Last blog entry, in compiling my list of crazy-but-true job interview questions, I failed to include one that should have made the list. Fortunately, my former Executive Producer Assistant, Trevor, was kind enough to remind me:
“Are you comfortable occasionally draining my pet baboon’s anal glands?” – Joe Mallozzi
To be honest, it wasn’t a question posited to test his lateral thinking. I just honestly wanted to know. Happily, Trevor was okay with it and, based on his response, got the job. I, on the other hand, sadly, never got my baboon who was lost in transit from Chad (both the place and the guy who took my order). I can’t help but think that, somewhere out there, some other family is enjoying Cedrick Pinkbottom III’s company.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer yesterday’s job interview questions. There are no right answers, just bad ones that don’t get you hired.
The following ten questions, on the other hand, DO have right answers. But you won’t get them until tomorrow’s blog entry (so pray I survive the night or you’ll never know).
Remember to think outside the box!
1. What can you put in a wooden box that would make it lighter? The more of them you put in the lighter it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
2. Which side of a cat contains the most hair?
3. Why can’t a man living in Canterbury be buried west of the River Stour?
4. Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
5. If you drove a coach leaving Canterbury with 35 passengers, dropped off 6 and picked up 2 at Faversham, picked up 9 more at Sittingbourne, dropped off 3 at Chatham, and then drove on to arrive in London 40 minutes later, what colour are the driver’s eyes?
6. A window cleaner is cleaning the windows on the 25th floor of a skyscraper, when he slips and falls. He is not wearing a safety harness and nothing slows his fall, yet he suffered no injuries. Explain.
7. John’s mother has 3 children, one is named April, one is named May. What is the third one named?
8. A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The examining doctor exclaims: “But, this is my son!”.
How can this be?
9. You have to choose between three rooms.
The first is full of raging fires
The second is full of tigers that haven’t eaten in 3 years.
The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns.
Which room should you choose?
10. Three of the glasses below are filled with orange juice and the other three are empty. By moving just one glass, can you arrange the glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?
Answers tomorrow!
[Source: The University of Kent].
I promise, no internet searches on this one…let’s see how I do.
1. What can you put in a wooden box that would make it lighter? The more of them you put in the lighter it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
Light particles.
2. Which side of a cat contains the most hair?
The outside.
3. Why can’t a man living in Canterbury be buried west of the River Stour?
You can’t bury people alive (legally anyway).
4. Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
No. Dead men can’t marry.
5. If you drove a coach leaving Canterbury with 35 passengers, dropped off 6 and picked up 2 at Faversham, picked up 9 more at Sittingbourne, dropped off 3 at Chatham, and then drove on to arrive in London 40 minutes later, what colour are the driver’s eyes?
My eyes are brown.
6. A window cleaner is cleaning the windows on the 25th floor of a skyscraper, when he slips and falls. He is not wearing a safety harness and nothing slows his fall, yet he suffered no injuries. Explain.
He’s cleaning the inside of the windows and only falls to the floor.
7. John’s mother has 3 children, one is named April, one is named May. What is the third one named?
John.
8. A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The examining doctor exclaims: “But, this is my son!”. How can this be?
The “man” is the one who survived, while his son (who is also a father) dies in the accident. The “man” (who is the son of the doctor) then goes to the hospital, where his father, the examining doctor, exclaims “But, this is my son!”
9. You have to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires The second is full of tigers that haven’t eaten in 3 years. The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns. Which room should you choose?
The second. If the tigers haven’t eaten in three years, they’d be dead.
10. Three of the glasses below are filled with orange juice and the other three are empty. By moving just one glass, can you arrange the glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?
Pour the second from the left glass full of orange juice into the 2nd from the right (empty) glass and then put the now empty glass back in it’s (second from the right) position. You have moved only one glass.
Oops. Make that:
Pour the second from the left glass full of orange juice into the 2nd from the right (empty) glass and then put the now empty glass back in it’s (second from the left) position. You have moved only one glass.
