Beautiful Men, Part 6 - Roger Taylor

July 26 1949 -

(Roger Meddows-Taylor)

Roger is one of those guys I have always looked up to. He's got the arrogance I like in men.

His music is incredible intelligent, as is he. Just listen to The Unblinking Eye or Surrender.

He's also incredibly good-looking which helps.

Weekly Update - 25/7

Given up on the daily commitment as I just don't have time. I may come back to it in the future...

Currently sitting here, listening to my Burlesque CD...

I slept OK last night, all things considered. I must have got about 7 hours in total.

My knee is badly swollen. This is the one where I tore my ACL in a drunken accident whilst in uni. It hurts to walk but I still managed to take the dog for a walk this morning; just took me longer than usual. I also have crapeye and my back is still a bit sore and my FMF is playing up so my hands are hurting too. I think generally I am under a bit of stress and it's affecting my health. Have loads of plans for today. If I keep busy I should be OK.

My sister is babysitting her friend's dog who has just had a puppy. He's adorable. He looks like a miniature Rottweiler (momma is a French terrier). I picked the puppy up yesterday and the first thing he did was give me a big kiss. The woman over the road also has two new puppies. They are lovely but I can't cope with the shit and vomit and having all of my socks and shoes chewed up. I would much rather have a house broken (trained) adult dog.

Gino met some Labradors today. He likes other dogs. He played with two and then there was a third walking with his owner. Gino spotted them and raced over to say hello, making the owner scream (he's a big dog so I guess he can seem intimidating). He was friendly though and came straight back when I called him.

Lost a few pounds on my protein kick. Definitely need new jeans now... ;)

Daily update - 22/7

Over-tired again. Plus back at work tomorrow. I cannot wait for August as I have a few weeks off.

Hehehe Hoppo retweeted my Beautiful Men link... ;)

Getting annoyed with the attitudes of others again. I am not a free babysitter and I don't give a shit about your psychological issues. Go away.

I've hooked up a TV and DVD player in my room to see if that helps with my insomnia. I went to bed at around 11 last night but was still laying awake at half 4.

Beautiful Men, Part 5 - Joe Perry

September 10 1950 -

(Anthony Joseph Perry)

He's just so... oooh... grr... I'd tear his leather jeans off with my teeth given half a chance.

I don't think that makes me a bad woman. Maybe a bad vegan though...

He's stunning. He rips his shirt off on-stage and whips his guitar with it. And that body! Oh!

I remember seeing Aerosmith live once and during his solo, Joe dropped to his knees and onto his back and did a backward roll while still playing. That kind of did it for me...

Peta claims he must have a smaller than average penis because he likes hunting. And he's a Republican.

I don't care.

I'd still smack that...

Review: VeganStore.co.uk

**

I am getting more and more annoyed with this one.

I have used the Vegan Store for a couple of years now. They sell things in small quantities (so say I don't want to order 12 cartons of nutritional yeast from Suma, I order one from the Vegan Store instead). It started off great; it was efficient and everything was well packed and I would normally receive my order within a few days.

Then a few months ago, I placed an order. Nothing exciting; a few packs of marshmallows, tea tree cream, etc. It took three and a half weeks to arrive. They had debited my card as soon as I had ordered and there was no communication to say when it would be sent or anything. I thought that was a bit crap.

I decided to give them another go. I ordered hemp protein, more marshmallows, sugar free gum, throat sweets, more tea tree cream... I paid for next day delivery. My house was called that day (I was at work) and a message was left saying that the marshmallows were out of stock but the rest of the order would be shipped. Fine. Parcel was waiting for me the following day, obviously minus the marshmallows.

Oh yeah, they had debited my card for the full order.

I gave it a week or so and kept checking my credit card balance to see if they had refunded the money for the marshmallows. Nope. So I emailed them and explained that I had received the parcel, minus the marshmallows but had no contact about the refund and could they look into it.

Message back. I sent your parcel on Friday and it was left with your neighbour on Saturday. Hope that clears everything up.

Actually, no, it doesn't.

I emailed back and explained again that I HAD received the parcel but it was over £20 short on the order so I needed to know what was going on.

I was then informed that the marshmallows were back in stock and did I want them or did I want a refund?

I decided to have the marshmallows as I do quite like them.

I was informed they would be shipped out straight away.

