"Do I go for the guy without the shirt or the guy with the lipstick? What does my gut tell me? The one who doesn't fret for lack of clothes or the one with the lighted vanity who lives with a family of salon stylists? What would Liza Minnelli do?" - Mark Ramsey on New Moon, Movie Juice.com

Am I blogging?  Yes I'm blogging!  Because I know how much all you dedicated fans and followers out there missed me.  This week I will, yes I know an anomaly (no I did NOT look up how to spell that... well, right at this moment anyway) be stealing Anna's topic.  Well for the first half of this blog anyway.  I understand internet safety.  I mean if you have a name like mine you probably shouldn't give it out over the internet along with your tiny (incredibly over populated) state.  But, hey.  Italians are those whom overpopulate this state (as well as the Jews, both the cause of our fabulous delis) so maybe I can give away my first name.  Or maybe Violetta isn't even my name!  Regardless.  This is going to get off topic anyway.  So why don't I just bluntly break it off right now.  Mmm... deli.  OKAY.   Won't go down that road now.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  You know what, won't go down that road either.  I've decided to host an Italian feast every Thanksgiving to rebel against the Americans!  Columbus WAS Italian, so it does actually hold some sense.  Lasagna instead of turkey now that's nice progress if I would... you know what.  Let's talk about my next topic.

I watched (yes, I am pathetic and lack a life)  An Affair to Remember (I did cry, Cary Grant is the pinnacle of every woman's fantasy. Well, just killer-classy), Hollywood Hotel (just, happy), and To Catch a Theif (again, Cary Grant.  And Grace Kelly.)  They were all three incredible classics.  I would without a shadow of a doubt recommend them all.

Movies is the next subject.  What else?  Did you expect ME to make progress. Your all dying, I'm sure *ha. Sarcasm*, to read about New Moon.  The quote of this post, mixing it up with a critic.  I love that quote.  That quote perfectly defines the conflict of New Moon and Eclipse. I haven't seen it, and refuse to donate my scarce funds to assist employ Kristen Stewart and her unbearable acting.  Yes Taylor Lautner, too. Robert Pattinson, I hate his personality he is a conceited bastard who thinks himself modest making me hate him more, but his acting is not half that bad.  Not the next Cary Grant or even Johnny Depp (who is either?) but I can sit through a scene of his.  I might see it when it comes out on DVD, but I'll throw popcorn at it likely damaging my lovely 1985 TV (yes, I swear 1985 or earlier).  Though, I am dying to see "An Education"  I'm going to see it as well as "The Boat that Rocked" (Pirate Radio), again.  An Education got like 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and from my observation they have the tendency to be slight harsh.  I can't believe Old Dogs managed to secure only 6%.  I haven't seen it, but you think Robin Williams and John Travolta would save it from being a complete disaster.  Very few movies I've seen have received clear F's. 

Well, on another note.  As much as Pirate Radio exploited women (like most all modern movies), it was still an incredibly hilarious well acted British phenomenon, in my mind.  I am in love with British humor, and the British themselves for that matter, and then you throw in Phillip Seymour Hoffman and I'm sold.  I love him so much.  But definitely get to the theaters to see this one.  If you hate the plot close your eyes and listen to the music.  Oh god the music.  Is. So. Amazing.  An Education just looks really good and, again, British, and witty and every review I read said Carey Mulligan was without a doubt a find and her acting ability proves she may be the new Kate Winslet. (No one can really be that amazing, but we'll see)

No I have not seen Where the Wild Things Are.  Cut me some slack here.  Is it even still in theaters?

Okay.  I'm done.  An Education will be the topic of my next blog, I've become more of a movie review columnist on Anna's blog now haven't I?  Maybe just some dork who values parentheses and italics much too much.

Toodle-loo.  (No?  Too much?)

Ti amo e Ciao,

Violetta

INTERNET STALKING (Not another "Importance of Internet Safety" speech)

