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Still not the context I heard it used in.
When I began teaching I tried a technique a teacher used on my class. I stood in front of the class pretending to be totally oblivious to what was going on, spoke in a monotone, kept a poker face and had a permanent smile. The object was to see who the instigators are, which kids start misbehaving once others do and which kids will never misbehave.
Almost immediately I started hearing comments like “OMG, this guy is such a Harry”.
This worked until some students who had older brothers or uncles who knew me figured out that I wasn’t as innocent as they thought.
Recently I started getting harrassing phone calls from a collection agency asking for Harry Pepper and I was wondering if a student got a credit card or something in that name and gave my address.
(I finally got through to an operator who was willing to talk like a gentleman and determined that it probably wasn’t a prank. He also gave me enough info to figure out who the real Harry is- although I never reported him to the collection agency.)
In any case, once I saw this topic I thought some one may be able to shed some light on what a “Harry” is.
It doesn’t fit into the context I heard it used in but it may have been misused.
How does it reflect on the recipient?
What’s a “Harry”?
YW Moderator-42-
The proof is correct but a different statement,
“If you take a bunch of prime numbers and multiply them by each other and add 1 you will get a prime number (2*3+1=7, 2*3*5+1=31)”
is not always correct as explained above.
squeak-
I found the answer there but it’s a little cryptic. It looks as if there was a post deleted (possibly from “ames”).
Slightly off the main topic.
Mattisyahu (the singer) was named Feivish Hershel and given the secular name of Matthew Paul.
When he grew up his Hebrew name was forgotten and he took the name Mattisyahu.
Eventually the certificate from his bris was located but he was told to continue using Mattisyahu since that’s what he grew up with.
Thanks, I must have missed it since I didn’t check it on a regular basis while it was active.
squeak-
I have no plans of publishing the book in the near future. I was trying to get you nervous.
Can you let me know where the hint is? I don’t recall this riddle being discussed before.
Thanks
squeak-
Sorry if I worded it wrong.
In most cases you will not get a prime number when multiplying a few primes and adding 1. If the number 2 is not one of the primes then there is no chance of (product of the primes) + 1 being a prime since it will be an even number and divisible by 2.
The exception to the above rule is when one of the primes is the number 2. In that case the (product of the primes) + 1 will be odd and the probability of it being prime is greater than 0% (but less than 100%).
Is this good enough proof?
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/funny-shidduch-stories/page/13#post-74799
squeak-
You may have been here since January of 07 but the CR hasn’t been around that long. Did you post the answer on the main page?
I did notice on an old post of yours that you were going to write an introduction about me when I publish my book. How’s that coming along?
How many people have to be in a group in order for the chance that two of them have the same birthday be greater than 50%?
(For simplicity assume that all years have 365 days.)
YW Moderator-42-
In most cases you will not get a prime number when multiplying a few primes and adding 1. The exception is when one of the primes is 2, otherwise if you multiply a few primes and add 1 you will get an even number.
Other than that the proof is correct.
Is there a a finite number of prime numbers? Prove that there is or isn’t.
A gift certificate to a local restaurant and offer to watch her kid(s) when she goes.
You’re probably correct.
(I’m not about to read through all the posts.)
Do you want me to post the solution?
If you read through the entire thread you should have come across that riddle already (the original one was with coins instead of balls).
I can’t believe no one mentioned pickles and ice cream or pickle flavored ice cream.
Back when I was a counselor at camp we went on a trip to an amusement park. We went on the water rides in the afternoon since that’s when the lines were shorter.
As you can imagine, I wasn’t fully dry by supper and when I tried to walk I was in lots of pain.
When the head counselor announced that “Bunk Yud Beis” should follow their counselor to the bus I stood up and told my bunk to follow me. A few second later the whole camp is roaring in laughter. I turn around to see my twelve campers waddling behind me like a duck family. The ringleader said “you did tell us to follow you, right?”
yiddeshamama-
Yikes, that was me, you seem to be taking the whole thing the wrong way. 🙂
Well anyway, it wasn’t really me but it reminded me of a story a girl told me about another guy she went out with. After the date, before he dropped her off, he asked how to get to the nearest Dunkin Donuts. My ex-date explained that she was lactose intolerant (and didn’t eat Cholov Stam anyway- I guess by default) so she asked to be dropped off beforehand. The guy explained that he will get totally lost if she’s not there to show him directions so if she doesn’t want to order anything she’s welcome to just watch him eat.
