Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Dear Mr. P., If someone says they want to be involved with me, and they seem to like being with me when they are, how come they rarely give me the time of day, and though I see them online a fair bit, generally won't say hello unless I do so first?

Thank you for your question, my dear friend. This is indeed a most frustrating predicament for anyone to be in. On the one hand, this potential paramour has certainly expressed an interest. On the other, actions do speak louder than words. However, what exactly are these actions saying. It may simply be that they are quite busy carrying out their lives and while thus occupied have let certain social niceties go wanting. Speaking as one whose digital life is considerably more hectic and complicated than his analog one, I would not neccessarily take this as a sign of waning interest. Then again, I tend to be an optimist. The other possibility you must consider is that building a relationship may not be high on this person's priority list at this time. They are likely caught up in other pursuits; and, while time spent with you is enjoyable, it is not the only thing demanding their attention. What you will need to ask yourself is whether you are willing to put up with being one of many interests in this person's life. If so, then how long are you willing to wait for your turn at the top of the list?

Ask a tiger.

A Deal With the Devil

Dear Mr. P.,I find myself in the awkward predicament of being indebted to a demon. Unfortunately, I am unable to repay the debt at the agreed upon time. What would a tiger do, were he to find himself in my precarious situation?Sincerely,Miss P.

My dear Miss P. you have certainly managed to get yourself into quite a predicament. Deals with the devil seldom end well. Most of the literature on the subject suggests that the best one can hope for is a re-negotiation of the terms. Devils and demons tend to be sticklers for the letter of any agreeement. If you are lucky, you may be able to find a loophole to wriggle through.

You asked what a tiger might do. Well, a tiger would hardly put himself in such a disadvantageous position to begin with. Should he unwittingly find himself in such a predicament, however, he would endeavor to fulfill the terms of the contract with all due haste. Failing that, teeth and claws have their uses.

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Trivia Omnibus 2

What drupaceous fruit were Hawaiian women once forbidden by law to eat? Whats the most common non-contagious disease in the world? How many children were in Enid Blyton's Famous Five? What does VSOP stand for on a bottle of Brandy?

Another round of random questions of a trivial nature.

What drupaceous fruit were Hawaiian women once forbidden by law to eat? - This refers to coconuts. As to the reason for this somewhat odd taboo, I have no idea.

The most common non-contagious disease in the world is tooth decay. I suppose that is good news for the Dental Profession. Their services should be in high demand. However, it also points out that most of us do a poor job of following their advice.

How many children were in Enid Blyton's Famous Five? - There were four children. The fifth member of the Famous Five was actually a dog owned by the ringleader of the group, a yong lady named George. The Famous Five were the central protagoinsts in a collection of 21 young readers novels written between 1942 and 1963. Here's a link to the whole set at the author's aetherial space: http://www.enidblyton.net/famous-five/

What does VSOP stand for on a bottle of Brandy? - VSOP stands for Very Superior Old Pale. Brandy is distilled wine, that is the wine has been heated, the vapors collected and cooled. This removes most of the water from the wine and raises the alcohol percentage. Any wine with a an alcohol content above 15% is considered a Brandy. Brandies made in the Cognac region of France are considered Superior. They are made from distilled Champagne. French law dictates the labling of Cognacs. A congnac must be aged at least one and a half years to be labled VS, and at least four to bear the VSOP rating. The Old portion therefore refers to the aging. Pale refers to the use of white grapes, champagne grapes specifically, in the making of the wine from which the cognac was distilled.

Ask a tiger.

Trivia Omnibus 1

Which nation gave women the right to vote first?Which Ocean goes to the deepest depths?What is northernmost land on earth?Where is the Worlds Largest Aquarium?What country has not fought in a war since 1815?

Who am I, Jeeves all of a sudden? Does anyone remember that Ask.com was originally Ask Jeeves? Alright, well, here we go.

Which nation gave women the right to vote first?
New Zealand is often credited with being the first country to grant women the right to vote, in 1893; however, at the time New Zealand was not an independent nation. It was a semi-independent, self governing British colony. Also, while they could vote, women were not permitted to run for a seat in the New Zealand parlieament until 1919. Finland was the first independent nation in the world to give full suffrage, the right to vote and to run for office, to all citizens including women in 1906.

Which Ocean goes to the deepest depths?
That would be the Pacific Ocean. The deepest point on the globe is the Marianas Trench with a depth of 10,924 meters (35,840 feet) below sea level. The trench is located South of Japan and North of New Guinea.

What is the northernmost land on earth?
This geographical touchpoint is known as Ultima Thule, so named in 330 B.C. by the Greek explorer Pytheas of Massalia. Unfortunately Pytheas didn't take very good notes and no one could figure out just where this place actually was. The explorer Robert Perry was believed to have discoverd Thule as the Northernmost tip of Greenland in 1900. More recent explorations, however, have now set Kaffeklubben Island, a spot slightly north of Cape Morris Jesup (83°40'N, 29°50'W), as the spot.

Where is the Worlds Largest Aquarium?
As for natural aquariums, the smart-alec answer is that you will find it off the coast of every major continent. It goes by different names depending on what part of the globe you stand on when viewing it. However, that does not fit the definition of an aquarium as being an artificial enclosure. For the biggest such attraction one must travel to Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place, is billed as the "world's largest aquarium" with more than 8.1 million US gallons (31,000 m³) of marine and fresh water housing more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species.

What country has not fought in a war since 1815?
Switzerland has not fought a war since 1815, when the Congress of Vienna granted independence and neutrality to Switzerland.

Ask a tiger.