• Auto mechanics
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• Commercial/industrial electricity
• Stage tech.
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• A car loaded with an unknown amount (weight) of passengers, luggage, supplies and gasoline.
• A piece of chalk
• A ruler
• A tire pressure guage
• A smooth & level paved area to park the car

Assume that the ruler and guage are as accurate as reasonably possible and that you are able to draw an accurate line with the chalk.
You may not use a scale, nor may you calculate the weight by looking up the cars' weight and adding up the weight of all the people and stuff. (How do you know people didn't lie about their weight?)

You have 10 minutes to complete the task.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-12-2003, 11:16 PM:
 
You forgot experience in porn. Oh no, wait we do have Phil on board!

I think this is a job for Evans.
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-12-2003, 11:34 PM:
 
Hmmm... does anyone have a large roll of (unused)toilet paper? I want to make a list of why I hate Brad....

>>> Phil
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-12-2003, 11:40 PM:
 
You'll want to get the kind like theaters have in their restrooms on those REALLY big rolls.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 08-12-2003, 11:49 PM:
 
Usually if you ask them if they are lying, they will start laughing.

Did I win?
 

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Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 08-13-2003, 06:56 AM:
 
Randy,
without actually doing the math (much too lazy this morning) one would measure the tire pressure and the area that the tires are in contact with the ground.
For example:
if each tire is at 25lbs/sq"
and each tire has 50 square inches on the ground
then you have 50x4x25=5000lbs

oh and it only took me 2min without a calculator

guess I'm not that lazy this morning

How about this:

A 4" water pipe is split off into 1/2" pipes. how many 1/2" pipes could that4" pipe feed while keeping the same pressure and capacity?
 

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Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 08-13-2003, 07:56 AM:
 

quote:

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You'll want to get the kind like theaters have in their restrooms

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quote:

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A 4" water pipe is split off into 1/2" pipes. how many 1/2" pipes could that4" pipe feed while keeping the same pressure and capacity?

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quote:

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A man hauling a delicate scientific instrument drives carefully from Huntsville to Decatur (25 miles) at 30 MPH. The instant he arrives, the instrument is removed from the back of the truck and he starts driving back. He drives 70 MPH the entire way back from Decatur to Huntsville. What is his average driving speed for the trip?

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About 42 MPH.
 

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Posted by Joe Beres (Member # 678) on 08-13-2003, 10:16 AM:
 
Ah, Story problems. It's been a while.

Scott, I got the same, 41.9997 mph.
 

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Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 08-13-2003, 01:53 PM:
 
How many "wipes" will a single roll of 250 square two ply toilet paper yield? I would presume there are many factors, such as the mass of the ass, what the person was drinking and eating, whether they wad it up, or fold the squares.....
 

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Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 08-13-2003, 04:45 PM:
 
Add 'Vacuum Tube Technology' and 'Musicians' to the list, Randy.

-Aaron
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 08-13-2003, 05:30 PM:
 
The only thing that Randy asked up there was how do you know they didnt lie about there weight.
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-13-2003, 05:55 PM:
 
Randy Said:

quote:

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Is there ANY subject upon which at least one member of Film Tech can't answer a question or give some salient information about?

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Nuff said about READING...

>>> Phil
 

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Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 08-13-2003, 06:27 PM:
 
Add manufacture & supply of socks.
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-13-2003, 07:46 PM:
 
Anyone know anything about plumbing?
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 08-13-2003, 08:05 PM:
 
Joe, the only thing you have to remember about plumbing is: The hot water is on the left and shit runs downhill.

>>> Phil
 

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Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 08-13-2003, 08:06 PM:
 
yeah! get a professional to do it. it will save you a lot of time and headache...
 

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Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 08-13-2003, 08:31 PM:
 
Dont forget, Payday's on Friday

Josh
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-13-2003, 08:37 PM:
 
A lot of us were in broadcasting.
Aviation - many pilots here.
Railroading (Steve Kraus really impressed me with his knowledge in this area.)
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 08-13-2003, 11:06 PM:
 
About the earlier speed and driving question I posed: 42 MPH is correct. I'm glad nobody just averaged the 30 and 70 and got 50. It shows people are really thinking.
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-14-2003, 10:23 AM:
 
That depends on your definition of average, e.g. mean, mode or median.
 

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Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 08-14-2003, 11:46 AM:
 

quote:

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Anyone know anything about plumbing?

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Tell me I'm not the only one with a sick mind... Phil knows a lot on that topic!!!
 

