I Love the 80's: Vote for Kendallina's Ringtone!

Alright so I have a confession. Those of you who know me well (or at least during the period of 2003-2007 in Baton Rouge, LA) know that I have an unhealthy obsession with 80s music. In fact my friend Anna and might have seen our favorite 80s cover band The Molly Ringwalds well over 20 times in the period of my 4 years in undergrad.

Yes, I was a groupie of a cover band.

Anna, me, and our equally 80's enthused friend Jacob jamming out to The Molly Ringwalds circa 2007... as you can tell... we are intense

This is how sick my obsession is. 80's for some reason just brings me to another plane of existence. Nothing puts me in a good mood faster than a little 80s. My obsession goes as far as I plan on having an 80s cover band at my wedding reception (heaven forbid I ever get married of course). DJ's suck. There will be no YMCA or Celebrate Good Times Come On!! Every time I hear YMCA at a social function and see all the fat 50 somethings throw their hands up in letter formation I want to stab myself in the face with a fork. 

Sweet Jesus kill me now

No, for me there will only be The Cars, Mr. Big, and Journey... And of course they will open with a traditional White Wedding by Billy Idol. 

Nothing says "Nuptual Bliss" like a studded leather codpiece right Billy?

But alas.... I digress...

As I sit here in the Philadelphia airport for me 3 1/2 hour (kill me) layover, I BBM (Blackberry Messenger for all you children with iPhones or people stuck in the stone age with flip phones) with my friend Meghan. My old ringtone "Take Me Home Tonight" just came on the radio and alas she thought of me. Recently I upgraded from my Blackberry Curve to the Bold and sadly Eddie Money did not make the data transfer. So I realized I probably need to get a new ringtone because heaven forbid I be one of those lame people with a stock ringtone. How gauche. 

Of course it was a no brainer that the tune would be a song released from 1980-89, but so many to choose from.... how would I ever decide? I'm firmly against the cliche 80's tunes that play intermittently between crotch grinding rap songs at frat bars. Example: Jenny (867-5309) - Tommy Tutone, Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield, Don't Stop Believing - Journey, Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Lepppard, Livin on a Prayer - Bon Jovi, etc. Although I still will take any of these over hearing Taylor Swift's annoying Romeo and Juliet song again ... my ring tone is special. It must reflect my 80's dedication with a little creativity and panache.

Here is where you, dear readers, come in. I have narrowed it down to the top 5 contenders... but
 YOU WILL MAKE THE FINAL DECISION. 
 I'm going to let you VOTE for which one you think I should make my theme song for the next year or so. Those of you without serious 80's knowledge might not be immediately familiar with all the choices ... so feel free to peruse the YouTube links I provided to make an educated choice. 

These are the 4 I think are catchy, pretty recognizable in that "oh I love this song! what is it again?" way, and aren't over saturated in commercial culture to the point I can hear it every time my phone rings and I won't get so sick of it I throw my Blackberry across the room after a week. 

THE CONTENDERS:

ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE - Scorpions 

HAZY SHADE OF WINTER - The Bangles

ALONE - Heart

HEAT OF THE MOMENT - ASIA 

NOW VOTE!! 

If you feel really really adamantly about a song that you think is so "me" or that you reeeeallly love that isn't on this list, you can leave it as a comment to this post and I will take it under consideration. But please do a regular vote as well as I will probably vehemently disagree with your opinion for some asinine reason. 

So will you step up to the challenge and help decide my cellular fate? I know you want to. 

Vote!!! 

Celebrating La Festa della Donna (International Women's Day): My personal female role models

So as most of you who know me know, I come from Italian heritage. In Italy they have a wonderful holiday celebrated today, March 8, called the Festa della Donna. It is essentially a day where all men (and women) celebrate the wonderful women in their lives (Moms, Wives, Girlfriends, Sisters, Aunts, Friends, etc.). In fact this "International Women's Day" is celebrated as an official holiday in over 30 countries ...... yet for some reason never really caught on in America. This is annoying. I could rant about why America doesn't celebrate it ... going on quoting some Puritanical and sexist B.S. reasons .... but rather I would like to take this post to celebrate the International holiday despite the origin of my Passport. Here are the women that I most admire and look up to in my life:

