Thinking Outside The Box

After yesterday's post "You've Never Had An Interview Like This!", as promised I'm posting the answers to the Google interview questions. I think part of the weird question style is to throw the person off, but it's also to see if you can "think outside the box" and how creative you are. I've asked some odd interview questions (not as extreme as a few Google ones), but I do it just to see if someone can think fast on their feet. I want to hear an answer that isn't your standard run of the mill robotic response that most people give during interviews. I want to see how he/she does under pressure, when something out of the ordinary is throw at him/her, how well can he/she deal with the situation. I think that is also probably what Google is looking for.

If you got any of these questions right, pat yourself on the back because they weren't easy to answer. Keep in mind that although some of the questions do have a definite right or wrong answer, some of the other questions can be answered correctly in numerous ways. Consider yourself warned, you may feel like you are back in high school taking the SATs again.

1. Solve this cryptic equation, realizing of course that value for M and E could be interchanged. No leading zeros are allowed: WWWDOT - GOOGLE = DOTCOM

Answer: 777589 - 188106 = 589483 or 777589 - 188103 = 589486

2. How many different ways can you color an icosahedron with one of three colors on each face?

Answer: 58,130,055

3. Which of the following expresses Google's over-arching philosophy?

a) I'm feeling lucky
b) Don't be evil
c) Oh, I already fixed that
d) You should never be more than 50 feet from food
e) All of the above

Answer: b

4. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

Answer: Take off all my clothes, wedge them between the blades and the floor to prevent it from turning. Back up against the edge of the blender until the electric motor overheats and burns out. Using the notches etched in the side for measuring, climb out. If there are no such notches or they're too far apart, retrieve clothes and make a rope to hurl myself out.

5. How would you find out if a machine's stack grows up or down in memory?

Answer: Instantiate a local variable. Call another function with a local. Look at the address of that function and then compare. If the function's local is higher, the stack grows away from address location 0. If the function's local is lower, the stack grows towards address location 0. If they're the same, you did something wrong!

6. Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew.

Answer: A database is a way of organizing information. It's like a genie who knows where every toy in your room is. Instead of hunting for certain toys yourself and searching the whole room, you can ask the genie to find all your toy soldiers, or only X-Men action figures, or only race cars - anything you want.

7. How many gas stations would you say there are in the United States?

Answer: A business doesn't stick around for long unless it makes a profit. Let's assume that all gas stations in the US are making at least some profit over the long run. Assume that the number of people who own more than 1 car is negligibly small relative to the total American population. Figure that 20% of people are too young to drive a car, another 10% can't drive because of disability or old age, 5% of people use public transportation or carpool, another 5% choose not to drive, and another 5% of the cars are inventory sitting in lots or warehouses that a dealership owns but which no one drives.

There's about 280 million people in the US. Subtracting 50%, that means there's about 140 million automobiles and 140 million drivers for them. The busiest city or interstate gas stations probably get a customer pulling in about twice a minute, or about 120 customers per hour. A slower gas station out in an agrarian area probably sees a customer once every 10 or 15 minutes, or about 4 customers per hour. Let's take a weighted average and suppose there's about 1 customer every 90 seconds, or about 40 customers an hour. Figuring a 14 hour business day (staying open from 7 AM to 9 PM), that's about 560 customers a day.

If the average gas station services 560 customers a day, then there are 250,000 gas stations in the US. This number slightly overstates the true number of gas stations because some people are serviced by more than 1 gas station. (Actual number in 2003, according to the Journal of Petroleum Marketing: 237,284, an error of about 5%.)

You've Never Had An Interview Like This!

We've all been in the hot seat before, the job interview chair. It's never a pleasant experience, but it can go well if you've properly prepared yourself and you put your best foot forward. This isn't like "Meet The Parents". You can't easily woo your way into an employer's heart like you can with the Mom and Dad of someone you are dating. If you could, life would be easy. In the past I've done just fine when it comes to meeting the parents. You bring some flowers to dinner for the Mom and a nice bottle of wine for Dad, sit down, eat and don't say anything stupid like..."My intentions with your daughter are purely sexual. Let me tell you, she's a freak in da sheets!"