What? Vivi didn't give me a topic to steal? I have to think of something to talk about on my own? Unheard of!
Kay, so the last post was kind of. . . sad. And in order to prove my love for you (and lack of love for blogs demonstrated in the previous post), I will deviate from the "this-is-my-opinion-and-if-you-don't-agree-with-it-I-will-kill-you-because-anything-different-from-my-opinion-is-awful-and-sacrilegious" path. I will also resist the urge to go "Ummm, I don't really know what to write about. . . so. . . .  yeah. . . *precedes to talk about everything around them in an ADD manner*. . ." I am making an effort to make this interesting! Hmmm. Okay, for starters, I'm getting off Facebook so that I can focus fully on not having a life. . . . OH! That gave me an idea! Today's blog is about (drum roll please!). . . . INTERNET STALKERS! Yay! Or. . . . not. . . .
Alright, so I kind of have some personal experience with this. Every day on Facebook I get about six friend requests from guys like "Muhammed" or "Farid", or some other intimidating middle-eastern dude with no mutual friends that would stick me in a burka and marry me because he thought my profile picture was cute-ish. (I prefer to embrace my political incorrectness, so please do not take offense.) But really, would you WANT to marry a girl that was stupid enough to friend a *much* older man despite his possible questionable motives? (Oooh, big words, be proud!) I mean, what do they expect? "OMG, a friend request!!! I'll accept because having lots of friends on Facebook really gets me farther in life, even if I have no idea who they are!!"? That's realistic. I know that this isn't technically stalking, since it's multiple people and they don't really talk to me, but it still feels like harassment.
Now, despite what I just said, I don't get all the hype about internet safety. I know some people that would have a heart attack if they knew that I told people I live in South Dakota and my name is Anna via blog. But, I honestly don't see why that would be a cause for freaking out. I get it if I said like my last name, my phone number, my address, or even my city, but not for my name and state. (Did I just call South Dakota my state? Lets pretend I didn't. . . ) A lot of the stuff that guest speakers drill into your brains throughout elementary school (and I think they might've even extended it to middle and high school. . . ) is unnecessary and slightly paranoid. And I already get paranoia from my mother at home, so I could do without it at school.
Here are some lovely stalker images for your enjoyment:

I don't mind. . . :)

Well that's intense. . .

Kay, this was kind of short. . . ish. . . er. . . than other posts, but whatever. I can't really think of anything else soooooo, ti amo!

Anna

Music (And not the dreaded kind, either!)

Hello (two) followers! We love you! (I think a martini is in order for celebration!) I'm blogging again to make up for my "absence." Because I know how much it means to ALL of you. *Hint, hint* Today the topic is music (again). I first would like to admit to my new obsession with the fairly unheard-of band I Am Ghost. Vivi even confesses that she thinks they have talent! That's rare for her! (Please note that even though she may say this, it does not, under any circumstances, mean that she personally likes the band.) Anyway, I like them mostly for their versatility (think first alternative rock, then screamo, then Queen, then Latin masses, then violin solos, then halloween sound effects, then Spanish guitar, etc. . . . ).  And their album covers are also pretty sexy:

(Pictures posted to give the misconception that we are actually talking about something interesting)

First album (We Are Always Searching)

Second album (Lovers' Requiem)

Most recent album (Those We Leave Behind)


That was totally necessary. I know you all feel like better people. Anyway, Vivi and I have somewhat different taste when it comes to modern, un-classical music. I won't speak about her favorite bands, because if I get something wrong she'll eat me alive. (And Vivi, don't deny that you are reading this and nodding. . .) I really like bands like Evanescence, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy (this is getting a little mainstream. . .), Breaking Benjamin (and yes, I liked them before the movie Surrogates made them heard-of), Escape the Fate, Black Veil Brides, Metallica, Mayday Parade, etc. I think you get the idea. But I also (really randomly) like Sting, Michael Jackson (okay, well who doesn't?), Stevie Wonder, Kelly Clarkson (I seriously don't know why, I just looooove her. And yes, I am ashamed, so don't reprimand me, jerk), and. . . . a lot of other stuff that I'm sure you all really care about.
This is almost worst than a "this is what I did today" blog. But not worse than all of those blogs saying "Oh my god, Jonathan is five months, three weeks, six days, twenty one hours, and forty seven seconds away from turning four, as of eight seconds ago!" ISN'T THAT FREAKING EXCITING???? Ahem. Sorry. Those just really annoy me. You know those, right? Well, I clicked on the next blog button twenty times and kept track of how many blogs were similar to the latter. And this is an honest survey. So here are my results:

Baby/Pregnancy blogs, out of twenty randomly picked: 18
Other blogs, out of twenty randomly picked: 2

The remaining two were a blog describing this woman's marriage, play by play, and a poser emo blog talking about how much this one girl's life "sucks" even though any normal person's life would make hers look like a Disney movie. So there you have it. Vivi and I are one of the few teenagers swimming in an ocean of over-excited new mothers.
Well, this got off topic. . .
Ti amo!
Anna

Blindess in our Society

I'M NOT DEAD. Haha, I've beaten Vivi to the topic! (I'm surprised we haven't done this yet. . . the pun is coming later. . .) Men! (Haha, get it? Haven't done men yet? Cause it's like – okay, never mind. I thought it was funny.) BUT WAIT! Before you click out of this window because you think that this is just going to be a continuos flow of fangirl estrogen about how amazingly sexy all these actors are (which they aren't), you are wrong! MUAHAHAHAHA– sorry. This is actually a list of REALLY FREAKING OVERRATED celebrities! (And why I think so). And they aren't all even men! Enjoy!