I know these answers, so I’ll leave them for others. 🙂
das
1. What can you put in a wooden box that would make it lighter? The more of them you put in the lighter it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
– A hole!
2. Which side of a cat contains the most hair?
– The outside!
3. Why can’t a man living in Canterbury be buried west of the River Stour?
– wouldn’t he be buried alive then?
4. Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
– Wouldn’t he be kind of stinking up the place?
5. If you drove a coach leaving Canterbury with 35 passengers, dropped off 6 and picked up 2 at Faversham, picked up 9 more at Sittingbourne, dropped off 3 at Chatham, and then drove on to arrive in London 40 minutes later, what colour are the driver’s eyes?
– My eyes are grey.
6. A window cleaner is cleaning the windows on the 25th floor of a skyscraper, when he slips and falls. He is not wearing a safety harness and nothing slows his fall, yet he suffered no injuries. Explain.
– He falls, then in an uproariously funny fashion, lands on an awning, then bounces dramatically into a swimming pool full of buxom blondes. Or, he’s on the inside.
7. John’s mother has 3 children, one is named April, one is named May. What is the third one named?
– John, I suppose.
8. A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The examining doctor exclaims: “But, this is my son!”.
How can this be?
– Mom, is that you?
9. You have to choose between three rooms.
The first is full of raging fires
The second is full of tigers that haven’t eaten in 3 years.
The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns.
Which room should you choose?
– Uh, the second one, since those tigers would be long dead. I suspect even the stink would have subsided by then, so.. bonus.
10. Three of the glasses below are filled with orange juice and the other three are empty. By moving just one glass, can you arrange the glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?
– *drinks the first glass and pees in the fifth one*
*admits that I’ve seen some of these before..*
1. Holes
2. Outside
3. Because is alive
4. He is dead. But in my country No its not illegal.
5. Brown
6. He is inside the building
7. John
8. The doctor is his mother.
9. The second is full of dead tigers
10. Take the second glass and pour the orange juice in the fifth glass
I loved everyone’s answers yesterday. Many made me laugh out loud. Joe, if you ever want your own comedy team for a new show you may developing, I think you have found them all in your blog. I, of course, will be happy to manage them. :p
When it comes to answering questions that just do not seem to have a good answer, the best response is: “Why do you want to know?” It is what I was told to ask if an interviewer ever asked an illegal question such as, “what is your age, are you married”, etc.
For your questions, Joe:
1. What can you put in a wooden box that would make it lighter? The more of them you put in the lighter it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
— Holes
2. Which side of a cat contains the most hair?
— The outside
3. Why can’t a man living in Canterbury be buried west of the River Stour?
— Because he is still alive
4. Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
— If his wife is his widow, then he is dead and will not be marrying anybody.
5. If you drove a coach leaving Canterbury with 35 passengers, dropped off 6 and picked up 2 at Faversham, picked up 9 more at Sittingbourne, dropped off 3 at Chatham, and then drove on to arrive in London 40 minutes later, what colour are the driver’s eyes?
— My eyes are green because I am the driver.
6. A window cleaner is cleaning the windows on the 25th floor of a skyscraper, when he slips and falls. He is not wearing a safety harness and nothing slows his fall, yet he suffered no injuries. Explain.
— He was on the inside of the building.
7. John’s mother has 3 children, one is named April, one is named May. What is the third one named?
— John
8. A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The examining doctor exclaims: “But, this is my son!”.
How can this be?
— The doctor was his mother.
9. You have to choose between three rooms.
The first is full of raging fires
The second is full of tigers that haven’t eaten in 3 years.
The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns.
Which room should you choose?
— The room with the tigers. After three years, they’d be dead.
10. Three of the glasses below are filled with orange juice and the other three are empty. By moving just one glass, can you arrange the glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?
— Why do you want to know? 😉
Dang, I see I didn’t get #8.