I've had the pleasure/displeasure of being on both sides of the desk. I know what it feels like to go thru a series of interviews, each guy drilling you with tough questions a little harder than the previous interviewer. I also know what it feels like to have that nervous potential would-be employee sitting across from me as I run thru his resume and hit him with my own style of questioning. At times it can feel like a bit of an interrogation, getting interviewed. Your palms may get cold and clammy. Your throat may get a lump in it. No matter how rattled you get, it's important to remember that although the person across the desk does hold the answer to whether or not you will receive a paycheck, he/she is also only human.

I can sympathize with anyone I interview. I don't want them to feel awkward or so nervous that at any second they are going to toss their cookies. I do my best to put them at ease. Yes, it is an interview and it should be somewhat formal, but at the same time - it's just me. I'm not someone scary, so they need to relax. There is nothing to fear. I've always felt uncomfortable myself if I watch someone give a speech who is a bundle of nerves. I don't know why that is, but maybe I can feel their pain. I can relate and I feel bad. Their tension somehow rubs off on me and I don't like it. Therefore, I do my best to put anyone who interviews with me at ease from the get-go. I let them know that I won't ask anything that I haven't been asked myself or I wouldn't ask of myself. It sounds nice right? Well little do they know that I've been asked some insanely tough interview questions and I ask alot out of myself. I suppose giving out that "comforting line", isn't that comforting of a thing to say after all...if they only knew.

One thing is for sure, I am willing to bet that not many people have had a series of interview questions like this before. Below are some actual questions someone was asked when they interviewed with Google. As you may or may not be aware of, Google is one of Silicon Valley's hottest tech companies and is opening up a branch in the Pittsburgh area. On average they receive 150,000 applicants a day and hire 9 out of the 150,000 each day. So as you can see, although it's a growing company, it's also a tough one to get into...which is probably even more reason why I am thinking of applying. The Pittsburgh branch won't open up for a few more years and I don't plan on living in the area for another year, so it's not like I really want to work for Google because I like running my own business. It's more that I want to see if I have what it takes for them to hire me. I'm kind of curious if I could make the cut. I like a challenge and if these odd questions below aren't challenging or weird enough for you, I don't know what is.

1. Solve this cryptic equation, realizing of course that value for M and E could be interchanged. No leading zeros are allowed: WWWDOT - GOOGLE = DOTCOM

2. How many different ways can you color an icosahedron with one of three colors on each face?

3. Which of the following expresses Google's over-arching philosophy?

a) I'm feeling lucky
b) Don't be evil
c) Oh, I already fixed that
d) You should never be more than 50 feet from food
e) All of the above

4. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

5. How would you find out if a machine's stack grows up or down in memory?

6. Explain a database in three sentences to your eight-year-old nephew.

7. How many gas stations would you say there are in the United States?

I have the answers to these, but I won't post them until a later date. See if you can figure any of them out. Good luck!

Question: Have You Visited Dwight Schrute's Blog?

First off, let me say if you don't know who Dwight is, then I need to smack you silly like this...Slap Your Irritating Co-Worker Day. Dwight Schrute is that loveable/annoying little geek from NBC's hit show "The Office". He's Assistant to the Regional Manager, a made-up title given to brown nosing bottom feeding employees to make them feel important, special and loved in the workplace. Apparently it works for Dwight as he isn't the least bit shy of letting the entire Dunder Mifflin Paper Company be aware of his prestigious title and power over what he refers to as "his subordinates", AKA fellow co-workers. A man by the name of Michael Scott heads up Dunder Mifflin and they say if you don't know a real-life Michael Scott in your workplace, chances are you ARE a Michael Scott. He's obnoxious, arrogant and always highly inappropriate with the lame and often derogatory/sexists jokes. It's what makes the show so funny.

