‘Vanity’ being fair? The Miley Cyrus debate…

I told myself I wasn’t going to talk about this topic. BUT I am giving in because I simply cannot tolerate the fact that child stars, who are supposed to be role models for young children, are whoring themselves out on the internet. Role call:

Jamie-Lynn Spears, Zoey 101 on Nickelodeon (pregnant at 15)
Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical on Disney  (nude photos on internet, age 19)
Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana on Disney (provacative photos, age 15)

You might recognize these names from recent news, as these girls are young, wealthy, incredibly successful, and apparently devoid of one iota of common sense. They are kids, they are not adults.

What frustrates me beyond belief, is that these young girls somehow thought their actions were good ideas. Even if that mindset was shortlived, it existed.

But then I realized…can you blame them? This is a media-obsessed society that will create a tv show for a girl who has a sex tape (Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian) and in addition give her magazine covers and endorsements. Don’t believe me??? Paris Hilton has her own perfume line, shoe line, endorses Prosecco (Italian champagne), has her own night club, recorded an album, and has graced the cover of Elle, Vanity Fair, and Rollingstone Magazine. Kim Kardashian was on the cover of Playboy, co-hosted The View, is the face of Bongo jeans, and is dating star running back Reggie Bush.

So basically our society is telling young girls to be sexy- too sexy…to the point of exposing ALL of their business to the world because they will be endlessly rewarded with success.

Which brings me to the topic everyone is talking about- a semi-nude photo of Miley Cyrus in Vanity Fair, shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz. The photo features Cyrus, apparently topless, hugging a sheet across her chest, with tousled hair and little to no makeup. In my opinion, it’s a beautiful photograph that should have never been taken.

She’s fifteen! A fifteen year old has no business flirting with nudity in a magazine. This photo is far too sexual for someone of her age. She is minor, still three years away from legally becoming an adult…meaning that a representative adult (parent, manager, publicist) had to sign a waiver or contract to get this thing approved.

Here are my thoughts- your childhood and adolescence go by so quickly…why not enjoy them for what they are? Why attempt to push into something that a child might not be ready for? Have we not learned anything from watching the tragic down spiral of Britney Spears?

I just think that there are plenty of great ways to take a beautiful photo without taking your clothes off. It saddens me that a parent, agent, or publicist didn’t consider that before sending this magazine to press…

Blog Buddy

I’ve given my cousin Ben some press on my blog before- he himself is a blogger at http://www.bengarvey.com. He lives in New Jersey so I don’t get to see him often but this weekend was an exception as his brother (and my fellow cousin) Jake got married in Illinois (see fab photos in entry below).

Well Ben deserves yet another blog entry devoted to him, as he gave one of the greatest best man speeches I have ever heard. Let’s just say that it involved salmon, midwestern girls, and mating habits- I think that sums it up. He also tied in a very touching tribute regarding his father, and my uncle, the late Mark Garvey.

I appreciate people that have a way with words, especially those with the courage to get up in front of a roomful of people and talk from the heart. Not only did Ben do a great job, but I think Uncle Mark would have been exceptionally proud. The room was awash with emotion and excitement, and it’s rather difficult to give a speech that leaves people captivated by your story. In this case, Ben hit it out of the park.

Here’s a flippin sweet pic of Ben and I partying it up at the shindig:

Garvey Wedding…GarveyStrong with lots of love

 

Birthday girl + her little girl

For some reason, my blog was not cooperating with posting photos yesterday. I wanted to include one with Jen’s birthday blog so I’m just going to let it continue on into today. This is one of my favorite pictures…it’s the birthday girl and her little girl, Delaney, who is also my goddaughter. Yet another reason why I love Jen- she’s brought children into my life to spoil with the births of Aidan and Delaney. When my brother Ryan and Jen first got engaged, my sister and I became sooo excited thinking about the day to come in which they would have kids.

When that day finally arrived…my whole world changed…for the better.

C’mon now, raise the roof

Today is the birthday of my sister-in-law Jen. I won’t say how old she is (a lady never tells), but I will say that she looks amazing and has the biggest heart. A few key things to know about Jen:

-Her childhood dream was to be a dancer at Disneyworld
-She’s a helluva cook- specialties include cheese soup, cucumber sandwiches, and mustard chicken
-Phenomenal mom to two young kiddos
-Enjoys Elisabeth Spencer wine and Blue Moon beer on occasion
-Her grandfather was an actor featured on ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ (NO JOKE)

Happy Birthday to Jen! I love you!