• Matthew McConaughey. Okay, one, he is a terrible actor. Two, he isn't even all that cute, ESPECIALLY when he's blonde. Ugh. Ick. Gross. *shudders* Moving on! Three, he doesn't bathe (courtesy of Daphney for this disturbing fact). No joke. I mean, don't you think someone with SO many chick flick roles would have the common sense to worry a little about personal hygiene? Really. (I would also like to note that on almost every single article I've looked at regarding overrated actors, this man's name appears, so I am NOT alone in my opinion).

• Jim Carrey. Alright, he's got some funny stuff, but have you ever watched a movie that he starred in and thought, "Didn't I see the same character in the last movie?"? Because I have. Multiple times. If you've ever seen The Shining, once Jack went crazy, the only thing stopping me from honestly believing Jim Carrey had shot the rest of the movie was the fact that he was probably in his late teens, early twenties at that time it was made.  

• Disney Channel-based celebrities in general. That includes the infamous Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, etc. Not only are they horrible actors, but they decide that since they can "act", they can obviously become wonderful singers. And some of us believe them. This is especially infuriating to me since I know of a few professionally trained singers who can't make a dime, no matter how talented they are. And these "talented young stars" can make millions off of people's ignorance. Ugh! It just makes me so angry!!

• Arnold Schwarzenegger. Okay, so maybe he is freakishly entertaining to watch, but it does get old. I mean, how far can you get with enormous muscles and a funny accent (no offense to all those Austrians reading this)? Total Recall was an OK story line, but it went in the wrong direction, and, let's face it, Arnold sucked. Terminator is, well, Terminator, but I don't think that he should've made it this far. The only thing he's really good for is Saturday Night Live material (Hanz and Franz, yah). 

• Orlando Bloom is really adorable, but he is a pretty bad actor. I mean, Johnny Depp crushed him in Pirates of the Caribbean, and Viggo Mortensen (sp?) in Lord of the Rings. I think he might need to give it up.

• Jessica Alba. She's not even hot anymore. What's the point?

• How do I hate Justin Bieber? Let me count the ways. Okay one, he is FIFTEEN. He needs to stop taking himself so seriously. Two, he sucks. He is no good at lyrics OR singing. Three, elaborating on my opinion on his singing, I would have to say he sounds like a prepubescent transsexual wannabe Justin Timberlake. And that, my friend, is a lot of adjectives.

• Dakota Fanning. That girl. Ooooooh. I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate that girl. I know you're not supposed to hate people when you don't even know them, but, oh god, I can't help it. I won't go into detail, as I have been trying to censor this blog, but suffice it to say that I think she must be one of the worst actresses I have ever seen.

• Paris Hilton. 'Nuff said.

• Alicia Keys cannot sing. For the life of her. Her music actually makes me feel suicidal. And I doubt that was the intention. I do not know what gives her the impression that she can act, either.

• Cameron Diaz. So The Holiday was an awesome movie, no matter what you say. (Vivi agrees.) But she really isn't a good actress. Every time I hear her voice I think of Fiona from Shrek. And her Southern accent in The Box sucked almost as much as the movie. She sounded like she was trying (and failing) to do a British accent. And I am almost too scared to see what she did to My Sister's Keeper, which was an amazing book, but I doubt the movie will be any good. Vivi and I are going to see it this Christmas. . . 

• Megan Fox. I honestly do not care what all the testosterone driven boys I hang out with think. She is the epitome of overrated. Sure, she's sexy, but really, she kind of makes me want to kill myself.

• Robert Pattinson. Okay, iffy actor, stupid person. Reeeeeeaaaalllly. With all the hype Twilight's getting (which it soooo doesn't deserve all the publicity it's getting), it's no wonder he's famous now, but still. Some of his more unheard of stuff is actually okay, but Twilight. . . ? Ugh, let's just say romance is not his forté. . . I'm done, I promise!

I could go on for days and days and days and days and days and. . . I think you get the idea. But I will not! Because I luuuuuuurv you! Okay! For now I will say arrivederci e ti amo!

Anna

"I see a man who has serious intentions, that's Levin; and I see a peacock, like this featherhead, who's only amusing himself." Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Novel

Hello our fellow followers!  Or not... that's ... acceptable.  Please, please, please, follow us to show your support if you'd like us to go on blogging!  I was waiting for Anna to blog so I wouldn't seem... too obsessive.  But, clearly it's been a week and she has not.  So I'll have to take the reigns in this instance.  I went to the Met Museum today, pleasant.  I went on the Egypt gallery tours (admittedly not my favorite ancient, but interesting nonetheless)  I then went to the American Wing and looked at the period rooms.  Gorgeous, god, everything gorgeous.

