Year: 2010

Go Away With … Joe Manganiello

Jae-Ha Kim

While “Twilight” fans may refer to themselves as Team Edward or Team Jacob, “True Blood” aficionados are all about the new werewolf in town: Alcide Herveaux. Joe Manganiello plays the sexy lycanthrope in the third season of the vampire series, which airs on HBO. (The first two seasons of the drama are available on DVD on HBO Home Video.) Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, the 33-year-old actor who once earned a living as a roadie for the rock band Goldfinger now calls Los Angeles home. As for his next destination, Europe, where he has never visited, is calling him.

“My Boys” — The Complete Second and Third Seasons

Jae-Ha Kim

The second and third seasons of My Boys find Chicago sports columnist P.J. Franklin (Jordana Spiro) exploring a few relationships. But the show’s title doesn’t refer to her suitors, but rather her best friends, who–save for one woman–happen to all be men (who sometimes think like boys).

Go Away With … Keith Johnson

Jae-Ha Kim

You’d think Keith Johnson — who spent his early years traveling around Europe with his art dealer father — would want to spend all his free time exploring boutiques and museums. “No,” says the 53-year-old star of “Man Shops Globe.” “I surprisingly am not a big shopper or museumgoer. New York fills my need for constant visual stimulation. I love the variety of sights and sounds. It also reminds me how big the world is and how I need to get out and see it.”

Go Away With … Venus Williams

Jae-Ha Kim

Venus Williams isn’t content with a slew of tennis trophies. She also is an entrepreneur and author. In her recently published book “Come to Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession,” Williams interviews powerhouses such as Bill Clinton, Vera Wang and Denzel Washington and asks them to discuss how their background in sports helped them excel in their chosen professions.

My Own Private India

Jae-Ha Kim

Joel Stein writes: Unlike some of my friends in the 1980s, I liked a lot of things about the way my town changed: far better restaurants, friends dorky enough to play Dungeons & Dragons with me, restaurant owners who didn’t card us because all white people look old. But sometime after I left, the town became a maze of charmless Indian strip malls and housing developments. Whenever I go back, I feel what people in Arizona talk about: a sense of loss and anomie and disbelief that anyone can eat food that spicy.

Go Away With … Justin Bieber

Jae-Ha Kim

It’s not easy to travel incognito when every tween and teenage girl in the world knows what you look like. But Justin Bieber gave it a good shot during a recent trip to the Bahamas. When the 16-year-old pop star wanted to try out the waterslides at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island, he wrapped a beach towel over his trademark mane of floppy blond hair.

“Mad About You” — The Complete Fourth Season

Jae-Ha Kim

In the fourth season of Mad About You, which originally aired on NBC during 1995-1996, Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) Buchman deal with issues that could potentially break up their marriage. As they start planning a family, they are faced with infertility. When both decide to shake up their careers, one of them loses their job. And then there is the possibility of infidelity, when both Jamie and Paul are tempted outside of marriage.

Go Away With … Zander Eckhouse

Jae-Ha Kim

By Jae-Ha Kim Tribune Media Services June 22, 2010 A recent film school graduate, Zander Eckhouse gets to show off his talent and biceps in the ABC Family series “Huge,” which premiers on June 28. […]

Go Away With … Zade

Jae-Ha Kim

After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, Jordanian pianist Zade Dirani — who is known simply as Zade — began a grassroots effort to let the world know that what the hijackers did was not representative of his people or religion. His four-year tour included performances in synagogues, churches, community centers and homes, as well as the more traditional concert venues.

Go Away With … Jordin Sparks

Jae-Ha Kim

Though Jordin Spark’s tours have taken her to many destinations, the young singer has a long list of places she’d still like to visit. And she plans on taking her dog with her, if at all possible.

Go Away With … Monica Pedersen

Jae-Ha Kim

HGTV designer Monica Pedersen can be seen regularly on programs such as “Bang for Your Buck,” where she shows homeowners how to maximize their living space and beautify their homes. A well-seasoned traveler, Pedersen — who resides in the Midwest — sees the potential in taking trips to Wisconsin, as well as heading overseas for a longer family vacation.

Go Away With … Neil Sedaka

Jae-Ha Kim

Music legend Neil Sedaka is back on the road performing concerts to promote his latest album, “Music of My Life.” Based out of New York and Los Angeles, the 71-year-old singer-songwriter loves to travel, whether it’s a family vacation to Hawaii or a staycation in his beloved Big Apple. Next on his list of places he’d like to visit? “It seems I’ve been everywhere, but I’ve never been to Eastern Europe,” Sedaka says. “(I’d like to travel to) Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania one day.”

Go Away With … Aaron Zigman

Jae-Ha Kim

Aaron Zigman’s music isn’t as flashy as the designer wardrobe that Sarah Jessica Parker wears in “Sex and the City 2” — opening in theaters on May 27. But his score does set the tone for the film, whether Carrie and her girls are in New York City or gallivanting around the world. Based out of Los Angeles, the 47-year-old composer (whose previous work includes “The Notebook” and “The Proposal”) talks about his own love of traveling, whether it’s to Paris or Charleston, S.C.

“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”: Season Five

Jae-Ha Kim

The fifth season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent marks the appearance of Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth). Noth originated the role in the 1990 premiere of Law & Order–the series that spawned the popular franchise. This time he’s partnered with no-nonsense detective Carolyn Barek (Anabella Sciorra). The pair are in the same unit as Detectives Robert Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) and Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe).

Go Away With … Paul Feig

Jae-Ha Kim

Director and author Paul Feig may be the one American who vacations in suits. “My wife and I just love to travel,” says the 47-year-old Los Angeles resident. “We go to Europe quite a bit. I think most of the photos have me in suits. OK, maybe not most of them, but I do like to wear suits a lot. I guess I’m a throwback to the days when people dressed up to travel.” Best known for creating “Freaks and Geeks,” Feig also co-executive produced “The Office,” directed episodes of “Nurse Jackie” and acted in films such as “Knocked Up.”

Go Away With … James Dyson

Jae-Ha Kim

Sir James Dyson put his engineering and art background to good use with his Dyson vacuum cleaners, which are so sleek that they have been on display at museums, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Born in Norfolk, England, the 63-year-old inventor still enjoys working on new designs. The company’s Airblade (a fast hand dryer) is popular, as is the Air Multiplier bladeless fan. Dyson talks about his love of vacationing with family in England and France.

Go Away With … John Grogan

Jae-Ha Kim

When John Grogan wrote Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog, he knew he had written a good book. But he didn’t realize he had written a book that would become a phenomenon. The tale of Grogan’s naughty, but lovable dog, not only has spawned a movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, but also a series of children’s books starring the irrepressible Labrador Retriever.

Go Away With … Widespread Panic’s John Bell

Jae-Ha Kim

Rock musician John Bell resides in the north Georgia mountains — equidistant from Athens and Atlanta. As the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Widespread Panic, Bell spends much of his time on the road — the band is currently on tour to promote its 11th studio album “Dirty Side Down,” which will be in stores May 25. But he’s not complaining.

“The Real Housewives of New Jersey” — Season One

Jae-Ha Kim

The conceit of Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise is to showcase women who make the fictional characters on ABC’s Desperate Housewives seem like amateurs. And in that sense, The Real Housewives of New Jersey is successful. The women certainly are colorful, but as interesting? No. Still, it’s easy to see why this series is popular. The women are pretty enough, plenty catty, and some are even downright diabolical. They’re kind of what Heidi from The Hills might grow up to become 10 or 15 years down the line.