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-14-2003, 03:30 PM:
 

quote:

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Josh wrote:
Dont forget, Payday's on Friday

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Not at Madstone. It comes on various days of the week. Payday is always on the 15th and 1st of each month, or something along those lines (never been able to pick up the pattern as it does vary a bit). It's kind of funny, because the managers were giving us our paychecks when Fed Ex delivered them (a day or two in advance). We'd all cash them and suddenly Madstone freaked out, saying they didn't have enough in the bank yet to cover early cashing. So then we started getting the checks on or about the 1st and 15th. Sometimes payday is a Sunday. Even if payday is a Monday they won't give it to you on Sunday night because they are afraid you'll find a way to cash it.
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-18-2003, 07:14 AM:
 
And if plumbing isn't sick enough for you I seem to remember that Film-Tech can also offer expertise on the design and operation of crematoria...
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-18-2003, 03:51 PM:
 
Imagine that you walked into a room and saw this haphazard pile of cables lying on the table:



Can you tell me how long each cable is? (Measured in feet.)

FYI: The outer jacket of the cables is, of course, black. Black tape wouldn't show up very well. White tape was used instead of black for that reason.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-18-2003, 04:06 PM:
 
Of course I can tell you how long those cables are. Please email directions to the place and be prepared to pay for all expenses. When I get there I will unravel them and measure them. (You never said they couldn't be unraveled.)

That the best you got Randy?
 

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Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 08-18-2003, 04:10 PM:
 
I'm a Trademan Carpainter As Well as many other things , my present job is IT support for Air New Zealand , who knows what in the Future , Life is Fun
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 08-18-2003, 04:10 PM:
 
You could weigh the connectors and a piece of cable, then weigh the complete cables to quickly work out how long they are.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-18-2003, 04:26 PM:
 
Okay, okay... Let me rephrase:

Imagine that you walked into a room and saw the above-pictured pile of cables. Can you infer the length of each cable (in feet) just by looking?

No need to unroll them. No need to measure or weigh them.
Weighing wouldn't work anyway! The cables are all made by different manufacturers. Equal lengths of cable wouldn't have the same weight.

An intelligent person with a little bit of knowledge in electroncics should be able to tell how long they are on sight in less than a minute.

(Counting on your fingers and mumbling something about "Bad Boys" is allowed if you need to. )
 

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Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 08-18-2003, 04:44 PM:
 
Perhaps there is a color code corresponding to "dimensional" length of each cable, the way there are color codes for the value of capacitors and resistors?

I know the current capacity is usually written lengthwise, but the cable's linear dimension is usually specified on a tag or paper label when I buy them.

[ 08-18-2003, 08:54 PM: Message edited by: Gerard S. Cohen ]
 

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 08-18-2003, 04:50 PM:
 
Leo wrote:

quote:

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And if plumbing isn't sick enough for you I seem to remember that Film-Tech can also offer expertise on the design and operation of crematoria...

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I remember some yrars ago reading in a local newspaper about a crematorium in London that had an open day, where visitors could view the facilities, and talk to the staff. It was said there are a fair number of people who wanted to see where their final journey would take them, many were said to be pleased to see the way thay the place was run, and that their remains would be treated with respect.

I can't say I had any wish to go; I've been to crematoria a few times to dispatch various members of the family, but I have no remaining relatives, so my next visit will probably be the one I won't know anything about.

Most of us would probably prefer not to think about these places, but they perform a very necessary service. In places like here, in London, large numbers of people die every year, and land is in very short supply, there simply isn't the space for burial for most people. Also, most people today seem to prefer cremation, rather than burial.
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-18-2003, 05:12 PM:
 
For Randy's cables from the foreground back:

50'
45'
20'
25'
20'

If my guess was correct, that's a pretty neat way to mark cables.
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-18-2003, 06:29 PM:
 
Bing!

That's it! Resistor/Capacitor color codes were used.
(AKA: E.I.A. Color code. )

Use the mnemonic device, "Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly", and you will remember the order of the colors in the code:

Black = 0
Brown = 1
Red = 2
Orange = 3
Yellow = 4
Green = 5
Blue = 6
Violet = 7
Grey = 8
White = 9

The first two bands in a three band code are the digits. The third is the "power of ten" multiplier. (i.e.: How many zeros on the end.)

