Gobsmacked!

[Gluestick]

As is my wont, from time to time and being immersed in a research project which taxes my brain and patience, I went down into the kitchen, this afternoon, to brew myself a refreshing cup of tea.

Flicking on the kitchen TV, I happened upon that epicentre of British culture Richard and Judy.

Now the star guest today, was an American chap, who has spent the last few years, working out how one can authentically replicate fast food items at home in one's own kitchen.

His book, apparently replete with recipes for endless junk and adulterated produce, delighting in the generic fast "food" has sold over 7 million copies.

Professor Madeley, to accord him the cynical sobriquet awarded by that waspish and wonderfully funny writer, Victor Lewis-Smith, eulogised over the instant Big Mac created in the TV kitchen mock up.

"It tastes exactly the same as a Big Mac from McDonalds!" Madeley shrilled.

There aint no 'ope, Peeps; no 'ope hat all.

[Kitty]

Oh mee deeer Gluey, de world's fallin' apart.

 

[Clair]

Oh dear, Gluey!

Why do you torture yourself so? [:'(]

[Gluestick]

Really, peeps, I don't.

My writings here are simple social commentaries, that's all.

Last Thursday, I shot over to the la belle with number one son since he wanted to restock his wine: and I needed to cut the grass!

So, we decided to enjoy a Boy's Day Out.

After grass cutting duties - in drizzling rain I might say! - then we repaired to our local bar-restaurant, when of course, the sun came beaming through, for a plate de jour.

Coquelle San Jacques au Gratin: followed by Brochettes de Boeufe; followed by Crême Brulé. complete with a half litre of house red between us for € 12 per head...........

And the Great Unwashed want to replicate Mickey D's crap in their kitchen?

In droves?

Having eaten "Real" American hamburgers often in the States, Mickey D's aint it!

 

 

[mint]

Gluey, I see that you are never going to grow old gracefully and accept things the way they are going.

What really, really upsets me is not that it's the youngsters who do these unaccountable things but people our age who seem to know no better!

I had a half hour drive today to a small town near us to pick up a part for our oven hob and, as I drove home in the late afternoon sunshine, I thought how beautiful and peaceful everywhere was.  No one in sight who was inappropriately dressed or playing ghastly music.  I passed a favourite village all roses and trimmed hedges and I thought, "This is so wonderful that if I died this instant I would think I have had my fair share of delights on this earth!"

I guess I am just getting past it, Gluey, and that the world would never see the likes of sights such as I have had and I am sad for the generations that follow ours.

But then, again, they'll probably think, "Silly old gits, did they not know how to enjoy themselves?"

[trees 2]

OK, I'll bite.

WHY would any self-respecting intelligent person EVER watch Richard and Judy?

Personally, I'd rather be boiled alive.

Methinks you got what you deserved, Gluey, old lad.[;-)]

[Gluestick]

I agree Sweets.

Personally, I believe I am very lucky to have grown up in the early 50s; I have been spoiled with wonderful gardens and parks: sweet smelling Summer flowers. Nothing like a border of fragrant flowers in the twilight: or the soothing scent of Honeysuckle, wafting over the garden in June.

And not a hot tub in sight.............

 

[Gluestick]

Watching Professor Madeley cavorting around and bumping his gums, whilst his podgy wife bulges out of her blouse would not normally be on the agenda, Trees!

Just a case of accident or as Dr Jung might have said, synchronicity.

Still after a night's sleep, marginally disturbed with a nasty nightmare where Madeley has become Head Chef at the golf club, all is now restored.

[:D]

[Callie]

[quote user="sweet 17"]I had a half hour drive today to a small town near us to pick up a part for our oven hob and, as I drove home in the late afternoon sunshine, I thought how beautiful and peaceful everywhere was.  No one in sight who was inappropriately dressed or playing ghastly music.  I passed a favourite village all roses and trimmed hedges and I thought, "This is so wonderful that if I died this instant I would think I have had my fair share of delights on this earth!"

I guess I am just getting past it, Gluey, and that the world would never see the likes of sights such as I have had and I am sad for the generations that follow ours.[/quote]

I catch myself thinking the same thing.  But then I suspect our parents thought the same as we do now as they lived through the 60s.  The horror is that I find myself saying things I heard my parents say to me when I was a child.....ie  "I would not like to be a child growing up now....." 