The show takes place in Scranton, PA...AKA Bumfuck Idaho as they say. Sorry, offensive term? My blog has a PG-13 rating, so you'll live with the occasional obscenity. Anyway, I've never been to Scranton, but I hear it's a little hole in the wall of a town and in the middle of nowhere, which makes it the ideal setting for the show. Every character on the show was handpicked to perfection! You can feel the awkwardness and the pain in every line they deliver. It so much like the typical America office, that's the beauty of it. If you ever had to work at a job you hate, struggled to make a name for yourself or lived out of a cube for an office, then you will be able to relate to this show. Let's be serious, man wasn't made to sit in a small box for 8+ hours on end and when you force him to do that, he will act a little strange over time - it's a given.

So may I present to you Dwight Schrute's official blog titled "Dwight Schrute's Schrute-Space". It's a glimpse behind the crazed mind of one Dwight Schrute. Listen to him rant, rave and give you his worldly knowledge in the life and times of Dunder Mifflin's top salesman. It's enlightening reading material. I enjoyed...that's what she said. (If you didn't get that last sentence, then you need to set your TIVO to start recording "The Office" and catch-up on what you've been missing.)

My Dog Ate My Taxes

Don't you wish you could use the classic childhood excuse of "the dog ate my homework" to get out of turning in your taxes? Just like homework, taxes too suck! The more you make, the more they take. It's irritating, but it's part of living in America. So like everyone else, I will do my taxes. Actually I don't do my own because it's just too much of a hassle these days. Instead I will stop by to see my accountant. He's a loveable little fella that can't weigh more than a buck and a quarter. He is such the stereotypical book keeping nerd that it almost makes my visit with him comical. I can count on him to wear that ever so stylish signature short sleeve dress shirt. It will be buttoned tightly up to his throat, topped off with a tie that came out of 1988 and of course the black rimmed glasses are a must. No joke.

The guy is soft spoken, but hard when it comes to Uncle Sam squeezing an extra penny out of me. You gotta love that. I can't complain too much about tax time. It's not like I have to do much work when I have my nerd by my side. I am good at keeping my books in order when it comes to my business, so when March rolls around, all I have to do is hand all of that junk to my man Martin (that's the account's name or "Starvin' Marvin" as I've secretly nicknamed him) and he's got the rest covered. His fees are reasonable and although they seem to increase every year, I can understand that because each year I have more sh*t for him to wade thru - property, employee payroll, ect. Hey, I wonder if my dog can get me a tax break? Probably not if she eats the taxes.

Oh well. I'm not going to drag my feet and groan when I sign all those lines and seal all those envelopes. I've never owed on my taxes before, so hopefully this year I will once again get a nice check back. Then perhaps I will buy Martin a tie out of 1990...you know, upgrade the dude. He deserves something nice. Just keep in mind, there are only 2 things certain in life - death and taxes. So I suggest everyone temporally puts away that March Madness tournament poll you've been slaving over at the office and work on getting your taxes turned in before the IRS shows up for the big dance instead.

A Glimpse At Your Future PC

Technology is constantly changing, improving. New inventions to help simplify and better our lives are being developed every day. For the most part, these tech gadgets seem to be getting faster, more complex in function, larger in storing capacity, but yet smaller in physical size making them very portable to carry. They have become more user-friendly and affordably priced for the masses. In addition, most of today's hottest tech gadgets are wireless - allowing you more freedom, but still keeping you connected. The most widely used products are cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players and of course computers. So what does your future PC look like? Well rumor has it that it may resemble something out of a James Bond movie. See for yourself...

Look closely, but that isn't a pen with a hidden camera.

You are looking at something that would replace your PC in the near future.

The virtual pen-like PC in action,
projecting a keyboard and monitor that doesn't even really exist!

It is said that these pen-like virtual computers will use the Bluetooth technology to produce your monitor and keyboard on a flat surface. With it you could perform the normal operations you do on today's standard desktop system, the only difference being that the computer doesn't really exist. It's completely stored inside the "pen", which makes laptop computers obsolete in terms of portability. Simply slip the "pen" in your pocket and go, taking your PC with you, anywhere.