The worst part of the whole thing was that she lived in a small OOT community where everyone knew each other and a couple of friends saw her sitting there, with no food in front of her, across from the guy who was eating away.
Moderator-80-
It is kind of frustrating in the beginning since the center sphere has a different axis of rotation than the middle sphere but once you get the hang of it it becomes really easy.
There is also some fine motor skills needed but it gets easier in each subsequent attempt.
mtornek-
In the second paragraph you mentioned that parents are never around. I was trying to explain why parents aren’t able to be with their children as much as our parents were with us.
It looks as if other posters where getting at the same issue.
I already posted this story in a different thread but I’ll post it again for the benefit of those who haven’t seen it.
When I was single I went on vacation with a few friends. For lunch one day we went out to a fast food restaurant to eat. After ordering we found a table to sit at while waiting for our food to be ready.
The cashier called out to us that our meal was ready and one friend went to pick up the food. On the way back he tripped over a kid and the food went flying.
He sheepishly went to the front to order the food all over again and ask for a mop and broom to clean up the mess.
The owner, who must have been watching from the back, came out and told him not to worry about cleaning it up. He then told the cashier to replace everything for free. My friend insisted on paying saying that the owner shouldn’t take a loss since it wasn’t his fault.
“It’s my restaurant”, said the owner, “I want everyone who comes in to leave with positive memories”.
It’s been about ten years since the story happened, yet I still try to go back and patronize the establishment whenever I am nearby.
Max well-
I don’t know you so I don’t know what generation you are.
My mother was a stay at home mom until we were all in school. My father was still in college when he started working. When they bought their first house the monthly mortgage payments were less than 25% of my fathers’ after tax salary. (It was only three years later that my father got his undergrad and started graduate school.)
Fast forward to the current generation.
Even with a PhD, I’d be lucky if only half of my salary went towards the house which is much smaller than the one I grew up in.
Expenses have risen much faster than our salaries have, not only housing but cars, health insurance, tuition, food and just about anything else. It is very hard nowadays to live off of one paycheck without external support or charity.
smartcookie-
I stand corrected. I wasn’t considering the case where there is nothing wrong but the parents might not approve (i.e. blue shirts).
This doesn’t belong here but I didn’t think it warranted it’s own thread.
Did anyone try the Rubik’s 360?
I enjoyed solving it but I was disappointed that there was no strategy involved like the Rubik’s Cube or Rubik’s Clock.
Hopefully one should know their children well enough to know when they are overstepping their boundary.
Setting that aside- it all depends on the situation.
I think what it comes down to is if the person knows that what they are doing is wrong. When my in-laws came to visit shortly after we moved nearby my father-in-law pointed out that a mezuza or two was in the wrong place. Of course I’m happy he pointed it out. After spending close to $100 on each mezuza I might as well have each one in the right place.
On the other hand if I didn’t go to shul in the morning and my father-in-law would say something I’d probably feel differently.
This comes from a blog I used to read years ago. I don’t have time to post the whole thing now (maybe later) but here is an excerpt.
The girl appears to be very obnoxious and basically the only thing the two of them can agree on is that there will not be a second date.
Guy decides to bring up a factual topic incorrectly hypothesising that she will not be able to find anything to argue on.
Guy: So, what does your father do?
Girl: He’s a C.P.A.
Guy: My fathers’ also a C.P.A.
Girl: Well my father passed all 4 parts on the first try.
Guy: My father also did and he also scored a near perfect paper on two of the parts.
Girl: So why do you feel the need to brag about your fathers accomplishments?
My In-laws,
For letting me marry their daughter,
For being great neighbors and
For not being in-laws!
A Rebbe of mine related a story from when he was in high school.