MY MOM

Me with my mom after one of my operas (hence the amazing wig and heavy tranny makeup)

My mother puts up with me. That should be enough to earn her numero uno on this list. She supports me in my crazy and sometimes tumultuous adventures pursuing my dreams, and has encouraged me to be the best I can be since I read my first word at age 3. In addition she is extremely accomplished woman herself working her way through three degrees, owning her own Chiropractic practice, holding the position as the President of the State Board of Chiropractic of Texas, all the while raising me and my sister. Even at a young age she was accomplished as an intense athlete making the US Olympic Team Finals in swimming and fighting to pass Title 9 in order to ensure Women's Sports go as much funding as Men's in Universities. Today she shares her medical knowledge with others as a teacher as an instructor at the Dallas Nursing Institute. Pretty great lady eh? :)

CAROL VANESS

Carol singing Tosca with tenor Luciano Pavarotti

My voice teacher at Indiana University, the internationally renowned soprano Carol Vaness. She worked her butt off from an early age to achieve some of the greatest success one can ever hope for in an operatic career, singing at every major opera house in the world. Best known for her Mozart roles, where still not many today can touch her interpretations (Finally someone singing Mozart with BALLS! See her Donna Elivra or Anna). She later moved on to become one of the greatest Tosca's of her generation (Watch). Pavarotti himself requested that she star along side him at his final performance at the Metropolitan Opera. This lady is amazingly accomplished and is a wonderful teacher and friend, always encouraging me (and all of her students) along the hard road of singing.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY

On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand chose, Elle passent en un instant comme fanent les roses. On me dit que le temp qui glisse est un salaud que de nos chagrins il s'en fait des manteaux pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit... Que tu m'aimais encore, Serais ce possible alors?

(English: I'm told that our lives aren't worth much, They pass like an instant, like wilting roses. I'm told that time slipping by is a bastard, making its coat of our sorrows. Yet someone told me... That you still loved me, Could that be possible?)

A modern woman who truly has done it all. In her early years, she became highly educated excelling in archetechture and speaking three languages. She harnessed her beauty and started a modeling career excelling to be known as one of the "supermodels" of the 90s. Then moving on to channel her musical roots (the daughter of a concert pianist and classical composer) she transitioned to music. With her breathy and emotive songs (Listen: Quelqu'un m'a dit) she became one of Europe's most celebrated singer/songwriters. Now married to the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, she slipped into her role as First Lady of France with infinite grace. Always impeccably classy in manor and dress and extremely dedicated to doing good in the world with philanthropy work. She tackles issues such as illiteracy, AIDS, supporting the arts, and a unique program that creates $100 laptops to bring technology and learning to children all over the world. She truely embodies the saying "Behind every great man .... is a great woman."

JOYCE DIDONATO

One of the best lyric mezzo sopranos of all time, and in my opinion the best alive today. Her coloratura (for all you non-opera readers: all those really fast notes in a row) is second to none. She worked hard to get where she is today, fighting the political B.S. of the opera world and many discouragers early on along the way. Now she is not only one of the most famous and accoladed opera singers performing today, from what I hear she is by far one of the most gracious and friendly singers around. I look to her artistry daily as inspiration to remind me of why I pursue this crazy profession. Watch her amazing rendition of Rossini's Non Piu Mesta (fast forward to 5:35 if you wanna be blown away). You can read her adventures in singing on her Blog.

AUDREY HEPBURN

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

Audrey will forever define feminine glamour, dignity and grace. Not only was she an actress that touched us all with her work in such films such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, Roman Holiday and My Fair Lady, but after her acting career ended in the mid 1960s, she devoted the remaining period of her life to humanitarian work with UNICEF. She was a woman who embodied what it is to be a truly classy lady. I wish some of today's starlets would follow her example more.

MOTHER TERESA

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

Devoting her life to the service of the poor and dispossessed Mother Teresa became a global icon for selfless service to others. Through her missionary of Charities organisation she personally cared for 1000s of sick and dying people in Calcutta. She was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1979. Her compassion should inspire us all to try our best to be better people.