It's been a few days now and nothing received. Bearing in mind I paid for next day delivery originally and I have obviously been jerked about during this order.

You would think they would make an effort to make customers happy? No, evidently they are doing so well that they don't give a shit.

This isn't the only problem I have had with them. I once received an order of marshmallows and vegan Haribo and the lot was totally squished due to poor packaging (too much packed into a small box).

Then of course there is the prices. They severely mark up the products and I could get them much cheaper from somewhere like Amazon or ebay but I like supporting vegan enterprises.

Well, not any more. If my parcel does not arrive tomorrow, I will never order from them again. It's that simple. Obviously they can afford to lose the £60 every two months I give them but the cost in bad publicity will be much higher.

Beautiful Men, Part 4 - Koji Yakusho

January 1 1956 -

(Hashimoto Koji)

I have always been a big Susumu Terajima fan and in the process of watching all of his films, I discovered The Uchoten Hotel and, in turn, Koji.

He's a brilliant actor. He is incredibly talented and I am yet to see him play an unbelievable character.

Koji has made a few Hollywood movies and it is just so sexy when he speaks English...

Koji is one of those guys that if I met him, I WOULD rugby tackle him to the floor and only one of us would come up for air...

Inspirational Women, Part 11 - Janis Joplin

January 19 1943 - October 4 1970

Her career (and life) was very short but she fit so much into that time.

Janis has influenced many singers over the years. She had that bluesy voice and her songs were so emotive.

She is still one of my favourites.

Beautiful Men, Part 3 - Vyacheslav Tikhonov

February 8 1928 - December 4 2009

When I was in university, I met a hot Russian guy. I, of course, did what any normal girl would do. I learned Russian and read War And Peace, first in English and then in Russian. I learned everything I could about Russia (I take dating seriously, you see). In the process, I took a few videos out of the uni library. They were War And Peace and Burnt By The Sun.

At that point, I found my real Russian man.

Vyacheslav Tikhonov was one of those actors that could really draw you in (comparable with Koji Yakusho and Robert de Niro before he got fat). Every single one of his movies makes me cry. Not just the odd tear. Full on collapsing-on-the-couch crying.

The son of a teacher and a factory worker, he became an actor to the disappointment of his father. Another paternal disappointment was the tattoo he got on his hand.

He married twice. He had a son with his first wife, Nonna Mordyukova, who died of a drug overdose in 1990. His second wife outlived him. He and Tamara had a daughter, Anna, who gave him twin grandsons just a few years ago.

Slava's career spanned 6 decades. If you get the chance, watch a few of his films; he deserves to be appreciated and remembered.

Suffering from failing health the last few years, Vyacheslav died in December 2009 of a heart attack. He was 81.

He is still sorely missed.

Daily update - 17/7

So I had an email from one of the lifeguards and they are sorting my stupidity for me. I appreciate that :)

What a day. Work was weird. Some amazing moments. Some horrible moments. They let me finish early because I was sharing gossip all day. It has its uses...

Then I am on the train, checking emails/facebook/twitter/texts/voicemails/various other things my great phone does... There was a message from Kay, crying, asking me to call because my nephew had done something. Turns out he had been crank texting and calling her and saying some really abusive things and had upset her. Kay forwarded all the texts to me and I showed them to my sister who is going to confiscate his phone and ban him from facebook. I don't need to be dealing with this, though. My life is stressful enough with working full time, studying full time, running my own home, trying to sort out my finances, etc.

Writing again this weekend.

Then I MUST do some housework...

Beautiful Men, Part 2 - Bruce Hopkins

November 12 1968 -

He reminds me of Mike Bielecki. Just without the stupid political views.

Head lifeguard at Bondi Beach.

Hoppo is handsome and strong and really quite funny. Nothing beats the time he lifted a guy out of the water by his hair...

He does things that are totally beyond what would be expected of him. For example, he responds to questions on Facebook and Twitter and, more touchingly, he writes a short message on the back of every parcel that gets sent out from the BRLifeguards site. I recently ordered two items (separately as I know the best way to avoid getting stuck for import duty... naughty me...). The first said Hi Helen and the second said Hi again Helen. Of course, due to a problem with the Royal Mail (general incompetence), I received the second parcel first...

A father of two, he seems to also have quite a romantic side, going by his Tweets.