There was a classmate who was a big massmid but had zero respect for secular studies. The Rosh Hayeshiva called him in to see what was going on.
The bochur explained that it was bitul zman since he had no use for a high school diploma anyway.
The Rosh Hayeshiva explained that that’s where he was wrong. “It’s bitul zman not to take secular studies seriously since you have to be in class anyway- you’re wasting time by not accomplishing anything.”
oomis1105-
It didn’t cost me anything except five minutes of my time, I didn’t realize until now that it saved him so much money.
Concerning the type of thoughts he has about Jewish people- when I met the rest of his family I learned that his wife and kids are Jewish. We found it very ironic that he is more concerned that the kids learn about their Jewish heritage than his wife is. He is the one who makes sure that they learn about the Jewish Holidays.
When a few families made a Purim Seudah (and we assumed he’d be at work) we invited the wife and kids. As fate would have it, they already made reservations at their synagogue…
I’m with rescue37.
(By the way- if I’m spending quality time with my kids I’m never bored.)
We’ve been there a couple of times and have not seen any reason to keep out. If anyone does know anything please let me know.
Setting that aside the kids love the place and we highly recommend it.
(The only “bodies” exhibit I know of is near the South St. Seaport attached to The Gap. I was able to get out of going shopping there with my wife!)
A Gentile was moving in nearby and I went over to introduce myself. He told me that he was having some last minute work done before he moved in on Friday.
Friday morning I was driving home and spotted a parking spot right in front of his house. I parked there, went into his house, asked a construction worker for his phone number and let him know that when the moving truck comes he can call me and I’ll move the car. (This would give the workers room to carry the furniture straight into the house instead of going to the end of the block first.)
Fast forward a few years.
Erev Tisha B’Av I’m walking to work and I see this neighbor helping his friend jump start a car. I stopped to help and after we got the car started the owner asked why I stopped if I don’t even know him.
My neighbor answered- “Wait til you hear what he did for me the day I moved in… I actually saved a few hundred dollars since I was paying the movers by the hour and they had to carry the furniture a much smaller distance”.
Can you describe the problem? Maybe some of us here can help.
I recently had a problem with an air- conditioner and was told that it’s not worth repairing (it’s a window unit and the price of a repairman to come into the house was more than the value of the AC).
A neighbor explained what the problem was and I was able to fix it myself for a few dollars.
I heard a speaker say this to teenage bochurim-
(You may want to replace the first instance of the word “problem” with “interest”, it’s a softer tone but it doesn’t fit as well.)
“Every male has a problem with females, any male who says otherwise is either lying or has a bigger problem.”
H-shem created this desire in the interest of keeping the population going for generations to come.
My wife was at the speech for teenage girls where the following was said, “There is a difference between being attractive and being attracting. While every girl could and should look attractive, acting in an attracting manner is a serious lack of tznius.”
By the same idea, girls should be fine going for walks and schmoozing with friends. Standing in front of one location for an extended period of time, while socializing and laughing in a loud manner should be discouraged.
Both are strictly forbidden- however, if one murders we are supposed to judge that person favorably that they have repented. When one takes their own life there usually isn’t any time to repent.
myfriend- Let’s say you’re approaching a yellow light and you notice someone is tailgating you. If you make a short stop and are rear ended- the person in the back is 100% liable. Being that you were involved in an accident you have the right to sue. Depending on how much you are asking for the insurance company may settle out of court for a modest amount. This is not what insurance is intended for. Now, assuming that you did not misrepresent anything, where is the fraud?
Legally there is nothing wrong with this, ethically there is. Payments caused by behavior like this, while legal, bring up the premiums for all policy holders.
Same with government benefits. While technically it is legal to put yourself in a situation where you will be legally entitled to benefits, it is ethically wrong as that is not what it is intended for (and you bring up the taxes for the ordinary hard working people).
I have no problem with anyone who is trying hard to make ends meet yet legitimately needs government help from using it.
As far as saying that “Government benefits were not designed to be used in financial planning” is “baloney” based on “legal advertised financial planners who will advise how to utilize Medicare, Medicaid, etc”, I’m going to disagree with you for three reasons.