Good job everyone.
“…MGM Studios has partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment to work with Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin on a re-imagined trilogy based on the sci-fi hit Stargate!” Joe, is this true? It won’t have anything to do with the original anything Stargate, right? I’m on the fence about this
I’m so glad everyone has seemed to solve these questions. Stuff like this gives me a headache because you have to think. I don’t like to think too hard. And after yesterday I’m wore out! 🙂
Hey JeffW – you didn’t get #1 either. Light Particles? Come on! 😉
1. What can you put in a wooden box that would make it lighter? The more of them you put in the lighter it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
holes
2. Which side of a cat contains the most hair?
The outside.
3. Why can’t a man living in Canterbury be buried west of the River Stour?
A guy from Canterbury wouldn’t just lay there and let you bury him.
4. Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
He cannot consent to such an arrangement, but he can try putting that in his will. At least you won’t have to worry about inbreeding. At least I hope not.
5. If you drove a coach leaving Canterbury with 35 passengers, dropped off 6 and picked up 2 at Faversham, picked up 9 more at Sittingbourne, dropped off 3 at Chatham, and then drove on to arrive in London 40 minutes later, what colour are the driver’s eyes?
brown
6. A window cleaner is cleaning the windows on the 25th floor of a skyscraper, when he slips and falls. He is not wearing a safety harness and nothing slows his fall, yet he suffered no injuries. Explain.
He was inside.
7. John’s mother has 3 children, one is named April, one is named May. What is the third one named?
John
8. A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The examining doctor exclaims: “But, this is my son!”.
How can this be?
It’s his mother.
9. You have to choose between three rooms.
The first is full of raging fires
The second is full of tigers that haven’t eaten in 3 years.
The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns.
Which room should you choose?
The third. Don’t assasins have targets and why would I be it? And they wouldn’t have to worry about crossfire anymore if they saw me in the room with the tiger skeletons.
10. Three of the glasses below are filled with orange juice and the other three are empty. By moving just one glass, can you arrange the glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?
Yes.
New Stargate Movie Triology in the works.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mgm-warner-bros-launching-stargate-708044
At first I was a bit sad I’d missed yesterday’s blog, but the I read the questions. Uh, no thank you, I will just stay home and paint.
With regards to the box question, if the box was airtight, surely Helium would make it lighter? Even if it wasn’t, just pumping it into the box to the right level and quickly measuring the weight would make a difference. I think..
1. a. a blond, b. hot air c. paint
2. a. since a cats body is mostly cylindrical there are nearly infinite sides, b. if looking head on either side (right or left) would mostly have the same number on each side.
3. he is not dead yet. “Bring out your dead, bring out your dead!”
4. No, the most likely reason is because he is dead.
5. blood shot, or blue
6. He was working inside the building.
7. John, because June would be like naming him Sue.
8. The doctor was examining the dead father. or the doctor is the boys mother.
9. Door 2. because if the tigers hadn’t eaten in 3 years, they could be presumed dead, or you could be Mitch Rapp then you would choose door 3
10. Move the middle glass of orange juice and fill the middle empty glass with the juice; then put the emptied glass back down.
Regarding the “reboot”, it’s possible it could go either way – if it’s good (and more importantly, successful) it may encourage further development of other elements of the franchise. If it’s not (and I fear this will be the case) it could put the franchise to sleep for many years to come. Heck, there were a number of vocal fans that were all a-tither over SGU, and THAT was still part of the series universe. If the movie doesn’t get the fans, it needs to pick up a whole new audience, and I don’t know that I see that happening.
@maggiemayday – look at the end of my last comment from yesterday. We came to the same conclusion, it just took me a bit longer.
@Ponytail:
I’d argue that light particles and holes both make a box “lighter”! 😀
1. Holes
2. ?