Then, of course, is the charity involvement.

And he saves lives for a living! What more could a girl want?

Beautiful Men, Part 1 - Geddy Lee

July 29 1953 -

(Born Gary Lee Weinrib)

Geddy, Geddy, Geddy...

My brother-in-law was (and still is) a huge Rush fan. He used to watch the Show Of Hands video and at first I found the music inaccessible but Geddy was pretty...

It took Permanent Waves to finally get me into the music. Come on. I was only 13...

The son of holocaust survivors, Geddy is a deeply intelligent, deeply talented man.

He comes across as such an interesting and gentle person. He's totally approachable and incredibly funny.

And he's just so cute!

Daily update - 15/6

I don't have diabetes. Not even close. My blood sugar is still on the low side (always has been) but is within the normal parameters. I feel fine in myself so I will just watch my sugar intake and get checked occasionally. I wont worry about it though.

I am trying healthier habits. Breakfast this morning was a strawberry-banana-hemp protein smoothie. Lunch was couscous and grilled peppers. Baked potato for dinner with hummus and grilled squash. I think if I just try to eat healthy and keep up the protein intake, I'll be fine.

Quiet day, really. Went to bed after midnight, woke up at 9, spent the day researching my next essay (due Wednesday).

My back is playing me up a little but nothing major.

Words cannot describe how much I love my new phone. I have got it completely up and running now and it's just so amazing. I think this is the start of a very long love affair with Dell phones...

Daily Update - 14/7

Haven't had time for one the last few days as I have literally been writing constantly. Decided to have an easy day today, hence all the postings.

My new Dell Streak phone is totally amazing. It took me a while to figure it out but my brother-in-law had a play with the settings and now it's easy to use. And it's so BIG!

Hit town today. Crap. Security guard told my nephew to move on when he was waiting for me and my niece outside Claire's. I made a scene... I was threatening to explode a full can of 7Up on the already slippy floor but the kids dragged me away... Kingsway Shopping Centre Newport can officially fuck right off. It sucks anyway.

I've averaged 3 hours sleep a night for the last three nights so I will not be up much longer. Will have to write all day tomorrow anyway.

Wholefoods Vegan: Vegan Tiramisu

This one was the most adapted recipe ever. I have so many allergies plus a lack of certain ingredients locally made me have to pretty much do whatever I thought would work.

I did follow the lady finger biscuit recipe but they were too soft (I wonder if it is because I used the wrong sort of fat? I use Pure soya spread). Rather than rolling the dough, I used a cookie dough gun and made the rough shapes that way.

As for the actual tiramisu...

I don't have any soy cream cheese. I don't know anywhere that sells it. Frankly, I wouldn't even want to try it. I have also never seen vegan sour cream for sale anywhere. I decided to use a block of tofu (liquidized) and a pot of soy yoghurt. It ended up close enough but it never set so was quite sloppy when I served it.

I am allergic to coffee. I decided to use Barley Cup instead. It's caffeine-free and tastes a bit like coffee...

Nowhere round here sells vegan Marsala wine so I just used my vegan spiced rum instead.

I am also allergic to chocolate so could not use that to dust the top. I considered using Barley Cup powder but in the end used nothing at all.

Even with all of my alterations, it was still really nice. It actually tasted like what I remember tiramisu to taste like (probably the coffee flavour and booze doing that).

It was really heavy so would only have it on special occasions. I also made it the day before the herbalist mentioned the D-word...

Maybe at Christmas...

Wholefoods Vegan: Thumbprint Cookies

I used almonds, skipped the salt, used a reduced amount of agave syrup (no maple in the cupboard), and used my home-made strawberry jam as filling.

They were easy enough to make but my dough was a tad too soft, I think, so the cookies ended up like splodges rather than neat little balls.

They were so good though. They were not excessively sweet (reduced amount of syrup probably helps). A nice variation would be to throw some dried fruit into the dough. Maybe goji berries or something.

My cookie days are numbered, though, so I think this recipe will only get a very occasional airing...

Wholefoods Vegan: Easy Baked Tofu

Slice up a block of tofu. Place on a baking tray with a light spray of oil. Bake.

It's that simple.

I'm really funny about tofu. I know it is good for me and I try to eat it but I have a real issue there. I cannot stand the texture and even looking at it makes me feel a bit ill.