1- Just because someone advertises- doesn’t mean that everything they do is legal. There are lawyers who advertise on the subway, does that mean that if they misrepresent the facts to get a larger settlement that it is legal? After all, they did advertise legally.
2- I never said it was illegal, I said that it’s not what it was meant for.
3- Are those advertisements geared towards college age students trying to convince them to drop out and live off the government, or towards families that need government help? Hopefully to families that already need the services.
myfriend-
I don’t see where SJSinNYC has a holier than thou attitude.
Let’s take a different scenario for example. Would you advise someone to make a short stop when they see a tailgater behind them so that they can claim whiplash and collect a large insurance payout?
Why not? Lot’s of other people do it, and besides the money can be used to support someone in learning. Also, after paying premiums for car insurance for so many years one is entitled to get back many times more than they paid. Right?
Just as insurance payments are intended for people who are legitimately injured or otherwise damaged in an accident (not those who put themselves in that situation to make money off the company) so too government benefits were designed for people who fall into a situation where they are trying hard to make ends meet but can’t. Government benefits were not designed to be used in financial planning.
The excuses that “everyone else does it”, “I paid taxed I’m entitled to it” or that “the money is going to support someone in learning” doesn’t make it right.
says who-
My brother has 4 kids. I don’t know the exact amount he pays for tuition but it is considerably less in Lakewood than in NY. (He also said that no one in Lakewood gets tuition breaks since then no one would pay tuition. I’m not sure how that works though.)
As far as being the only one to be a fool and not take money which wasn’t intended for them- you’d probably consider me to be a fool. If a store doesn’t charge me sales tax, I insist on paying by credit card so they are forced to charge the sales tax, otherwise I will not make the purchase. When our bank made a mistake in our favor I made numerous phone calls to fix the error and give them back the money which was not rightfully mine. When I had car repairs done on our car I offered to repay the insurance company for prior damage that was repaired.
I didn’t do this do save the government, bank or insurance company from going bankrupt, I did it so after 120 years I can honestly say that to the best of my ability I never took money from anyone that wasn’t intended for me.
SJSinNYC-
I mentioned this earlier on in the thread. My brother, who learns and lives in Lakewood, doesn’t receive any benefits from the government, or get any financial support from my parents or his in-laws. My sister-in-law has a degree from a diploma mill and probably makes the same salary as a teacher.
My brother said this is possible because he goes to a morning kollel that pays, receives a monthly stipend from the yeshiva, takes tests on what he learns to earn some extra cash, tutors, and goes to a night kollel that pays. (You may consider this a side job?)
When we visit our parents together I’m always jealous of how much time he spends learning, both in the house and at shul, and wish I could learn as serious as he does.
Sorry I left out the most amazing part…
Aside from his grades and family, this kid was overweight and I can only imagine how he played sports- yet when he described his classmates he seemed to be pretty popular for someone who didn’t have too much going for him.
I have a hunch that the parents of the other boys in the class asked their sons to include this kid in their games and social plans.
Had this kid not have had any friends in school I don’t think he would have had a chance.
I have a similar story to the second one.
When I was single I was asked to tutor (for free) a boy who was written off as helpless. Since it required zero preparation- or so I thought- and my personal expenses at the time were $10 a week I agreed.
The neighbor making the request explained that the boy comes from an abusive home- he gave me the details but it’s not worth repeating- and has no trust in adults. Even though he has no potential I would still be doing him a favor by getting him away from his house for an hour a day and by being there as an adult who he could trust. He did have great Rabbeim but they didn’t have the ability to give him the personalized attention he needed.
His mother gave me a long list of learning disabilities he has which prohibit him from retaining anything he learns. His Rebbe explained that even though he doesn’t know a thing of what they learn the school doesn’t leave him back since it won’t help (and at least this way he gets to socialize with kids his age).
I was told not to request him to do anything or correct him when he is wrong since he will take them as personal attacks.