I realised I had become "old" in the sight of younger people when I suggested to a young chap that we had known each other long enough to "tutoyer" - he said he couldn't !  

Where are the lovely small quiet 2* campsites with just showers and loos ????  A campsite is now an all-singing, all-dancing, holiday camp.......shudder......

[mint]

Gluey and Callie, I fear we are now fossils to the young!

Mind you, I have a shock sometimes on the odd occasions when I look (and I mean really looking and seeing and not just glancing) in a mirror.  Where has that pretty slip of a girl gone and who is this greying, middle-age spreading woman standing in front of me?

Time can be so cruel and creep up on you so surreptitiously!  And it is perfectly true that as une femme d'un certain âge, you are invisible to the young and to others.

Now I'm begining to feel a bit sad as well as nostalgic so it's back to the garden to do something energetic (or as energetic as the dodgey knee will allow me).

Bonne journée, everyone!

[Gluestick]

Always remember the wise words of Groucho Marx, Sweets.

"I'm as old as the woman I feel!"

[:D]

[Just Katie]

Gluestick, as a woman I am assuming that Sweet is still working out how she can reply to that.  [:D]

I maybe wrong but I think she was looking for a bit more compassion to her feelings.  If I am wrong (which I sometimes am) please accept my apologies.

Flippineck, and men wonder why women get upset.

[cooperlola]

Quite Katie, and apposite considering another thread going on where people puport to judge people by the insides not their outs and this goes on (sorry, Gluey, I have a lot of respect for you and imagine we'd get on rather well).

 

To describe him:  "Professor Madeley cavorting around and bumping his gums"  Her: "whilst his podgy wife bulges out of her blouse"

No mention of his looks but the fact that she is overweight seems to be something to be held against her.  We have no hope.[:@]

[Gluestick]

My friend Sweets knows (I trust) that I am making light of her concern.

Personally, I don't buy in to this preoccupation the fairer sex have about age. Sure, you get wrinkles: don't we all?

Older women always were and always will be much nicer in all ways than young wet behind the ears bimbos.

Why do think all young men with the odd red blood cell and a corpuscle fantasize about their mate's Mums?

Read Stephen Vizinczey's book, "In Praise of Older Women".

I've posted this before but who is most gorgeous: Sophia Loren or Victoria "Annorexia By The Sea" Beckham?

Nuff said.

Here Sofia is at 71.........................

And here in the famous Pirelli calender

[Just Katie]

There you go, that is more like it.  I love seeing photos of beautiful women my age.

The lovely Sophia is an inspiration to Sweet.

By the way Sweet, they were touching words [:)]

Go and treat yourself to a nice hairdo

[cooperlola]

Wrinkles, grey hair, me?

My point is not about the weight per se but the fact that comments about women in public life are so often (regardless of age) punctuated by comments about their looks, whereas when it's men the focus tends towards their personalities - or lack of them! 

Are Richard and Judy good at what they do?  I suspect they are.  Good for them; not my thing but they are undoubtedly pretty expert in their field and draw in adequate audiences to keep a prime time slot.  But who cares about that?  She's fat - how shameful.

Did he give out the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe by the way, as I'm an adict?[:D]

[Val_2]

Just to make us women who will no longer see 50 again or be teenage stick thin, have a look at Pierce Brosman's wife currently, I feel like twiggy against her and not so long ago she was a beautiful svelte,hollywood-styled chic woman. Apparently she has let everything go to get back to nature,but still wears a teeny bikini so we have hope and a rôle model..

[Gluestick]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Quite Katie, and apposite considering another thread going on where people puport to judge people by the insides not their outs and this goes on (sorry, Gluey, I have a lot of respect for you and imagine we'd get on rather well).

 

To describe him:  "Professor Madeley cavorting around and bumping his gums"  Her: "whilst his podgy wife bulges out of her blouse"

No mention of his looks but the fact that she is overweight seems to be something to be held against her.  We have no hope.[:@]

[/quote]

I hope JE that my previous post clears up how I actually feel: really.

However I do believe since TV makes icons from the most unworthy, they are fair game for ridicule.

Ms Finnigan's probable income and budget would allow a much more suitable sartorial presentation, rather than the mutton dressed up etc bit.