3. Because he is still living in Canterbury.
4. Widow=dead husband.
5. Not that I would ever be driving a coach leaving Canterbury, but if I was my eyes would still be hazel.
6. He’s inside the building
7. John
8. The doctor is his mom.
9. The second room with the dead tigers.
10. Pour the second glass of juice into the fifth empty glass and put it back.
I thought of light particles first, but “holes” got me out of having to consider the grammar of that.
I’d do a lot better with these than with yesterday’s weird ones!
I liked Jeff W. and Duptiang’s answers to #1. That’s really thinking outside the box!
Joe, what is your opinion of the Stargate reboot? I am convinced that it will be made for the young male audience and not appeal at all to us die hard Stargate fans. It will be just like the Star Trek reboot, which was horrible and likely had Gene Roddenbury spinning in his grave.
1. Photons.
2. The outside.
3. He’s not dead yet.
4. No. He’s dead.
5. My eyes are green.
6. He only fell on the platform.
7. John.
8. The doctor is the dad’s wife.
9. The room full of tigers. They’re dead.
10. Empty the middle full glass into the middle empty glass.
I take the Fifth.
1. A hole
2. The outside
3. He’s not dead. That would be murder 😛
4. No because he would be dead?
5. The same as mine because im the driver, brown.
6.He was cleaning the inside of the windows.
7. John
8. The doctor was his mother?
9. The second, the tigers are dead.
10. Pour the juice from the second in to the fifth.
This isn’t about your test, but I just want to put it out there that I hate this Stargate reboot (of the movie) news with the fiery passion of a trillion sons! And more.
And suns……
I can’t even get my hate comments right. Damn it.
Jumping to question 10….I’ll drink a fifth or portion of a fifth of passion fruit vodka with the orange juice… ONLY after pouring it into the 5th glass to solve the problem THen we all win.
YEAH…to what everyone answered. They did SOOOOO GOOOOOOD, I only had to worry about what to do with the juice.
And we are all happy. Actually working on wine right now and feeeelllling OK!.
Cool blogs/questions….THANKS!!! enjoying them.
The series reboot … I recently watched the original movie… I can’t watch it again and again like I can the TV series. For me, unless the movie is REALLY REALLY good and brings in SOME elements of the TV series, I’m not sure I can watch it. But, maybe, just maybe, the movies can bring back the TV series, or at least a conclusion to them.
Fun! I love puzzles! Tough bunch!
1. Holes
2. The outside of the cat
3. I fear my geography is not up to this… yet I suspect geography has nothing to do with it. Is it because it would be cruel to bury someone alive?
4. Depending on where the widow’s sister lives… it is probably illegal for her to marry a dead man
5. My eyes are dark brown, thanks for noticing 😉
6. Glad he isn’t hurt so he can get up and continue cleaning the inside of those windows.!
7. John (but his nickname is June? Identity crisis!)
8. The doctor is the son’s mother
9. Um… if I’m choosing for my best chance of survival… then I guess I’ll pick tigers because they can either continue to not eat (me), or they haven’t survived being starved that long and are no longer a threat.
10. Pick up the 2nd glass and pour the contents into the 4th glass and then return the empty 2nd glass to its original place.
Damn! Counted wrong! I mean the “Pick up the 2nd glass and pour the contents into the 5th glass and then return the empty 2nd glass to its original place”
Wait, I just thought – what if the tigers are now ZOMBIE tigers? How horrible with that be, hmmm ?
This is an old one….
A man walks into a bar. He asks the bartender for a drink. The bartender reaches under the bar, takes out a pistol and fires it into the air. The man says thank you and leaves.
Explain. 🙂
“Are you comfortable occasionally draining my pet baboon’s anal glands?” – Joe Mallozzi Did you NOT read the news about the chimp that ate that lady’s face off? some other family is enjoying Cedrick Pinkbottom III’s company. Let that other family have their face eaten off. As they say in Memphis, “You guys be crazy!” Did you really ask someone that? 😆 He must have been a good friend already, right? Where did you get the name Cedrick Pinkbottom? You have an agile mind for sure!
