim

For a good chunk of the ’70s, disco was synonymous with Casablanca Records, thanks to its roster of artists such as Donna Summer and the Village People. Label co-founder Larry Harris, 62, writes about the wild and crazy times in his book And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records (Backbeat, $24.99). Currently residing in Port Angeles, Wash., Harris talks about his love of New York and why he really wants to get to Italy.

Go Away With … Justin Guarini

Jae-Ha Kim

“I got the travel bug early,” Justin Guarini says. “Some Americans don’t like going outside of the U.S. Although that’s not my choice, I can understand it to a certain point. But with what’s going on with the rest of the world’s views on America, I do think that it’s imperative that Americans travel and try to understand other cultures if they can. Besides, it’s so much fun to get a glimpse of other parts of the world.”