My Flickr Photos…or Lack Thereof

Some people have asked me whether or not the Flickr photos streaming on the right hand side of this page were mine. And the answer is…absolutely not. I do have a Flickr account but I can’t seem to link up my photos into a stream. So until I have a technological breakthrough, I’m pretty much stuck with random photos that change everyday. This is actually quite humorous, especially when there are random pics of half-nude pregnant women or trampy teenagers with their midriff shirts.

We didn’t start the fire….

Awhile back, I noticed that old reruns of ‘Saved by the Bell’ air at 6a.m. (I think it’s on TBS or channel 6 or something odd). I was pretty stoked to find this out because that show was definitely a big part of my childhood/adolescence…and when you are up that early in the morning, it always helps to be stoked about something.

Alas, Saved by the Bell is not just a television show…it’s actually a deep rooted part of my history. I have dressed up as Jessie Spano for Halloween (everyon kept wanting me to renact the episode where she takes No-Doz pills to stay awake and study, and she keeps singing “I’m so excited!”). I passed Hayley Mills (who played Ms. Bliss) on the street in Chicago and almost had a heart attack (I also really loved her in the original Parent Trap movie, and obviously we share a name). And yes, my parents did have ‘Zach Morris’ style cell phones- originally the phones were like huge gray bricks and you carried it in a small black bag. AWESOME. But there is one story about Saved by the Bell that has been with me all of these years…

Back when I was in junior high school, I would do my homework and then watch some tv while waiting for my parents to come home (they both worked) so we could all have dinner together. So one night I get pretty hungry and decide to make something to eat that was tasty and simple- microwave popcorn! So I put the bag in the microwave, set the timer, and hopped back on the couch to enjoy an episode of Saved by the Bell (I’m pretty sure it was the one where Kelly Kapowski could not afford a prom dress because her dad lost his job).

Thirty minutes later, I stretch out my arms, yawn, and realize that I’m still hungry…because I haven’t eaten the popcorn. As I sit up on the couch, I gingerly stretch my head out to look into the kitchen… and see smoke pouring out of the microwave, and sparks going off INSIDE the microwave. And then the fire alarm started going off.

Being the genuis that I was at that age, I hit the Power Off button and opened the microwave door, only to nearly pass out from smoke inhalation. It was then that I realized that a bag of microwave popcorn takes 3 minutes and 30 seconds to cook, and I had accidentally set the microwave for 33 minutes. Naturally at that point, my brother decides to make an appearance and after yelling at me, begins to assist in fanning the smoke and fumes out the windows and doors. Meanwhile I’m trying to wonder just how long I can stave off my parents from getting home so I can fumegate the house and pool together my life savings (about $25 at the time) for a new microwave (considering the current one had a huge black-stained hole inside it).

Needless to say, my parents were pretty cool about the fact that I nearly burned the joint down. They had a good laugh and very seriously asked me to stop cooking completely going forward. We had to get a new microwave, but all was well and life went on.

On a side note, this weekend I will be attending a celebration to honor two people that light each other’s fire: my cousin Jake and his fiancee Holly will be getting married. They are great people who love animals, snowmobiling, and wine. I wish them tons of great adventures and hope that tomorrow is a magical day for both.

 

 

Ah Politics

True story. I was at a company dinner last night and the Managing Principal of my office (who is also a very successful broker), disclosed that he has never voted in his entire life (he is 46 years old). He was a political science major in college before switching to pre-law, upon which he attended and graduated from law school.

He told me that when he was in his 20s, he thought about registering to vote, but just didn’t do it because he was lazy. And then when he hit his 30s, he just figured, “Screw it. I’ve gone this long without voting…why start now?”

This is not the kicker. The KICKER is the fact that each year, he PRETENDS to vote! He talks about it to people, probably steals one of those “I voted today” stickers, and complains about having to go to his polling place. I could not stop laughing…especially given the fact that I jumped on my high horse in a previous blog about Hillary Clinton and how important voting is! Apparently there are people out there who would rather put forth the effot to PRETEND to vote, then to actually go out and do it. What is our world coming to people?!

“For seven and a half years I’ve worked alongside President Reagan. We’ve had triumphs. Made some mistakes. We’ve had some sex…uh…setbacks.” —George Bush, Sr.

Ravioli? Holy Cannoli!