Loved the questions and all the answers! Son and hubby shouted out answers too. (they love brain teasers) Das has the best response though.
JeffW: Impressive daughter!
I’m excited about the reboot. I enjoyed the Star Trek one and I realize this new version may be completely different. I’ll willing to give them a go! Any chance you can get in on the action?
#4 – Man marries woman. Divorces her. Then marries her sister. Then he dies. That’s how he married his widow’s sister!
Wow…OK then.
1. What can you put in a wooden box that would make it lighter? The more of them you put in the lighter it becomes, yet the box stays empty.
– A hole
2. Which side of a cat contains the most hair?
– The outside
3. Why can’t a man living in Canterbury be buried west of the River Stour?
– Purple? (I have no f’ing clue!)
4. Is it legal for a man to marry his widow’s sister?
– No, it is not legal for the dead to marry.
5. If you drove a coach leaving Canterbury with 35 passengers, dropped off 6 and picked up 2 at Faversham, picked up 9 more at Sittingbourne, dropped off 3 at Chatham, and then drove on to arrive in London 40 minutes later, what colour are the driver’s eyes?
– My eyes are blue.
6. A window cleaner is cleaning the windows on the 25th floor of a skyscraper, when he slips and falls. He is not wearing a safety harness and nothing slows his fall, yet he suffered no injuries. Explain.
– He is inside the building.
7. John’s mother has 3 children, one is named April, one is named May. What is the third one named?
– Either March or June.
8. A man and his son were in a car crash. The father was killed and the son was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The examining doctor exclaims: “But, this is my son!”.
How can this be?
– The doctor is his mother.
9. You have to choose between three rooms.
The first is full of raging fires
The second is full of tigers that haven’t eaten in 3 years.
The third is full of assassins with loaded machine guns.
Which room should you choose?
– The second room. The tigers would be dead after not eating for 3 years.
10. Three of the glasses below are filled with orange juice and the other three are empty. By moving just one glass, can you arrange the glasses so that the full and empty glasses alternate?
– Pour the 2nd glass into the 5th glass.
This came out recently Joe, its a new Sword Art Online 2 preview, its only like 25 seconds long and contains a very brief look at the upcoming season, with a slice of the new opening music playing during.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRmYC8UGcU4
Kiritos character has long hair now(It’s a special thing he qualified for..), also taking a sword to a gunfight lol. Anyway I think the song is pretty cool.
A little over a month now until the new season starts 🙂
WHAT ????????
go there:
New ‘Stargate’ Trilogy Announced With Roland Emmerich to Direct
Hi Joe
I’m on holidays, woke up at 5:30am and figured I’d try these:
1. Holes?
2. None. Cats have fur, not hair.
3. Because he’s alive.
4. No he’s dead. He can’t marry.
5. My eyes are brown.
6. Cleaning window from the inside.
7. John
8. Doctor was his mother.
9. Room of tigers. If they haven’t eaten in 3 years they’d be dead.
10. Pour the contents of the 2nd full glass into the 2nd last empty glass
I love these type of puzzles
Chev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5m3f8NsFUY
Guess which one I am? 😀
das
i’m still trying to figure out why you went to Las Vegas. You didn’t talk about any meetings – that I remember. The rest of the “gang” was there too. Kinda like ya’ll were just gathering and having a good time together. Why? Why would you all go to Las Vegas at the same time? Was this a celebration? You really didnt’ spend all your time together. You and Akemi walked the streets a lot. This new series reboot thing, is it gonna be your series? Whats really going on here?
Today’s news:
http://www.gateworld.net/news/2014/05/stargates-return-mgm-announces-new-movie-trilogy/
I am devastated that the 3 TV series contributions to the canon will be ignored, but delighted that the Stargate name and universe is being reborn. FINALLY.
Thank you all who were involved.
SG-1, Atlantis and SGU will always be the best part of Stargate.
2cats