Speedy's Cafe - General Chat about anything you like!

[Carol the Dabbler]

My mother was sitting at home by herself one evening, and her lips felt very dry, so she made generous use of a tube of lip balm that she'd just bought.  Then my brother knocked at the door, and when she opened it, he burst out laughing.  She had forgotten that all they'd had at the store was tinted lip balm.  According to my brother, Mom "looked like Carol Channing."

 

So that's another potential pitfall.  :D

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

It's like the "starlet smile" -- just widen your eyes and drop your jaw.  No muscles involved, so no threat of wrinkles!

Wait.. you mean that is how they smile?

I might get the mental image wrong, but is it supposed to remind me of Chucky?

 

 

She had forgotten that all they'd had at the store was tinted lip balm.  According to my brother, Mom "looked like Carol Channing."

 

So that's another potential pitfall.  :D

I had to google Carol Channing, she looks normal to me. But I get what you mean, in my head it's like Donnatella Versace maybe? (Lips only, her face is freaking me out)

[Carol the Dabbler]

The term "starlet smile" seems to have gone out of use.  Google images turned up very few relevant pictures, but Marilyn Monroe's iconic look is very similar, except that she nearly closed her eyes.  Imagine this but with wide-open "innocent" eyes:

 

 

No use of cheek muscles, no little creases around the mouth and eyes -- therefore no contribution to wrinkles (or "laugh lines" either, alas).

 

Carol Channing often seemed to go well beyond the natural contours of her lips when applying lipstick.  See examples here and here.

[Van Buren Supernova]

^ I see what you mean. Hahaha..

 

Reminds me of an article a couple of months ago, I think.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2935632/Meet-woman-says-hasn-t-smiled-40-years-doesn-t-wrinkles.html

 

I really can't understand, why would anyone sacrifice the joy of smiling for no having couple of wrinkles...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Wow, that is so sad!  Or maybe not.  Maybe she's just naturally that way.  But it sounds like she did have an inclination to smile, at least, until her teachers trained it out of her.  (On the other hand, it's the Daily Mail, so who knows?)

 

There seems to be very little doubt that avoiding all facial expressions will indeed prevent wrinkles from forming -- but I doubt very much that such a person will still look 20 when they're 80.  There's more to looking young or old than just wrinkles.  And I find certain sorts of wrinkles kind of attractive, since "laugh lines" and eye crinkles indicate that a person has a pleasant disposition, even if they're not actively smiling at the moment.

 

Also, I hate to think what life would be like without the occasional belly laugh.

 

[T.o.b.y]

Why are wrinkles considered bad, anyway? Laugh wrinkles are wonderful! My husband already has the beginnings of crows' feet, and I love them. My mom has laugh lines so deep they make her eyes look huge, and that gives her face a wonderful, gentle, friendly look.

 

I think it's important to laugh and smile a lot, to use your face in a good way, so that when you grow older, your wrinkles will show that and you won't look bitter and grumpy.

 

Wrinkles aren't ugly per se, nor is any other sign of aging. Not in my eyes, at least. I like faces with a bit of character. I like white hair, too.

[J.P.]

What's the thing with BBC? Can someone enlighten me in two short sentences, what the whole ado is about?

[Carol the Dabbler]

I seem to have missed something.     What ado?

[J.P.]

Something with money cuts.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh, right.  Some sort of political discussion, I believe -- which of course it would be, what with the BBC being basically a branch of the government.  I assume this sort of thing goes on all the time, depending on who's in office and who's trying to alarm the voters.

 

[Caya]

Some brief explanation for our non-European friends: in many European countries, Great Britain among them (Austria too, more's the pity) there is still some form of state TV. Meaning, you have to pay a monthly fee if there is a TV in your house/apartment, no matter if you watch their [censored] programme at all (though said fee gets waived if you're under a certain income treshold and/or above a certain age). In theory, this is supposed to guarantee quality TV, which brings educational and highbrow entertainment broadcasts, as well as good regional news programmes. In practice, well, the BBC's among the better variants of this concept from what I've seen, producing high-quality historical series and the like and being ad-free (don't get me started on the Austrian ORF).