This is a good recipe, though. The tofu had crispy edges so it was much more palatable than normal. I cut it into bigger chunks than in the original recipe but I guess smaller chunks just means crispier tofu. I used it in stir fry for a couple of days. I cannot yet eat it without a sauce but I will work on it... Might add a few dried herbs during the cooking process next time to see if that helps.

Wholefoods Vegan: Red Lentil Hummus

(Click on the title for the original recipe)

This was so much harder than I expected.

You would think that at least one supermarket in my shit-heap city would have red lentils in stock. I went to 5 different places and couldn't find them anywhere. In the end I gave up and used brown lentils, hence the colour of the finished product. I skipped the white miso (don't have any and definitely nowhere local sells it) and the salt as I generally do not use salt in cooking. I also didn't bother with the cilantro.

The cooking side of it was easy. Just threw it all together in a saucepan and then whizzed it in a blender.

It was actually really nice. I had it with corn chips initially and then had some for lunch at work the following day with raw peppers.

The quarter of a cup of lemon juice is perhaps a little too much. It had a kick that took my breath away. I'll know in future to be a bit lighter with it. I also have now finally managed to get some red lentils so I will have another go so it will at least be the right colour. I think it would be great with puy lentils too as they have a slightly nutty flavour. I think I will be coming back to this recipe regularly.

An interesting turn of events

Yet again I want to be left alone but people cannot understand this concept.

Hala Pickford has finally publicly come out as the "mastermind" behind the Boycott David Bret blog. She is now using it as yet another outlet for her exercises in self pity.

OK, I do think people take the harassment a bit far - sharing private emails and most definitely threatening to post her home address on Christmas Day (that is unforgivable).

However, I am very sad to say she is bringing most of it upon herself. She doesn't seem to realise that her comments and actions actually hurt others. When anyone reacts to her, she claims harassment.

What I find interesting, though, is this...

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog entry entitled YOU. What triggered this was the following... David Bret very kindly started attacking me on his blog and accused me of reviewing a book that was not yet published. I responded that he should leave me alone and I had not posted any reviews of his books anywhere (though I had emailed Hala a synopsis of the Freddie Mercury book - this has also never been published anywhere, to my knowledge. And it's fairly safe to say now that if it does appear, it is very likely to be doctored - if the rumours are true - and will be in breach of privacy laws).

Then things got a bit weird. David Bret confronted me about posting this review and I assured him that I would do nothing of the sort (I would not even think of reviewing a book I had not read). David and I talked out our issues and that was all settled in a very grown-up manner, as would be expected. Through research and deduction, it was suggested that the fake review (that was written under a name that would be highly identifiable with me, at least by people who do not know much about me) had been written by Evelyn Zumaya.

That is who my anger was directed at.

In the post, I had mentioned the fake review and called her "evil" amongst other things.

Then Hala Pickford started one of her whines and said someone had called her "evil". I am google's biggest friend right now so a comprehensive search only brought up me and my post.

So what do we conclude from this?

Hala Pickford must have been the individual pretending to be me on Amazon, posting a fake review, purely to piss off David Bret.

Now, everyone knows David Bret has a bit of a temper on him. Hala also claims she fears for her life because of this man.

So why would she do something that she believes would put me in danger? If he is as dangerous as she claims he is, surely that would mean I would then receive (alleged) death threats and be constantly attacked online?

As far as I am concerned, this is a deliberate malicious act, intended to cause me physical and emotional harm.

Therefore, Hala is not the only one who can go to the police. I have contacted the LAPD and have asked for assistance. I am also consulting with a lawyer in Southern California who is willing to represent me. Of course, I love LA so I am happy to fly out and play a central role in my case.

This is a very sad time.

I actually quite liked Hala and I felt sorry for her, at least to begin with. Then she started taking things to extremes and her close association with Evelyn Zumaya (someone who I have concrete evidence is a liar) meant that I had to break off all contact. I can't get dragged down by other people's psychological issues.

She then has to start taking things to extremes again. I am not surprised there is so much bad feeling.

And FYI - I don't fear David Bret; we have dealt with our issues.

Zoya - Areetha

I adore this colour. I am wearing it right now and still find myself admiring my nails during the day...

Went on nice and smooth, dried evenly, lasted 5 days before the chipping started. The chipping is only very minor though. I think this one will become an all-time favourite...