In my case there are two variations on the code. First, as I mentioned above, I had to replace the color black with white because black tape doesn't show up very well on black cables. Second, we would rarely ever have a cable that's longer than 100 feet. There's no reason to have a third band. If I ever do end up with a cable over 100 feet, THAT cable will have a third band. (BRN-WHT-BRN)

Start reading at the end closest to the connector. First digit then second.

Another trick: The MALE end of the cable is the end that has the code on it. You can stand by the plug box on the wall or at the end of your fan-out and plug the colored end of the cable in. Then you can walk along and pay out the cable behind you. You'll know how far you can go because of the colors. When you get where you are going you have the correct end in your hand to plug right in. (Presumably to a microphone on a stand or something similar.) There's also a piece of black tie-line attached to the male end of the cable (timber hitch) for you to tie the cable up in a neat coil when you strike the show. Assuming you coil your cables properly, you should be able to literally plug one end in and TOSS the whole coil of cable toward your destination. It SHOULD pay out, mid-air, and land on the ground straight with no tangles... IF you coiled it up right, that is!
 

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 08-26-2003, 07:48 AM:
 
Leo wrote:

quote:

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And if plumbing isn't sick enough for you I seem to remember that Film-Tech can also offer expertise on the design and operation of crematoria...

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quote:

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How do I get started?
You have already taken your first step towards a rewarding career in the cremation industry by your inquiry.

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quote:

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What size room do I need to have to house an IEE unit?
Generally, the size of the space required to house the unit depends on the unit and accessories. Commonly, there is space in the existing facility that may be utilized such as a garage. For new constructions a minimum size would be 20' x 30' with a 10' ceiling. Contact the factory for specific dimensions.

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A garage, , aren't crematoria normally purpose built, not just put into any old building which happens to be available.

Finally, in case you were about to place an order,

quote:

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*IEE's products are created to serve the funeral, cemetery
and cremation industries. We do not sell directly to the public."

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Is anyone actually thinking a installing a crematorium at home?
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-26-2003, 01:56 PM:
 
After the last funeral I attended (very sad: a colleague in my last cinema job who committed suicide aged 32) I did find myself asking how, exactly, one gets into the crematorium business. I could only come up with two answers: family connections (i.e. followed parents into the job), or making a sideways move from another local authority job. Without wanting to denigrate the people who operate crematoria in any way, I cannot think of any reason why anyone (without mental health issues) would actively want to get involved in running one. I suppose undertaking is a bit different - in some ways you could call it a 'caring profession' - but that hardly applies to spending 8 hours a day incinerating bodies.
 

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Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 08-26-2003, 06:26 PM:
 
Well, you have a steady supply of customers. Why not a cheap funeral service. Perhaps "EasyDead"
I know of a site in Milton on ....? that will be vacant.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-26-2003, 09:13 PM:
 
Customers don't talk back
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 08-26-2003, 09:21 PM:
 
And they're just dying to get in to see you...
 

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Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 08-26-2003, 09:27 PM:
 
They'll be the last ones to let you down...
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 08-26-2003, 09:32 PM:
 
1.5million BTU eclipse burners usually don't
 

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Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-26-2003, 10:23 PM:
 
Yeah, but the competition is pretty stiff
 

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Posted by John Hegel (Member # 628) on 08-27-2003, 02:29 AM:
 
Anyone have knowledge in keeping/maintaining a coral reef aquarium?
 

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 08-27-2003, 12:06 PM:
 
Leo wrote:

quote:

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After the last funeral I attended (very sad: a colleague in my last cinema job who committed suicide aged 32) I did find myself asking how, exactly, one gets into the crematorium business.

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quote:

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I've never seen jobs at places such as crematoria, diseased animal carcass incinerators, rendering plants etc., advertised, and it's difficult to imagine that people would think of these sort of jobs when selecting a career.

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quote:

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Do job centres hand out cards for these sort of jobs to people? I can imagine that some of the more sensitive people would be quite ill at the thought of being sent to one. Could someone be denied unemployment benefit if they refused to be sent to such a job? Could they object on moral or religious grounds?

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Given that recent story about the vegetarian who successfully took the government to the Euro-court after his local job centre suggested McDonald's, I would guess that the answer to that question is almost certainly yes. Besides, who needs to force people to work in these places if they don't want to? That's what we've got asylum seekers for!

quote:

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There was another television programme, several years ago, about various aspects of death, and they interviewed some crematorium staff, who didn't seem to mind the job. I think that, in time, you could get used to doing most things, but it's difficult to understand how anyone would get into it in the first place.

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