I am feeling as giddy as a school girl to see that my blog received over 80 hits today- that’s unbelievable and I am in total shock! I am literally sitting here, typing out words, with a big, silly grin on my face. That means that over eighty people decided to hop on a computer and see what this little blog is all about…and that’s really, really cool and very humbling. Prior to today, I think the highest number of hits I received in a day was around 40 (which to me is REALLY impressive so imagine how I’m feeling RIGHT NOW!!!). I feel especially thrilled since I recently asked my sister Erin what she thought of my blog regarding the cat kimono and she matter-of-factly replied “Idiotic” (not exactly the reaction I was hoping for).

I really love writing and it’s been so enjoyable being able to share my life with all of you on this blog. I know that many of you may not agree with what I have to say or how I choose to say it, but it’s my hope that maybe you learn a few things about what is going on in my life and have a few laughs every now and then.

In honor of my happ, happ, happiest feelings (since Bing Crosby tap danced with Danny ‘F-in’ Kay), I’m posting some photos that make me smile.

Peace!

Clinton wins Penn, I’m going to Disneyworld…er, Otom

 The votes have been tallied…and Hillary Clinton has claimed Pennsylvania! I’m a Hillary fan (my dad is groaning right about now) and was pretty excited to hear this. MORE imporantly, I’m just generally excited about the election this year- for ALL candidates and voters. There are some amazing things happening in politics right now (women! diversity! united thoughts!) and it’s very cool to think that one day I will tell my future kids about the presidential race that changed history….that I got to be a part of.

I hope you are registered to vote- it is one of the most important things an American citizen can do. When I was a single gal, the voting issue was a big deal to me- I would not date someone who wasn’t a registered/active voter. No joke!!! I just could not relate to a person who didn’t want to have a say in what goes on in their own country. I was raised to really respect what voting stood for. When I turned 18, my parents sat me down and explained just how important it is to pay attention to what is going on in the world, and to use my voice to play a role in shaping this country.  This is why to this day, no matter where he is in the world, my dad will always pick up a newspaper every single morning to read about what is going on. It’s also the reason why every morning and every evening, I watch the news (I prefer NBC). And I read everything- books, magazines, newspapers, etc. I really believe that knowledge is power.

There are so many issues at hand with this election- health care, a war, social security, the environment, etc. Regardless of who you are voting for, I encourage you to simply VOTE. I think a lot of people shy away from voting because it can be a bit intimidating. I’ll admit it- I don’t know everything that’s going on right now. I couldn’t discuss all the topics that have been debated and argued on CNN or MSNBC. But there are some things that have stood out and resonated with me- and I’m going to keep those things in mind when I vote, and hope that I can keep learning more and more about the things going on in this country.

In celebration of Hill’s big victory, I am going to Otom this evening. Well, I’m not really going to dinner there because of her…I’m going with the staff members of my office to honor the great things that have been going on here at Newmark.

Stay informed and have a brilliant day…Spring is here!

-KQH

A moment frozen in time: my first comment EVER

A big shout-out to my cousin Ben Garvey who posted the very first comment ever on my blog. In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, “Flippin sweet!” Ben is a talented musician, log carver, producer of Cutie Theater, and blogger. Just click on his name to find out!

And just because people like to look at adorable babies, below is a pretty awesome photo of Ben and his daughter, little Miss Sasha. 

P.S. Erin, this means that I’m putting you on BLAST! Just kidding, I don’t even really know what that means, actually.

Domo Arigato

Just a little something to wet your whistle…it’s a CAT in a freakin’ kimono! Seriously, some cat owner went out shopping one day with a to-do list that included milk, eggs, fabric softener, and CAT KIMONO. The cat looks so pensive and somber…just like a person wearing a kimono would.

This image came from a pretty intense website called The Cat House. Hilarious stuff people.

Busy Day

I am mad crazy in love with books. Books!!! When I was in grade school, and bed time would roll around (this was about 8p.m.), I would pull out my pink book light, and read books late into the night. My mom would catch me from time to time and yell out “Kelly Quinn, go to bed!”

To which I would defiantly reply, “But Mo-om!!! I’m reading! I bet tons of parents just WISH that they could yell at their kids for reading too much!”

Yes, I was a real rebel back then.

Fast forward to a high school graduation with honors, two B.A.’s from the University of Iowa in four years, an undergraduate teaching position with the department chair, and a job at the largest independently held commercial real estate firm in the world. Hmmm…something tells me that reading late into the night wasn’t so bad for me after all.