SpaRitual - Gold Digger

I specifically bought this because SpaRitual are marketed as a vegan brand. It was more expensive than anything I had bought recently and, quite frankly, I was rather disappointed.

It was gloopy and went on really thick and streaky. It never evened out either. It lasted about 5 days until it completely chipped off my right index finger. At least it removed easily.

I have a few other SpaRitual colours so I am really hoping I was just unlucky with this bottle...

China Glaze - Kiwi Cool-Ada

This is the colour that started my latest nail polish binge. I love the bright ones but I worry that people think I am being too "young". But then who gives a fuck what people think...

Went on a bit patchy so I had to use three layers. It also dried a little too matte so I needed a couple of layers of top coat to finish it. Lasted seven days and did not chip at all. I only removed it because an air bubble appeared under one nail and it was freaking me out so it had to go.

It contains nail strengtheners which is all good.

Zoya - Trixie

I'm such an "OPI diva" (apparently...) but have recently started branching out into other brands, largely for the diversity in colour. I was interested in the story behind Zoya so decided to try a few different colours to see how I got on.

The most stunning colour-wise was this Trixie. Absolutely love it. It went on smooth but it dried a bit bubbly. Unsure if maybe I did something wrong. It's a stunning sparkly silver and it's not gritty and horrible like OPI's glitter colours. It lasted for 6 days on my hands before it started chipping. Removed easily which is good. It has lasted for about 3 and a half weeks on my toes (with base and top coat); no chipping yet but my nails are growing out so I will need to redo them this week.

I think this will be my "beach colour" this year...

Daily update - 11/7

Still have no time for anything at all. Spent the entire day writing (except for breaks to walk the dog and order my new phone).

I am desperate to have a sort out but it has to be put off for a week.

Using Facebook to stalk hot guys. Oh yeah...

I will return properly in a few days...

Daily update - 10/7

Loving hemp protein. It actually tastes healthy...

In the middle of writing so cannot say much.

Developing good habits though so hopefully I will have more to say over the next few days.

Daily update - 9/7

Famous rugby player in the train station. Dunno his name. Good looking bloke though. Shorter than I expected... **Edit** I have been informed his name is Colin Charvis.

Colin Jackson was shorter than I expected too... Saw him at Cardiff Central last summer.

Vegan Store cannot supply my marshmallows. So instead of getting my lovely indulgent package, I'll be getting hemp powder, bug spray, and sugar free gum. Joy...

Another good day in work though I do feel ill.

Off to test my blood sugar...

Daily update - 8/7

Busy day again. Did a bit of writing before I ventured into town (on a bus! More in a mo...) to escort my mother to the herbalist. Mom has an under-active thyroid and has been on medication for about 12 years. Well the medication has stopped working and the doctor wont listen so I suggested alternative therapy. Today she had acupuncture and Chinese massage and has been given a course of herbs to take. She will go back in a week and see how she is getting on.

The doctor took one look at me and said I should be checked for diabetes. I knew things would eventually go that way but I am not yet 30 so I will fight this all the way. We had lunch out so I avoided my usual curry and had a salad instead. I have made a nice healthy bean and couscous salad for work tomorrow and I am going to order some hemp protein powder as that is supposed to help with regulating blood sugar.

I need to build up muscle again. Some guy pushed into me in town and, although I floored him with one punch, it took a lot more energy than it used to.

So the bus... the one into town was OK but the driver on the one back was a total arsehole. He kept yelling "I'm late! Catch the next bus!" and actually slammed the door on one old woman. Plus he broke the speed limit all the way out of town. It is down to the bus company (Stagecoach) for putting too much pressure on the drivers but his attitude does not help at all.

Nails painted, watching Bondi Rescue on YouTube. Having fruit salad for dinner and then will take the dog for a nice long walk.

Daily update - 7/7

Managed to watch the entire Rush Doc today. Very good... I would perhaps have done things slightly differently but then I don't make documentaries...

Have spent most of the day working on essays so feel a little drained now. I want to knock out a crap load of words tomorrow before heading off to the herbalist in the afternoon.

Priced up a trip to Bondi today - two and a half grand. That can go on the back burner for a while...

Remembering the victims of 7/7...

Time to display some common sense?

