I think it's pretty tricky, the whole question of botox and other work. The valorization of youth in this culture reinforces the need to look youthful, and I don't want to castigate anyone who thinks that they need to continue to look young for personal or professional reasons. But on the other hand, catering to that desire for youth supports the sidelining of older (and older-appearing) women.

There's really no way to win. It's wickedly unfair.

And now I'm off to climb, woot.

Apparently I have made my last popcorn in this apartment: I packed the olive oil earlier, and just ran out of canola oil.

Packing certainly is full of little milestones like that.

And now I want popcorn. Hm.

botulism toxin was still a toxin.

If she was going around saying "Smallpox is a disease, I don't want it injected into me." would she get the same reception?

In controlled amounts under medical supervision

Which is exactly how Emma Thompson would get it

it can have positive uses

And she has decided that none of them are useful enough to her for to get it. Which is perfectly fine! But going around saying "Because it's a poison" is more like anti-vaxxer medicine than anything else to me. Start at the the other end. Say it's way more extreme than you would have done to yourself for results you don't value.

I don't think paralyzed facial muscles and frozen expressions are a positive use for actresses

Good botox is like a good boob job. You don't notice them. The difference between the two I had, both of which had to affect my forehead, were night and day, and I'd challenge many people who know me to notice the second job.

No medical procedure comes without risk. It's not a choice *I* particularly respect. But to trash talk it because it's poison and because bad Botox adminstration exists--that a weak-assed argument, but irritatingly to me, a very popular one.

And you know what effect that has? Pushes the positive uses of botox further into the shadows. I've read "botox treatment serves no good purpose" articles on IO9 masquerading as science (I haven't seen their scathing expose of hair plugs, but I am sure it's coming right up) where under pressure they added half a sentence mentioning that "some positive uses exist" And adds one more bit of credence to the people who think injecting disease into you is badbadkillyourkidsbad.

Yup, that served society, thanks media.

If I were to get my 16-year-old cousin a swiss army knife for Christmas, is it weird or just practical to get one with a corkscrew?

Practical. Hopefully she'll have it for years, and anyway, if she's underage drinking wine with corks, better that than a case of shitty beer.

Get the one with the Philip's screwdriver instead.

Not weird if you get the tiny precision screwdriver bit that fits into the corkscrew, too.

ETA: actually, not weird at all, but that could cover any potential weirdness

Oh, the Phillips head is a good idea. There are way too many choices, and it is too hard to sort through them! Oy vey.

It's maybe different because we were drinking too, but I swear I've seen it in the US too--parents using their kids as bartenders? Maybe not mixing fancy drinks, but opening wine, pouring beer and champagne properly, mixing liquor+chaser--we'd be asked to do that just like we'd be asked to get guests water or anything else to drink, and sometimes when my parents were feeling lazy we'd do it for them when there's no company.

So she could use it for that! If they're stuck in the wilderness, but her mother still wants a Pinot Grigio--she'll be Girl Guide prepared.