KATHARINE HEPBURN

"I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be the inferior sex."

An iconic figure of twentieth Century film Katharine Hepburn won 4 Oscars and received over 12 Oscar nominations. Her lifestyle was unconventional for the time and through her acting and life she helped redefine traditional views of women’s role in society. Her movies usually depicted her as a take charge kind of woman that took no guff from anyone, not even her love interests in a time. This during a period where most females on screen were just decorated "damsels in distress" waiting for a man to save and complete them or even worse... arm candy. Every man she was paired with was held accountable for their actions whether they betrayed her legally and emotionally. And she lead her real life very similarly to the characters she portrayed ... a woman who although was beautiful, was strong, independent, and who needed no help from any man to get where she wanted to go.

COCO CHANEL

“Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.”

One of the most innovative fashion designers Coco Chanel was instrumental in defining feminine style and dress during the 20th Century. Her ideas were revolutionary; in particular she often took traditionally male clothes and redesigned them for the benefit of women. Listed by TIME magazine as one of the top 100 influential people of twentieth Century, she redefined lady-like style forever in a time when fashion was a Boys Club.

ELIZABETH I, QUEEN OF ENGLAND

"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too. "

Queen of England during a time of great economic and social change, she saw England cemented as a Protestant country. During her reign she witnessed the defeat of the Spanish Armada leaving Britain to later become one of the world’s dominant superpowers. Never marrying to let a "King" take the credit, she became perhaps one of the first 'true feminists' and will forever be remembered as one of, if not the, most important monarch England ever had. If you want to learn more about Elizabeth's story I suggest the Cate Blanchett's tour de force in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Kendallina's LIVE 2010 Oscar Commentary

**(Correlates with Oscar Drinking Game of previous post)

7:46 – Ten bucks says Woody Harrilson really IS high.

7:48 – CGI – check, James Cameron – check, Stifling Gabourey Sidibe fat joke- check, Pretending to go off telepromter – check, Meryl Streep joke – check, Random cut to George Clooney – check check check, Steve Marin and Alec Baldwin make a joke about their movie It’s Complicated – check.

If you were playing my Drinking Game you would already be drunk just from this Intro.

7:49 – George Clooney has got to be in on this

7:50 – “I was so happy to see Penelope Slut Cruz in clothes” – Stephen H. Hacket via facebook chat

7:52 – Chrisoph Waltz was evil in FOUR languages. Duh shoe-in. HE SAID UBERBINGO!!!!!! Get it? Get it? It’s cause hes Austrian…. You know “UBER”…. GET IT???? Oh Crazy German guy. Austrian, German, whatever … this is ‘Mericuh, they might as well be the same thing.

8:01 – Steve Carell and Cameron Diaz presenting: Someone pretends to go off Telepromperter – DRINK

8:06 - Miley Cyrus … you are 17 … it is illegal for us to be looking at your boobs.

8:10 – REALLY annoyed that “Take It All” from NINE didn’t win. Stupid Crazy Heart country bumpkin crap is not as good. Marion Cotillard ruins me when I hear that song. It's every woman who gives and gives and the men who are oblivious to what they had until till it's too late.

You watch and tell me this isn't amazing.

8:27 – THE BREAKFAST CLUB REUNITED!!! I know this is a memorial … but where is the Dance Montage?? Lame lame lame lame.

8:40 - HA!! WHO IS THIS JEWISH WOMAN WHO JUST BUST IN?? Wow. She totally took the African Singing Documentary dude’s Oscar speech moment. He’s not even trying to hide the fact that he is piiiiiiiiissed. There is totally gunna be a catfight backstage. I wish anyone cared who they were so TMZ would youtube that shit.

8:43 – Ben Stiller dressed up as Avatar – Drink. Yes Ben Stiller, this was a better idea in rehearsal.

8:54 – Best Screenplay trailers ….. I zoned out because it was boring. I only tuned back in to see Precious chick run off with a big bucket of chicken……. Am I a bad person because I’m trying not to laugh…… ? Could they pick ANY other scene besides fat girl running away with a giant bucket of chicken? Seriously?

