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Dr. Pepper,
My daughter didn’t figure out the proof; she was only 5 years old at the time. She just figured out the rule using examples like 3*5 and 4^2. I did the proof on paper once to satisfy myself that it would always work. Now I just use the shortcut to quickly solve math problems (like estimating the area of a 9″ diameter pie pan).
intellegent,
I might be wrong about the spelling on maps. I learned in school that “Q” and “K” were used to represent different Hebrew letters, and have found that transliterations in siddurim and chumashim seem to follow that convention. Apparently maps don’t though.
I’m happy to address you however you prefer. I thought that you’d mentioned misspelling your username when you created it, and I thought you might want to be addressed differently, that’s all.
Joseph,
I am aware that there are religious exceptions to laws prohibiting underage drinking. However, I think these laws are intended to allow children to drink small amounts of alcohol as part of religious services. (Yes, I do think it’s appropriate for children to drink small amounts of wine as part of kiddush). I don’t think these laws are intended to allow one to serve enough alcohol so that someone is “drunk and falls asleep from drunkenness”.
Do you advocate serving alcohol to those under 21 on Purim? If so, would you serve enough so that the person is “drunk and falling asleep from drunkenness”? I’d really appreciate an answer to this, since this is my third time asking you this question.
If so, please be aware that in many jurisdictions, one may be held liable for illnesses or accidents that result from serving excessive amounts of alcohol to those under 21.
Joseph,
Please understand that I’m not asking you for your opinion because I intend to follow your advice. I’m just trying to understand your point in citing m’koros for getting drunk on Purim.
Please answer the first part of my question: Do you advocate serving alcohol to those under 21 on Purim, even when this is against the law?
(If my opinion was not clear to any posters, I personally advocate neither of these).
Dr. Pepper,
The math for x+0.5 works like this:
x*(x+1)=x^2+x
and
(x+0.5)^2=(x+0.5)*(x+0.5)=x^2+0.5x+0.5x+0.5*0.5=x^2+x+0.25
So the square is 0.25 larger than the other product.
I did figure out the math when my daughter told me the trick because she was younger then and used smaller numbers, so I wanted to prove it would work for all numbers.
Thanks for the proof for squares of numbers ending in 5. I’d heard of that but didn’t know why it worked.
Note to mod: Would you please delete my previous reply to Dr. Pepper? I hit “send post” too soon. Thanks.
Dr. Pepper,
Also, the math for x+0.5 works like this:
x*(x+1)=x^2+x
(x+0.5)^2=(x+0.5)*(x+0.5)
notpashut,
I’m not offended. I just didn’t want you or intellegent to think I’d accuse you of making that up. By the way, intellegent, would you mind if I referred to you as intelligent instead?
This isn’t a riddle but a neat math trick my daughter figured out several years ago. If you take 2 numbers, x and x+2, their product will be one less than the square of their average. For example, 6×8=48, which is 1 less than the square of 7, or 49. This makes it easy to figure out a product like 19×21, since it’s just 20^2-1, or 400-1=399. If all of you already knew this, I apologize, but I thought it was neat (you can use polynomials to prove why this works).
A variation on this makes it easier to figure out the square of a number like 4.5. The answer is (4×5)+.25 or 20.25.
If anyone is interested I can post the proof. Or I can just leave it as an exercise for the reader (I always felt like this was a copout when I saw it in a textbook but it’s fun to write).
notpashut,
Please read my posts more carefully. I never said these signs don’t exist, just that I think they are mistakes.
Joseph,
Do you believe that one should serve alcohol to those under 21, even where this is against the law? Do you also believe that one should drink “until he is drunk” on Purim, even if he will be driving? Please explain.
I always thought the “q” was used to represent the letter “kuf” (as in, the letter after “tzadi”) while “k” or “c” would be used for “cof” (as in, the letter after “yud”). So I’d think “Eli Haquoen Street” and “Qotel” are mistakes, though the other names make sense.
brooklyn19,
Actually his wife, Julia Dent Grant, is buried with him.
asdfghjkl,
Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?
squeak,
Are you saying that the Torah mandates serving alcohol to those under 21 on Purim, even if laws exist prohibiting this? Does the Torah also mandate that adults drink alcohol on Purim, even if they are driving? Please elaborate.
ujm,
I wasn’t making a general claim; I was just describing my own experience. My cell phone bill lists the originating number for every call I receive. I’ve don’t take blocked calls on my cell phone (I don’t think I actually get any) so I’d never be charged for these. Thanks for sharing your experience.
ujm,
My cell phone bills show received the originating number for received calls. I’m charged for these calls, so the details show up on my bill.
Bais Yaakov maydel,
You are most likely correct that most rebbeim don’t drink too much. But if their talmidim are unable to see this, and use the fact that the rebbeim drink to justify drinking too much, perhaps the rebbeim have a responsibility to drink much less.
Also, isn’t it illegal to serve alcohol to anyone under 21?