But anyway, the quote.  I did not read the book.  I know, I'm sorry.  I saw the 1948 movie with Vivien Leigh directed by french director Julian Duvivier.  I thought it was fabulous.  Vivien Leigh's performance was brilliant as usual, but the directing was very inventive as well.  I can't really go into details through text, but it's a must-see.  So, if you get a chance, go do so.  I keep running out of things to talk about.  I got a new phone... how uninteresting is that.  But I'm taking full advantage of the full keyboard and considered typing this on it, but then I decided that would be stupid, then I would very likely lose it.  So I'm on my crappy dell inspiron laptop. You know what I hate?  All those useless notifications on facebook.  I'm sure four hundred people say this daily, but people tag me in things, and I don't even bother looking at them except I get all these useless notifications of people commenting on that.  Facebook is addicting, but a nuisance nonetheless.  This week was really ridiculous.  In a sort of good bad way... I really don't want this blog turning into a "this is what I did today" blog, like I said before, so I'll stay off of that.  Except I despise hypocrits I might be one myself for saying that, but god there's this girl...

Nevermind.  I'll stay off that.  I had a sabrett today, scrumpcious and cheap.  The definition of what food should be.  Well, now I'm babbling arn't I.

Un bacio i miei amici sconosciuti,

Violetta

"Come in, Come in! We won't bite you until we know you better." - Anita, West Side Story (1961)

Buon Mercoledi!  (?)

The piano tuner is downstairs, he just played a little West Side Story medley, so I decided to make that my quote.  He's really good!  Bernstein, I've tried to play it, it's really hard.

Anna's post killed me, did it not kill you?  It most certainly murdered my soul.  Vorrei caprese, e cannoli, e tiramisu, e CANNOLI.  Those cannoli's look absolutely scrumpcious, can you disagree?  Doubt it.  Oh Anna I love you, but tuo abbatimento mi.  (I believe that is incorrect, but close enough.  Must be an american expression...)  I have no idea what to talk about today.  French food, to steal Anna's idea of stealing my idea by stealing Anna's idea? (non capisco, I know)  Maybe next time, I covered the basis two, three posts ago.

I STILL have not seen Where the Wild Things Are.  I WILL this week, I swear it.  Prometto, Prometto, Prometto. (Promise, Promise, Promise) I have to see Fame too.  Though the trailer hurts.  I'll go on about that some other day.  Aw merda.  I really require a cannoli right now.  Biscotti might suffice.  Or a croissant... I should go now before I make myself die of hunger.

Un bacio tutto e arrivederci,

Violetta

STALKERS.

Okay, I know posting two blogs within a period of about twenty minutes is breaking like some record of having no life, but I felt the need to express my irritation with the new mothers who have blogs for the sole purpose of posting their newborn's every move. I mean, honestly, who cares what kind of pureed fruit Timmy ate today? Can you please SHUT UP? I feel extremely bad for the kids whose parents' are like tabloid reporters on only a slightly smaller scale. I mean really, people. Get a life. (That was soooo not hypocritical.)

Bacio il Cuoco! : Italy and Food

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE HUNGRY. IT IS JAM PACKED WITH AWESOMENESS OF DOOM AND. . . . STUFF. . . .

Okay, first off, please allow me to clear this up. For all those midwesterners out there that are under the misconception that the word "Italian" is pronounced with an emphasis on the "i", I will kill you if you do not stop. This food of amazingness (that we are so deprived of in this godforsaken region) is not from the country I-taly. There are few here that are that stupid. So why do you insist on saying "Italian" wrong? And it may seem like I am making a big deal about this, but believe me, it is enough to drive someone like my insane(er than I already am). Thank you.
Anyway, I will get on with this! I must say I am constantly in awe at how Italians can take the simplest (and freshest) ingredients and create something so mouthwatering.
I mean, look at this:

Caprese

Buffalo Mozzarella: If you have not had this, you have not lived. Try it NOW.

Bruschetta (Geez, this is a good picture.)

Do you really need a caption?

Alright, a show of hands of who wouldn't want to eat here. The lack of may or may not have something to do with our little amount of readers, but whatever.

Why does this come up when you Google image search fettucini? 

The REAL Fettucini: Ah, this is what we were looking for. After all, who needs a girl with a butt the size of a small country when you could have this?

Classic spaghetti and meatballs: It never gets old

Ah-ha. Here it is. Soak it in South Dakotans, because this is the real deal. So next time you're hauling your white, ranch dressing-loving butt to Pizza Hut (haha, I rhymed, are you proud?), think of this and be ashamed!

Mmm, calamari. I love this stuff.

Ah Vivi, here is your tiriMIsu. See? I pronounced it like you via blog! Be happy!

Cannolis, also for you, mi amore. (Yes, you stupid spell checker, I am sure that cannolis is a word. . . jerk.)

Okay, you may think you have an idea of how long I could go on like this, but believe me, you don't. Soooo, I will go now. This was mildly long, but that's okay, since it was hopefully as yummy for you as it was for me. ^_^ Ti amo e ciao!

Anna