8:55 - Stifling Gabourey Sidibe fat joke – Drink.

8:56 – Writer of Precious Screenplay – Crying during speech …. Drink.

8:57 – A non-white person wins an award and we cut to a shot of someone in the audience who has no connection to the winner except being of the same race …….. Thanks MORGAN FREEMAN. …….. DRINK

9:04 – Mo’Nique wins Best Supporting Actress … shock! No one really knows what she's talking about ... but she saying it with conviction .... so .. sure.

9:06 - A non-white person wins an award and we cut to a shot of someone in the audience who has no connection to the winner except being of the same race ……. This one goes to Samuel L. Jackson …… ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I’VE HAD IT WITH THESE MOTHERFUCKIN SNAKES ON THIS MOTHERFUCKIN PLANE!

9:11 – I think I saw Signourey Weaver’s dress on the sale rack at Dillards.

9:14 – Did Steve Martin just call Sarah Jessica Parker a whore?

9:15 – Dear SJP, Brush your hair and get a new dress. Love, Kendallina

9:17 – Charleze Theron …. Did you use the Madonna Cone Bra as an inspiration for your dress?

9:29 – Morgan Freeman is narrating the Sound Editing Montage … no one cares. But really, why DOES Morgan Freeman narrate everything? He should release The Bible as a book on tape … he’d make bank.

9:31 – The sound editing thing is still going on and I’m still bored so I Googled to see if Morgan Freeman had indeed narrated The Bible. And low and behold: Rabbit Ears Bible Stories: Volume Four: Parables that Jesus Told, The Savior is Born is narrated by Morgan Freeman and Garrison Keillor.

9:33 – The Sound Editing guy won again for Hurt Locker too? Two in a row? Still bored. Anyone else think he looks like a creepy Swedish Child Molester?

9:40 – Sandra Bullock in gold shiny dress….. (Subliminal message: PICK ME PICK ME PICK ME!)

10:12 - What's going on? Can we have a real award yet? I'm falling asleep. Where are the hosts ... can we get a joke or something?

10:23 - I think the Argentinean Director said something about Chile in Spanish? Drink?

10:37 - Jeff Bridge - Best Actor .... duh. .. yawn. They practically gave him a Lifetime Achievement award in his intro speech.

10:39 - Count that Jeff Bridges said "Man" in his speech: 3 .... He really is "The Dude".

10:41 - 4

10:50 - Hm. Oprah and Gabourey Sidibe are wearing the same color dress. I am really trying to not make a mean joke about an Oprah Diet: Before and After ... Ok that's just mean... but this shit is dragging on... now I'm just getting fiesty

10:53 - Sandy won Best Actress.... oh thank goodness... or she would feel REALLY stupid for wearing that dress.

10:56 - She's crying .... Drink.

10:58 - BABS!! The communal shriek of Old Jewish women and Gays everywhere just echoed around the world.

11:00 - Kathryn Bigelow won for Hurt Locker!! Yeah Girl Power!

11:03 - She dedicated it to Iraq soldiers .... Drink.

11:04 - HURT LOCKER won BEST PICTURE! HA! I totally called it. Splitting it with Avatar my ass. Take that James Cameron and your Avatarded 3-D Blue Smurfs on Acid and your thinly veiled political message.... Hey, you are rich as all hell and you still got Titanic ... get over it.

11:05 - I would like to point out ALL of my predictions were right. I should start betting in pools and make some money off my impeccable taste.

11:08 - Oh thank god its over. See ya next year. Well... actually I hope not... maybe I'll have a life by then.

Your 2010 Yearly Horoscope Forecast

So as I was flipping through the latest issue of F!D Luxe (The Dallas Morning News monthly fashion magazine insert), there was a fun section on everyones 2010 Yearly Forecast Horoscope. Each sign had the forecast and it corresponded with fun fashion and home stuff that correlated with that signs characteristics. Very cute spread.

Although most of us take our horoscopes with a grain of salt (although from what I've read I am the most stereotypical Cancer on the planet), it's always fun to read what the cosmos predict the year has in store for you.

I know the print is small - so click on the picture and it will blow it up for you in another tab.