Yanky55,
I never saw Get Smart but I did recognize the allusion. I’m just mentioning that so you’ll know someone noticed.
For those who are concerned about their sons using cellphones to text or access the internet, isn’t it possible to buy phones/ plans without these capabilities? Besides the “kosher” phones, there are other phones that only offer voice service. Examples of these are the Jitterbug (marketed to senior citizens) and, I think, some Tracphones (pay as you go).
I also find that _Joy of Cooking_ is a great all-purpose cookbook. Obviously lots of the recipes aren’t kosher but it’s a great basic comprehensive cookbook. I used it in the past few weeks to figure out the best way to roast a turkey breast & poach salmon fillets (I don’t make either of these too often so I had to remind myself) and both came out great; recipes were very easy. Because there are so many variations on basic recipes it’s easy to figure out how to adapt them to your specific needs.
azi,
I did grow up with a television (no cable though) in the house, and my experience was similar to yours. My parents barely watched it (except for the news); they spent much more time reading and of course my father spent most of his spare time learning. So I didn’t watch much television growing up and neither did my siblings. Most of my high school classmates did not have television; many of them watched television at their grandparents’ or at the families where they babysat. In general, my classmates who didn’t have televisions at home seemed to spend more time thinking about it than those who didn’t.
That said, I don’t have a television now. I think that television is less appropriate for children today than it was, and the frum community has changed a lot too. Most of my children’s classmates don’t have television so my children don’t really have access to one at all.
I think this attitude Itzik_s describes re: shidduchim is an extension of the general attitude among many people that only those who are look, dress, live, and behave exactly as they do are completely trustworthy and truly frum. If that’s the attitude people have towards their neighbors and children’s classmates, it’s not surprising they would expect at least at much from their son’s/ daughter’s future spouse.
SJSinNYC,
My SR read coupons very carefully (there’s a sign at the register that says to hand them over at the beginning of the transaction), but at least they take printables. I don’t shop there that often because they’re so strict it just feels a little stressful, but on some items they have the best regular prices and sometimes the best sales. My regular grocery store is much more coupon-friendly though.
havesomeseichel,
Nearly all coupons have a number code & matching bar code at the bottom. The first digit is always a 5 or a 9. If it’s a 5 then the coupon will double by default (if your store doubles coupons & according to their doubling policy) even if the coupon says “do not double” on the top. If it’s a 9 the coupon won’t double in any case.
Thanks for the quick reply Tzippi.
SJSinNYC, do you just put the whole container in the freezer without opening it first? And do you think the sour cream would be ok to eat plain, not just as an ingredient? Also, just a nosy question–was that Daisy sour cream? Because the cashiers at my SR are coupon cops & press the “don’t double” key because the coupon said “don’t double”, even though it started with a 5.
Another money-saving idea is to freeze berries in the summer when they’re cheap. Just rinse, drain, and spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then put them in a zipper bag when they’re frozen. That way they are individually frozen & you can take out as many as you need. I did this with blueberries this summer when they were less than $1.50/ pt.
SJSinNYC,
If you use the Lubavitch Spice and Spirit cookbook, you may have noticed that the fish recipes in the book do not use dairy, but substitute margarine or pareve milk as needed.
tzippi,
I’ve never thought of freezing cottage cheese. That’s a neat idea. Do you freeze it in the original container? If so, is expansion a problem? How long does it keep that way?
intellegent,
One good idea is to buy fruits and vegetables in season when possible. They will be cheaper and taste better.
squeak,
I hit return too soon on my previous post.
I followed your link. It indicates that Spanish conquistadors found potatoes in Peru in the 1500’s and introduced them to Europe. Then the potato was brought from Europe to the American colonies. According to the source you linked, Benjamin Franklin (who lived about 100 years after the first Thanksgiving) introduced the potato to the colonies. Thus, as I said before, the potato was cultivated in Europe before the Pilgrims reached America. So I’m not sure how you figure that I was incorrect.
squeak,
I wrote my previous post in response to you post “1845”
I followed your link. But the following link indicated that, as I mentioned before, Irish immigrants introduced potatoes (not sweet potatoes) to America, though as you noted they’d been brought to Spain from Peru
squeak,
I researched further and found potatoes were grown in Europe beginning in the late 1500s (they were native to Peru). So by the time the first Thanksgiving was celebrated they were common in many parts of Europe, and a staple in Ireland. In fact, Irish immigrants brought potatoes to North America in the 1700s.
So you are correct in that potatoes are not native to Europe, but they were actually grown in Europe before the first Thanksgiving. I still think you meant to write “sweet potatoes” and not “potatoes” on that list of foods that were new to the Pilgrims.
I know that the Irish potato famine happened 200 years after the first Thanksgiving. But I mentioned it because that’s what made me think that in order for potatoes to have become such an important staple in Ireland (so much so that a blight in this one crop caused massive starvation and emigration) it’s likely that potatoes had been grown there for some time by then.
squeak,
You may be correct that turkey, pumpkins, and maize were not native to Europe. But I’m certain potatoes were. They were a staple in Ireland; that’s why the potato blight in 1845 hit so hard and changed history. Maybe you are thinking of sweet potatoes?