On the first day he asked if he could read the translation of the Gemora from the English. Little by little, as the trust built up, I was able to correct him when he had the wrong translation or p’shat. One day, after reading a whole omud perfectly he closed his Gemora. “What are you doing?” I asked. To my astonishment, he said the whole omud by heart, word for word.
His mother later told me that for the first time in years his Rebbe actually filled out his report card, and his grades were in the 90s!
Next his mother asked me if I know anyone in yeshiva who could help her son in math since he wanted to learn how to tell time (on an analog clock). I told her I’d be happy to help him. After teaching him fractions he taught himself everything else and caught up to his class.
As it turns out, he was actually a very intelligent boy who never had a chance given his surroundings. I continued to tutor him just to get him out of his house.
This went on for three years, form 6th grade to the end of 8th grade. In 8th grade he applied to a respected yeshiva and was accepted but unfortunately his father didn’t let him go. His mother and siblings moved out of the neighborhood shortly afterwards and I saw them once and only for a few seconds since. (They came back to visit and were stopped by a red light as I crossed. His mother rolled down the window to say “hi” and thanks for everything. He was in the passenger seat and looked confident, much better than the scared boy he used to be.)
blinky-
Your teacher sounds like a teacher my sister-in-law had.
She was all excited at how easy it sounded to marry a long term learner and have everything fall into place all by itself. Her teacher claimed that her part time job supports her husband who learns full time and their family. They already made a few weddings, they receive no benefits from the government and they don’t owe anyone a cent.
My wife explained to her sister that since her teacher was only part time she was not eligible to receive health insurance from the school. From the amount of hours she teaches, it would be surprising if her paycheck covered more than the health insurance costs.
So my sister-in-law respectfully asked to speak with her teacher privately about her finances. The teacher agreed saying she had nothing to hide. After confronting her with the numbers she admitted that the school pays her much more than the average teacher and that she and her husband both have their own side jobs. The rest of the story unraveled after that.
However well meaning the teacher was, I think she took it a little too far with her naive students.
Please don’t get me wrong, I strongly advocate full time learning for those that are capable of taking it seriously and I would have no problem with a community supporting those whose learning is worth supporting. But please, don’t just take the teachers word- it’s not as easy as it sounds.
One of my brothers learns full time and gets no support from my parents, his in-laws or the government. His wife has one of those college educations without stepping foot in college.
He told me that aside from his kollel paycheck he goes to a morning kollel that pays extra, found a place that will pay him if he passes bechinas on what he learns and goes to a night kollel that also pays extra. (He probably also tutors on the side for some more cash.)
I have sent him some money in the past when unexpected expenses came up but not on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that he was serious about his learning from when he was born and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make it work.
My advisor at college- I don’t know why he did this for me since he’s not even Jewish, but I’ll always be grateful to him for this.
I first met him when I was considering transferring to a different college. One summer day I was checking out the college I wanted to switch to and I spoke to a random professor (who happened to have his office door open) about the curriculum. After showing him my transcripts and talking in “math” he said “you know, you’re the kind of student that makes this college proud, I sure hope you make the change”.
Sure enough, I enrolled in that college and was surprised to see that he was assigned to me as my advisor (I still don’t know if he had anything to do with it or not).
Some time later, he informed he of the last high level math course which I needed in order to graduate- and he was teaching the course. The day before the final I was in an accident and couldn’t be at the final. I got married right afterwards and couldn’t make up the final in time to get a passing grade instead of an incomplete.
Since that was the last math course I needed I hadn’t spoken to him in some time when he called me out of the blue to tell me that he was teaching the course again. He also informed me that since I waited too long the incomplete changed to an F. On the positive side, he was promoted to chairman of the mathematics department, and he has the authority to change my fail to a pass (otherwise I’d still have the F on my GPA) and waive the tuition fee for the course. All I had to do was retake the final- at home and at my convenience- and fax it back to him by a certain date.
I still don’t know why he took such an interest in me and went out of his way like that.
He had a heart attack shortly afterwards and I called the department all the time to see how he was doing. I was pleased to hear one day that he was well enough to prove the quadratic equation to all those visiting him. I them called him to thank him for everything.
All he asked for in return was for me to keep up with him.