I’ve gotten off track and slighly vain- sorry. My point is this: I love to read and to share my love of books with others. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

“Dress your family in courduroy and denim” by David Sedaris (hilarious)
“Me talk pretty one day” by David Sedaris (ridiculously hilarious)
“Naked” by David Sedaris (so freakin’ ridiculously hilarious)
“How to lose friends and alienate people” by Toby Young (I giggled wondering what people thought when they saw me reading this book)
“Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain (I will never again order eggs benedict)
“Dirt” the memoir of Motley Crue (Fitz STILL has my copy)
“The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold (a tearjerker)
“Lucky” by Alice Sebold (even more tears with this one)
“Smashed” by Koren Zailckas (frightening)
“He’s just not that into you” by Greg Beherendt (funny and insightful)
“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein (my childhood fave)
“Romeo & Juliet” by William Shakespeare (a beautiful, tragic love story)
“The Firm” by John Grisham (I love suspense- can easily recommend 40 other Grisham books)
“Murder in Brentwood” by Mark Furhman (I am a huge forensics nerd and love true crime stories)
“Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff (true story about a father who’s son is addicted to methamphetamines)
“It’s not about the bike” by Lance Armstrong (inspiring)
“Ultra Marathon Man” by Dean Karnazes (makes you want to run and run and run some more!)
“She’s come undone” by Wally Lamb (touching)
“Wins, Losses, and Lessons” by Lou Holtz (just brilliant)

I could list about 900 more. As I’m sure you can tell, I read a myriad of different books. I typically stick to nonfiction, as I have always believed that everyone has a story to share with the world, but occasionally I will venture out. I am currently reading about five different books- a financial book by Suze Orman (from my mom), Eat/Pray/Love (an Oprah book club pick that I loaned out), Memoirs of a Geisha, a true crime book about the murder case of JonBenet Ramsey, and Tweak (the brother book to “Beautiful Boy”).

So why did I pick today to discuss my love of literature and words?! Because today was a busy day! I am laughing like a school girl right now because growing up, my little sister had a book called “Busy Day,” in which cats were dressed up as peasants and had to do a bunch of weird chores like dishes, sweeping, laundry on a washboard, etc. Now that I think of it, any chore is weird for a cat. But I LOVE animals in people clothes. I could laugh all day about it. So I did a google search to see if I could find “Busy Day” and low and behold…

Touch football anyone?!

One of my favorite shows is Top Chef on the Bravo network. It’s sort of like Survivor only with a lot of talented chefs who get to drink alcohol before, during, and after their cooking challenges. It’s AMAZING! Anyway, the host of the show is a model/’cookbook writer’ by the name of Padma Lakshmi. She wears a lot of cocktail dresses, talks in a sultry voice, and tries to appear really insightful in every episode. Tom Colicchio, the head judge of the show, is an esteemed chef, winner of James Beard awards, and owner of the Craft restaurant franchise. Chef Tom is awesome.

Last April, Fitz and I were in New York and he had the idea to go to Craft for dinner. I am a HUGE Tom Colicchio fan from watching the past three seasons of Top Chef, so naturally I was down with the suggestion. When we showed up for dinner, the host mentioned that Chef Tom was likely upstairs in his office of the restaurant. Fitz, being the good hearted boyfriend that he is, told the hostess that if it was possible, his girlfriend would go crazy if Chef Tom was able to stop by our table.

After about ten minutes, the hostess came over to our table to let us know that Chef Tom was actually filming the season finale to Top Chef Season 3 in Miami. Such a bummer that we missed him! Yet, imagine how excited I was to hear that Top Chef was going to be filming Season 4 in Chicago!

So fast forward…last night Fitz and I were watching an episode of Top Chef Chicago that he had DVR’d. The challenge was to prepare delicious tailgate food for a Bears game. As the episode went to commercial, something peculiar flashed up on the screen. I didn’t catch it at first, but Fitz did!

Earthquake got me all shook up

Well, not really. But you have to admit that it’s a pretty catchy headline. I actually slept like a little lamb last night, but I did wake up a few times only to quickly fall back asleep, never once noticing what time it was (the quake apparently struck at 4:30a.m.). If it’s the quake that woke me, I don’t recall feeling it.
Reportedly, the quake registered at 5.2. I looked this up and apparently that indicates slight to moderate damage in well built structures. Good to know.

Seems like all of us Chicagoans snuck through this event unscathed. Above is  photo from this morning’s Chicago Tribune. Since I’m not one to take what is not mine, it is an AP photo taken by Daniel R. Patmore, 4/18/08. Below is a tribute to The King, who got many people all shook up.

-KQH