Mrs. Beautiful,
I agree that spending time together as a family is the best way to spend Chanukah (and most other holidays). And young children often get really excited about seasonal tableware (another way to find these cheap is to buy at the end of the season for the next year). When my children were very young we would give them little treats on different nights of Chanukah (though not every night), for example chocolate coins or small stuffed animals.
When all my kids were young they preferred to spend time reading books out loud or playing games to eating homemade latkes, so I spent the time with them & we ate frozen latkes. Now that they are older, they appreciate homemade foods more, and have the patience to wait for them to be ready.
Bais Yaakov Maydel,
Are you saying that the incident with Yosef HaTzadik and Eishes Potifar happened on Kislev 25? I didn’t know that.
don’t have internet,
You can try calling extracare (call the toll-free number at the bottom of your receipt) to get your extrabucks. That’s what I do when I don’t get my extrabucks–sometimes the programmers get it wrong. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you.
don’t have internet,
Do you have a CVS extra care card? You don’t get sale prices or coupons without one. You may want to return the items for a refund if that’s the case. Or did your CVS used to be another store that wasnt changed over?
Bais Yaakov maydel,
Thank you for sharing that fact, but I’m not sure how that’s relevant to the discussion about gifts on Chanuka. What does the 25th day of December have to do with the 25th day of a particular Egyptian month? Are you saying that Egypt used the same solar calendar as the secular one used today, and that the incident of of Yosef HaTzadik and eshes potifar happened on the 25th day of December? And, if that’s the case, how is that relevant to giving Chanukah gifts except when Chanuka is on the 25th of December? Or are you drawing some kind of parallel with the 25th of Kislev?
Dr. Pepper,
I wasn’t in the least offended, and I see no need to stop addressing people that way. I think ICOT mentioned it because some posters prefer to know the gender of the person they’re addressing.
oomis & illini,
Thanks for the replies. I may try it but if I do I will subsitute for the flour & crackers (my daughter can’t eat these).
ICOT,
Thanks for clarifying that for Dr. Pepper. I’ve made it clear in other threads that I’m female, so I figured he knew.
oomis, I’m sorry I got it wrong. Actually that sounds even better, since corn bread is kind of crumbly. Do you know if this freezes well?
Thanks for the recipes.
oomis, I wouldn’t have thought of serving cornbread on Shabbos, but it’s a good idea. We’re having turkey breast this week, so it would go nicely.
intellegent,
On these deals CVS gives you back an amount less than or equal to the price of the item. But if you use coupons you can come out ahead. You don’t actually get money back, you get a coupon (that’s the extra bucks) printed at the end of your receipt that you can use on most CVS purchases (major exception is prescription meds) which expires in 30 days. Check out the website SJS mentioned; it explains how it works.
G123’s post about Chukas HaGoy reminds me of another random question I had and once posted on another thread:
Plaid skirts are generally worn by Catholic schoolgirls, so why are these not considered Chukas HaGoyim? Why are they part of so many Bais Yaakov uniforms?
havesomeseichel,
That is a great story. But I think the situation is a little different than the one most employees face. The lady in your anecdote was the customer, so even if the teller thought her request odd, he would tend to agree for fear of losing her business. An employee meeting new colleagues, superiors, or customers/ potential customers should be concerned about making a good impression.
One of my sons has become very interested in sports. I’ve never been interested in spectator sports but am interested in whatever he wants to share with me. (Sometimes if my older kids are interested in a topic I’m not interested in I tell them that normally I don’t find that topic interesting, adding that I do want to know more about topics that are important to them because I love them). It was more fun a couple of years ago when he was fascinated by animal facts; I really learned a lot from that.
Dr. Pepper,
Thanks for the quick answer. It’s been a while so I misspelled the name. I agree Carmer’s Rule is one of the least efficient ways of solving linear equations by hand, though that’s when I first learned it. It is a good method if you are programming though. Unfortunately I barely remember Diff Eqs anymore.
This isn’t a riddle but a factual question I’ve wondered about:
I’ve heard that Kramer’s Rule (a method of solving a system of x unique linear equations and x unknowns) was developed by the Vilna Gaon (who did, if I understand correctly, have that last name). This is something I’ve only heard/ read in Jewish sources but have never seen this verified. The author of Kramer’s rule is not identified anywhere that I know of, so I suppose it could be the Vilna Gaon, but it seems very unlikely.
Has anyone else found any verifiable source for who actually developed Kramer’s Rule?
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts”–Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
SJS,
The fewer people who know about the drugstore deals, the more that will be available for us.
I thought I remembered reading that sometimes young firls were married to protect them from the local (non-Jewish obviously) ruling officials, who would leave them alone if they were married but not otherwise. In those cases I believe the girls would stay in their parents’ homes until they were older. Does anyone else know more about this?