About a year ago in a speech given by Microsoft's Bill Gates, he said "you haven't seen anything yet". Could it be that he was referring to these futuristic designed computers? Only time will tell. Personally, I like to "feel" the product, not just see it. I don't think I will be too thrilled if my computer of the future consists of nothing else but some neon light shinning off my desk. I see the pros and cons to the product, but at this date and time, I'm just not feeling the virtual PC thing. Sorry.

Comfortably Numb

Friday night. Wind whipping. Snow falling. Treading on thin ice beneath my feet. Outside the weather was cold. Inside I was cold. Mentally drained from a long work week. Physically exhausted from not getting much sleep the prior few nights. Emotionally on edge from the stress and strain of the chaotic day. I didn't feel like being social. I didn't want to go out, but I did. To have a couple drinks. To take the edge off. To warm up that coldness I was feeling inside. A bitter vibe I was sending off. The frigid outdoor temps matched my frozen feeling. Numb to the world outside and numb to what was taking place inside me. Why not have a drink or two to numb the mind? Not too many. Just to be comfortably numb. I wasn't too worried. I've been here before and I know...this too shall pass. The buzzed feeling in an inebriated state - it passes. The numbness a sober soul can sometimes feel - it too passes. The morning would bring a brighter day. With it, a warmer me. The true me.

Many times we are selfish. We think our bad day is far worse than a bad day anyone else could possibly have. That there is no comparison. That it is a bad day of epic proportions. We may say that, until we look. Until we listen. Watch someone with tears running down their face. To see a hopelessness in their eyes. Lips speaking of things we can't comprehend. Listening to a story being told that scares us even to hear, let alone live it. It's on a level above us. A level that I have a hard time relating too. A world very different from mine. An area where I can sympathize, but not fully understand what it must feel like to stand there. Hands covered in blood. Adrenaline rushing thru your veins. Nothing rushing thru their veins. A blue child laying lifeless. A cold metal table against the skin of his back. Bright white lights shinning down on tubes and needles. Pumps and machines. Things protruding out of a little boy's chest where the only thing on his chest should be an NFL team logo displaying his love for the game of football.

To me it was a night that wasn't out of the ordinary. A few drinks, a couple laughs and that was that. Feeling tired, I longed to just spend the remainder of the night lying in my bed catching up on sleep. When she called me it was just after midnight. I was already driving home. She was unusually quiet. She didn't seem like herself. When I asked what was up and if everything was ok, she did her best to lie. She said she was "fine" and calling just to say hi. "Tell me something funny" she said. The sentence wasn't even complete before her voice started to tremble and the words escaped her. Obviously something was wrong. "Where are you" I asked. She told me she was still at work. Waiting for a co-worker she had car pulled with to complete her rounds. Then they could both go home. I asked if she wanted me to come and get her. To take her home so she wouldn't have to stand around waiting at the hospital. Normally she would say the standard polite response. Something like "oh it's too much bother, don't worry about it". Tonight it was "really, can you please".

When I arrived I could see the distraught look on her face. Eyes were red and swollen. She looked exhausted. I had seen that look on her face before. It usually appears when she loses a patient. They aren't your typical patients. These aren't old people who are sick. Theses are perfectly healthy children who have fallen into some catastrophic event. An emergency situation that renders their parents almost powerless. They turn to doctors and nurses who have the power to help. To heal. To save. Of course that is when things go as hoped for. When life is kind and forgiving. Sometimes things aren't always "fine". Sometimes the inevitable happens. Sometimes our worst fears are met head on. Sometimes the most horrific nightmares do come true.

I greeted her with a hug. Immediately it re-wet the tears that had dried. I asked if she wanted to talk about what happened. She was holding back. I could see the wound was still too fresh. There is no re-opening something that has yet to close. The pain was on the surface. It was overflowing. I wiped the biggest tear that had formed a small puddle in the corner of her eye. I told her I would think of that "something funny" she had asked me to tell her about on the phone. By the time we reached the car, I was wishing that "something funny" had come to mind so I could tell her. Try and make her smile. Maybe even laugh. If nothing else, I wanted her mind to become distracted. The ride home was long and quiet. She starred silently out the window. I put my hand on her knee as I drove. Similar to how my Mom use to put her hand on my knee when I was hurt. Rubbing her thumb lightly against the wound as if the touch alone would heal the injury. It did always seem to help. Maybe it helped when I did it too.

