Merlot54 Blog Comments (191)

RE: First date meal...paying half/going dutch with a woman

Maybe from your point of view. Which as you are aware is not a universal view.

RE: First date meal...paying half/going dutch with a woman

No, if you split the bill then you're even, she owes you nothing. She would then be put in an awkward situation, like she would be throwing herself at you. Just pay the bill and take your chances. A woman never paid any bill with me, not even when I was married and nothing was expected or refused.

RE: First date meal...paying half/going dutch with a woman

The way it works here is the guy pays for the meal and later he gets invited in for a "cup of coffee".
If you don't pay the bill you don't get "coffee". Simple.
If you haven't been getting "coffee" that's where you've been going wrong.

RE: The right to bear arms

Fair enough, it's your country. But maybe the regulation part needs to be looked at. Without infringing on rights. For example taking semi- automatics off the market, because they can be automated. We have the semi's but I don't think they can be automated. I never bothered with them. I always had bolt action rifles with 5 or 7 clips, more skill and fun.

RE: The right to bear arms

Interpretations change over time and people only see the modern and current version despite the original wording being still in place.

The full wording:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The first part:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,"

Although the first part is still in place it is ignored.

The whole idea of citizens being armed was to form a defence militia in order to defend against an attacking force.
That's is not only not relevant today but what happens today is not what your forefathers had in mind.

But of course the meanings of things change in America as I have been told, so my view is redundant.

RE: DiY - The Gap

It took me too long to write my post.

RE: DiY - The Gap

Without a photo it's difficult to say.

Usually we would use either white or clear Silicone filler. You shape the nozzle and when applied carefully there is no need to trim.

You have no control over the end result with expanding foam. It's not suitable for that type of job.
I had a gap along a timber joist in the roofspace at the dividing wall. I used expanding foam filler on it. That is an example.

The best way to remove an excess of foam filler would be to trim it off with a utility knife.

Post a photo if you want ideas.

RE: The CS wish list...

This isn't great but you can search for words on any documents that are open in your browser, incl PDF's.

Say you're looking for a word from a blog heading or the intro line only because that's as much as shows on the screen.
If you think it was appropriately one week ago and the word was TDS then go to the list of blog pages and select say page 4.
Then under the 3 dot menu select 'Find on page'.
As you start typing you will start to see similar words being highlited. You don't need to use caps.

If not there try another page, but look at the date last commented on the blogs on that page, esp the last one.
If you can't find the Find menu when on a computer just press ctrl+F or ctrl+f, to get a 'Find' box.

Try it, that blog is on page 4.

RE: Joe Biden Lifts the Lid on US Policy on Taiwan

I heard that but looking at their economy now it looks good. I don't have anything on it prior to 1999.

RE: Joe Biden Lifts the Lid on US Policy on Taiwan

I won't be around in 50 years to collect my bet.

RE: Joe Biden Lifts the Lid on US Policy on Taiwan

My own thoughts were that China held Taiwan in very high regard due to it's excellent economy and electronics manufacturing etc. So a valuable working asset to be owned but not altered.

China couldn't use military force or they would risk damaging it.

A government coup would be the only option.

From Wiki:
The economy of Taiwan is a highly developed free-market economy. It is the 8th largest in Asia and 18th-largest in the world by purchasing power parity, allowing Taiwan to be included in the advanced economies group by the International Monetary Fund. It is gauged in the high-income economies group by the World Bank. Taiwan is the most technologically advanced computer microchip maker in the world.

RE: FROM INDIA WITH LOVE part 2

Mind me asking is this coming from Teena or Teen.

RE: A virus that kills cancer...

Your article mentioned killing the cancer. So whatever vaxinia is it may work on killing an established cancer rather than preventing a cancer from forming. I don't know how these things work but I thought that one was medication and one was a vaccine. So maybe vaxinia triggers something that kills the cancer cells.
In that case there is still no hope of preventing cancer.

Coincidentally I heard on the radio that we still have billions of pox vaccines in storage which can if required be used against all these known poxes like the so-called monkey pox. So less to worry about there.

RE: A virus that kills cancer...

I wonder if this might be a version of "Vaccinia" which was an engineered version of the Smallpox vaccine. They were working on it about 20 years ago, maybe have been ever since with results finally showing now.

RE: Playing the magic square puzzle...

Having reached level 8, first up was this one and I learnt a lot from it only took about 1hr this time.

R1C1 = 1
R1C4 = 8
R3C4 = 2

4X4, 34, 20

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

RE: If the dress don't fit

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

It's a type of cognitive test question. I think I mentioned that it ended up on the wrong blog.

RE: If the dress don't fit

Some paperweight, Kim.

Hey Witchy congrats on your new photo.
Where's the Vogue rep when you need them.

RE: If the dress don't fit

Nobody's blown this one away, she's still here.

I'm not sure which one is gone Witchy.

RE: Playing the magic square puzzle...

I don't have any formulas so I started trying numbers in the corners, then diagonals and so on until something doesn't fit, then I start again. It took me till just before dawn to get it so I fail on time alone. At one point I got it finished but strangly two 2x2's were wrong, however combined they gave 68.
In the end I got the same numbers as Ted did in what 30 minutes.

RE: Playing the magic square puzzle...

Now that I've practiced a bit can I give you an easy 4x4. I did it with 7 given numbers. You guys might need less.

_ , 3, _ ,12
_ , _ , 4, _
16, _ , 9, _
_ , 10, _ , 5

M = n^3 + n / 2. Total 34.

Rows 4, Cols 4, Diags 2, Corners 1.
3nr 2x2 sq's in Cols 2 & 3
Total = 14 matches.

RE: Playing the magic square puzzle...

1, 8, 11, 14;
12, 13, 2, 7;
6, 3, 16, 9;
15, 10, 5, 4;

Ok I was looking at the wrong group.

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

I would but nobody has been able to figure out where the steam comes from or goes to, so someone can be the first to crack it I suppose.

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

Oh no, so my post ended up here, it was supposed to go on Crownys joke blog. I'm so Stupid.

RE: Playing the magic square puzzle...

I only see 6 2x2 squares at left and right, plus the centre one, that's 7. Where are the other 2?

RE: Playing the magic square puzzle...

Thanks, I didn't think of that.

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

Right......., don't tell me if you have to shoot me.

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

Yes, that is a given, but that which triggers it is completely silent until it enters the ear. Again you knew this.

RE: Space and the wonders of the universe

Sound itself is created in the ear. We learned this in secondary school so I'm guessing you already know this and are just having a bit of fun.