Just a few weeks ago, all those people were shot and killed in Cumbria in (largely) indiscriminate attacks. Right now, Raoul Moat is still on the run after vowing to kill as many police officers as he can, just because of what his fearful ex-girlfriend told him. So far only one person has died in this incident but it could easily escalate.

Isn't it about time that the gun laws were revised again?

After the Dunblaine Massacre, the rules were tightened but it is obviously not enough. There is truly no reason for any member of the general public to own a gun.

I grew up on a farm so a tiny part of me still feels it is acceptable to farmers to have shotguns but then after seeing how my collies used to fight when challenged, I reckon a couple of working dogs would be more effective. It's not like cattle rustling is a big problem down in Wiltshire or anything.

I live in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farmland. I am Facebook friends with my nephew's ex-girlfriend (I have known her for absolutely years and we are friends with her grandmother). She posted that she had had to have one of her horses put down as it had cancer. The grandmother then told my mother that it was not cancer and they thought it had been poisoned by a neighbour. We were gossiping in the street with another neighbour and the story came up again. She said the horse was put down because it was starving to death and the vet said if they didn't do it, he would have to report them for animal cruelty (but he was really only covering his own ass as he has put down 5 starving horses at this farm in the last 6 months and he could seriously get in the shit for not doing anything sooner). Well the story got very convoluted but it turns out that though this girl's family own the horses, they pay a man to keep them on his land and take care of them. Why doesn't he have his own horses? Because he was banned from keeping horses for life after being convicted of starving them to death previously. Why doesn't anyone stop him? Because he's a nutjob who has shot three people who have tried to intervene previously.

This is like a 5 minute walk from my house and all the local kids go up there to see the animals.

(Incidentally, the RSPCA have been called and I will be going to the media if nothing is done).

I view gun violence as mundane when I am in LA but I don't want to see that happen here.

It would be nice if I don't have to come home from work and see reports of yet more people being shot on the news.

What would I know though...

Inspirational Women, Part 10 - Althea Rene

December 25 -

Althea Rene is one of those truly inspirational women. She served her community for more than ten years as a law enforcement officer before becoming a full time musician. She's a flautist; probably the only one I can name. Her music is so technically clever (I am a classically trained musician) and yet her songs are still very accessible.

She's my "make-out" music.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Canada Day!

To all our kind, caring Canadian friends.

As for the others...

How could you even think about it?

Inspirational Women, Part 9 - Viola Dana

June 26 1897 - July 3 1987

Viola Dan (born Virginia Flugrath) was a child star who went on to appear in more than 100 films.

I first heard of Viola when I was writing an essay on Buster Keaton for my BA and her name kept coming up. They were close friends and he often stayed with her family. Viola also took in Rudolph Valentino when he had nowhere to go one Christmas. She was that kind of caring, generous person.

Widowed by the age of 21, she became engaged to pilot Ormer Locklear but he was killed in a plane crash when Dana was 23.

Viola Dana contributed so much to the film industry in her wonderful, rich life.

Clearing out for the summer

I am hoarding again so I have decided to have a sort. I have picked out over 100 pairs of earrings for the charity shop. Next I will go through my necklace and ring collection.

I have also started giving away kitchen stuff - I don't need two cocktail shakers... I don't need any if you want to be technical... I also found a really nice pair of cow salt and pepper pots from France. Lovely but not being used so they have to go.

Food... food! Why do I have 12 boxes of miso soup when I can't stand the stuff??? I found a box of oatcakes at the back of the cupboard that are three years out of date, a curry sauce that is two years out of date, and then a vegan meringue mix that is only 7 months out of date but requires far too much sugar. All in the compost bin. Same goes for the bag of frozen corn on the cob I bought a few weeks ago. I ate one and it was so vile that even thinking about it makes my gums hurt... I am loathed to throw away food but, believe me, the starving kids in Africa would not want this shit...

I found a box of PC discs that only run on Windows 95 so they are now tied to my cherry tree to try to keep the birds off it (doesn't work but it looks nice in the sun). Even Amiga games! I haven't had an Amiga for 15 years...

I may even be brave and sort out my wardrobe... My mom said she would like a nice summer dress so I am sure I would be able to find her one.

Now, to throw away all the chipped mugs that the kids have given me over the years (not chipped originally, of course) without causing offence...