The "something funny" I was suppose to think of. I never could come up with it. At my house, I drew her a bath. I thought some warm water and bubbles might help ease her mind. As the water ran, I looked for a takeout menu. I put on some music to keep her company while I left to pickup some late dinner. Before I stepped out the door, a most fitting song began to play. Frank Sinatra's "When You're Smiling". It must of been the perfect medicine for her. She finds it funny that I have a Sinatra CD. She smiled asking "did you plan this, this song to play". I swore it was on random shuffle, but it did seem rather ironic. I couldn't miss the opportunity to make her laugh so I asked her to dance with me. It's important to note, that although the song is only 3 minutes long, it's more than enough time for a bath to overflow. A mop and a few wet towels later will confirm that fact. It's ok. I had finally delivered on the "something funny" she had asked me for. When I arrived back with the takeout, I found her asleep in my living room. Stretched out on the floor. A pillow holding her head. The fireplace warming her body. She looked so peaceful. For the first time all night, she looked relaxed. I couldn't bare to wake her. So I covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead goodnight.

The next day, she returned to work in the Children's ER. I don't know how she does it sometimes. She's strong for 24. In the past I have given her pep talks after losing a young patient. I wonder if my words help make her stronger. You can't save them all. It's the cold hard truth of the business. You can however do your best to heal those in need. It's a power not many people have. A power she has. A power I pray she never gives up on. I don't have power like that, but perhaps I have the power to make people smile. To make people laugh? I do like to believe that I have the power to comfort. To numb the pain for just one dance.

Bums Blog Too

In a different time, Michael Brown's story might have gone untold. The story of a homeless man. Thanks to the Internet, a bum can blog. 43-year-old Brown and his family were evicted from their Greensboro, NC home earlier this month. Since then he has turned to the public library and its computers for answers. Answers about what he should do with his life now that he is homeless. Once online, he couldn't find what he was looking for, advice from someone who was homeless. So he took up the task himself by creating a Bum Blog. He began posting to a Blogger account and from there he began telling his story...how he became homeless and how he was dealing with it.

That isn't Brown's photo, but it fit this story too well not to use.

Brown, who works part time at a Kohl's store, said he has been looking for other work. He was a graphic designer for 13 years until he was fired from a job in 2003 to what Brown claims as "unknown reasons" to him. He hasn't been able to find another job in his field and has worked various jobs or freelanced since. Eventually the bills began to mount and eviction came for the family, which includes a wife, 17-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. The family packed as much as they could into a 16-foot truck and the contents of their home are now in a 10-by-20-foot storage space.

I use the term "bum" loosely. I am aware that it may sound offensive to call someone a bum and I am aware that not every homeless person's story is the same. Not everyone becomes homeless because they drank their life away, ect. However, the circumstances surrounding Michael Brown's situation sounds like the thousands of other out of work tech savvy professionals. These days nearly all the once laid off Dot-Comers are gainfully employed once again, whether it be in their field of expertise or if they had to branch out their talents and pursue other avenues in terms of career choices. Few if any are homeless. So I can't feel too bad for Brown. He attended college, he seems intelligent enough if you read his writing, but somehow he wasn't smart enough to avoid falling "victim" (another term I use loosely) to being evicted from his home and pushed to the street.

His blog is called "View From The Sidewalk" - a look at the perennial problem of homelessness from a unique perspective, from someone who is currently homeless. It has become a way for Brown to vent, rant and reflect on his problems. He reveals the day-to-day travails along with his guilt and anger about the situation, not to mention his depression. Brown says that posting to the blog has been beneficial to him and released some frustration. He states that "it's kind of a form of a therapy". His blog shows how easily the free medium can be used to get a message out, empowering the powerless. Someone with literally no resources can be published and heard. The question remains, is anyone listening though?