 

Anyway, the BBC's contract must be re-negotiated every ten years afaik, next in 2016. And the Conservatives have made noises to make mighty cuts regarding spending, personnel etc., nominally because of tight budgets, but, or so I've read, in reality because they feel (rightly or wrongly, I have no idea) that the BBC's newscasts are biased against them.

[Arcadia]

The conservatives here in the States have the same issue with our publicly funded TV network (PBS). I could say what I think about their opinion but this isn't the right forum.

 

What your describing, Martina, sounds exactly like cable TV here in the States; in areas like mine, you have to have it if you want any TV at all, because broadcast signals can't get past all the tall buildings built in the last 20 years. So you pay a whopping monthly fee, and there's still nothing to watch ... except for PBS, which shows mostly British programs. Go figure.

[sfmpco]

Sorry, folks... been a bit out of touch.  Not saying it will get better.  I've been making lots of jewelry lately and ordering supplies from China which takes a lot of time and research via Ebay.  Once I start working on it, the hours fly by, and I am completely lost in the world that is only a few inches in front of my eyes.  

[Shadow Dweller]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/19/stewart-lee-bbc-witch-hunters-reform-panel-culture-secretary 

Edited July 20, 2015 by Arcadia
fixed broken link

[T.o.b.y]

Sorry, folks... been a bit out of touch. Not saying it will get better. I've been making lots of jewelry lately and ordering supplies from China which takes a lot of time and research via Ebay. Once I start working on it, the hours fly by, and I am completely lost in the world that is only a few inches in front of my eyes.

That's nothing to be sorry for! Glad to hear you have an interesting project. Of course it's always nice to hear from everyone around here, but real life preoccupations shouldn't warrant an apology. We'll all be crazy active enough once the special airs... And just wait until they film series 4 and the first set pics and rumors start poring in. I am looking forward to that madness almost as much as to the actual episodes.

[Arcadia]

...just wait until they film series 4 and the first set pics and rumors start poring in. I am looking forward to that madness almost as much as to the actual episodes.

I know, I'm actually feeling a little anxious about it, how will I keep up! Still, "Setlock" for the special was far more fun than I expected it would be, so yeah, bring it on. I am prepared to be entertained!

[sittything]

I got a friend hooked on Sherlock yesterday!  I feel like I've achieved something magnificent and noble.

 

 

[CrownOfMoriarty]

I got a friend hooked on Sherlock yesterday!  I feel like I've achieved something magnificent and noble.

 

I was pestering my friend to watch it a few weeks ago. I don't think she has yet, maybe I should pester her some more?

[T.o.b.y]

Good luck! I have not managed to get anybody really interested in the show. My friends and family have seen some episodes, but their reaction was mostly "um... okay."

[sittything]

My friend was laughing so much and guessing ahead about what was going to happen.  It was so exciting to see her so excited about it.  

[Arcadia]

I got a friend hooked on Sherlock yesterday!  I feel like I've achieved something magnificent and noble.

That's because you did! All hail Sittything!

[J.P.]

Don't you think we should have a party? As someone at IMDB put it very nicely:

 

5 years ago this weekend, 'Sherlock' was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

 

 

It's a reason for a party, even if I wasn't here at the start.

(and being kind of glad about it :P)

 

 

So tonight I rise the symbolic glass to our beloved
and all who made him a part of our lives.

 

 

[Arcadia]

We sat and devoured lobster for 2 hours, does that count?

 

[T.o.b.y]

Ah, the joys of finally being home after a long, long night at work and a day of having to postpone sleep because of appointments. It's raining and storming outside and I am tucked up in bed with my amazing stereo (thanks mom, that was a wonderful birthday present) playing Joni Mitchell and reading up on all your interesting, funny and insightful comments.

 

Life can be good and there are good people in the world, after all. It's appalling how often I forge that...

[Carol the Dabbler]

Don't you think we should have a party? As someone at IMDB put it very nicely:

 

5 years ago this weekend, 'Sherlock' was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

 

 

Definitely party time!    And we can have another party on, umm, October 24th (for the PBS premiere) -- and another when Sherlock premiered in Germany, and so on.  Never pass up a good opportunity for a party!