Unfortunately, when in the UK I have needs be to drive through an area famed for its chav tastes and obesity: to be greeted first thing when driving Mrs Gluey to the station by the sight of a vastly overweight young female, crammed into totally unsuitable attire which merely accentuates her copious rolls of fat and makes her look a laughing stock is not good for my delicate constitution at 7.30AM!

The "Professor Madeley" thing as I explained earlier is plagerised from Victor Lewis-Smith: who is an excellent writer of satire,  irony, sardonical prose and an expert at demolishing TV heroes!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lewis-Smith

This is very funny but rather rude at times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDRypKM21rI

 

[Just Katie]

One of the cheaper celebrity magazines (sorry can't remember the name) is full of page after page of comments on women

Too fat,  too thin,  no make up aaaghhh!,  what a mess,  what was she thinking? B itch b itch b itch.  The only guy that I can think of  who mostly gets judged on his looks is Michael Winner.

[Dick Smith]

Well, that's fair enough, really.

I just get fed up with people who think that if I'm overweight (which I must admit I am) I am either slow-witted, thick or lazy.

Well, they could be right about the last one...

[cooperlola]

Gluey, there are loads of guys around the place at the moment wearing shorts which - imo - should be reserved for those with rugby-player legs and absolutely nobody else.  But they are cool and comfortable, so the rest of the world just has to put up with the result when the celery stick brigade insists on donning them.  Who am I to tell people what to wear? - I can and do, just look the other way.

[Gluestick]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Wrinkles, grey hair, me?

My point is not about the weight per se but the fact that comments about women in public life are so often (regardless of age) punctuated by comments about their looks, whereas when it's men the focus tends towards their personalities - or lack of them! 

Are Richard and Judy good at what they do?  I suspect they are.  Good for them; not my thing but they are undoubtedly pretty expert in their field and draw in adequate audiences to keep a prime time slot.  But who cares about that?  She's fat - how shameful.

Did he give out the Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe by the way, as I'm an adict?[:D]

[/quote]

Oh OK, JE.

Well as far as the Prof goes not only is he a mental pillock: he looks like a pillock too. Tries to look far younger than he is.

Trouble is TV and programmes like this are the very ones which advocate what is and what is not acceptable style and etc.

And like it or not, for hoi polloi, today is ALL about appearance with most people: appearance is far more important than brains!

I'm sure that the American chap included the recipe for the good Colonel's Kentucky Fried Cat in his book!

 

 

[cooperlola]

It's about looks until they marry one another and quickly discover how boring they both are!  Which, to be fair, has not apparently happened for the couple in question.

[Gluestick]

[quote user="cooperlola"]Gluey, there are loads of guys around the place at the moment wearing shorts which - imo - should be reserved for those with rugby-player legs and absolutely nobody else.  But they are cool and comfortable, so the rest of the world just has to put up with the result when the celery stick brigade insists on donning them.  Who am I to tell people what to wear? - I can and do, just look the other way.[/quote]

Sorry to bang on about this one, JE, but I do believe there is an important point here.

Yes guys with spindly little white flakey legs and varicose veins are a pretty revolting sight. As are many women in a micro bikini. Their choice.

But my specific problem is that if micro-skirts worn so tight they have to be sprayed on is the current vogue, then obese women make themselves look bloody stupid and pretty revolting when they unwisely cram themselves into such clobber.

Most youngsters wear clothes purposively to make their appearance a visual and social challenge. We all did, me included. It's all part of being young and long may it continue: it's part of the process of youth's rebellion and determination to oppose all the values and social mores of their parents and from this, hopefully comes all sorts of social values for society as a whole.

But older women who have some fixation that by dressing as 20 year olds do then they will be taken as far younger than they are, simply make themselves look bloody silly; even older than they probably are and the reverse of attractive.

That's what I meant.

Nothing else.

 

[cooperlola]

I think this has been a subject of discussion since time immemorial.  Older women trying desperately to recapture their lost youth have been the subject of such comments for decades, possibly centuries for all that I know.  As are bald guys who wear wigs!  But it really is up to them what they wear and for some reason, perhaps misguided, it obviously makes them feel good about themselves so who are we to judge?

Edit : And I quote : "Personally, I value people on their inner self, intellect, integrity, sense of humour, unselfishness etc. and of course some common interests."  Who said that I wonder?[Www]