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Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 22, 2023 at 7:27am

COMING VERY SOON VIA AMAZON....DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE WEEKEND......MY 'MANHOLE COVERS' BOOK

Featuring 120+Manhole Covers from 40+ different countries, AND two special Manhole Cover cartoons from Heleen

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 19, 2023 at 9:47am

Job Interview Question And Answer: Why Are Manhole Covers Round?

This question was made famous when Microsoft began using it in job interviews. It is an example of a creative problem-solving question that is used to assess how a person approaches a problem with more than one possible answer, and to test their logic, common sense and ability to think through an unusual question in a high pressure interview setting.  

According to Joel Spolsky, one of Microsoft’s early program managers, questions like these distinguish between people who are smart and get things done, people who are smart but don’t get things done, and people who get things done but are not smart.

Microsoft must have been onto something, because this type of question has been adopted by many other companies as an alternative to more traditional interview questions.

A number of possible explanations for why manhole covers are round include:

• A round manhole cover cannot fall through its circular opening, whereas a square manhole cover could fall in if it were inserted diagonally in the hole.
• Circular covers don’t need to be rotated or precisely aligned when placing them on the opening.
• A round manhole cover is easily moved and rolled.
• Human beings have a roughly circular cross-section.
• Round tubes are the strongest shape against the compression of the earth around them, so the cover of the tube would naturally be round as well.
• It’s easier to dig a circular hole.
• Round castings are much easier to manufacture using a lathe.

                            (No, I didn't get the job)

Comment by Carien van Hest on June 18, 2023 at 6:15pm

Souillac, Corrèze, France:

Comment by Raphael Nadolny on June 12, 2023 at 2:25pm

Somewhere in Warsaw ....

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 9, 2023 at 8:11am

FOUR FROM HAN FISCHER IN EINDHOVEN, HOLLAND : BEDANKT, HAN

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 9, 2023 at 8:07am

FOUR FROM KATERINA, ALL FROM ATHENS (where Katerina is now living). THANKS, MOM KAT!

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 8, 2023 at 10:58am

Thanks Heleen, and sorry to put you under (even more) presssure. I have sent the completed-but-for-your- contribution(s) text to the people who will turn it into a book, and told them that I may add a page or two in the next few days, so there is no great rush (ie you have all of 17 minutes!). Send me something when you can, ajb. I can use 2 cartoons -- one at the end of the Intrioduction, the other at the end of the photo section. Regards, Val

Comment by Heleen de Vaan on June 7, 2023 at 7:25pm

Sure I love to make something(s). I altready made some pencil sketches, though in the coming days I'm too busy with work and other tasks so time is a bit a 'thing'. Saturday evening and the whole Sunday I'll have more time, but I see you need it sooner, so I'll try to do my best to proceed asap..

Comment by Valentine Mark Herman on June 6, 2023 at 9:22am

Bonjour Heleen,

Thanks for the cartoon message. I'm not tuned in to the world of comics -- except for Asterix, of course!

I had never heard of Kauka and Fix and Foxi before. I'm not going to apply for a licence to use that cartoon, because it would cost me time and money, and at the moment I have not much of either one; I'm trying to get the Manhole Cover book finished this week so that it will be ready for my exhibition at the start of September. And, as usual, I am far from rich (or quite poor!)

As to your very kind offer to make me a cartoon/illustration, I would like to accept if you can get me something by the end of the week. I don't have anything special in mind -- I'm sure your imagination for these sort of things is much, much better than mine (and I'm not very good at drawing cartoons anyway!), so just send me something usable.

To help you, there are two parts to the book -- the first a short (about 3-4 pages) introduction to the manhole covers in their historical and contemporary settings (I can send you, via email a draft of this if you like: it's too long for IUOMA); the second about 120 manhole cover photos (including some that you have sent me) from about 100 cities and 20 differrent countries. I would put your cartoon/illustration between the two of these.

Can you draw something for me, please, in the next few days?

Thanks, in advance, Val

Comment by Heleen de Vaan on June 5, 2023 at 10:22pm

Hi Val,

Not every cartoon is Disney :-)

On the second picture you can see the description. The comics is named Fix & Foxi, by German comic artist Rolf Kauka.

According to the description this 'Illustration with Rolf Kauka's Lupo, Fix & Foxi (1954)' was made by Dorul van der Heide and Werner Hierl. And it is copyrighted by Rolf Kauka's Comicosmos Establishment.

If you don't get a license, I could make some other illustration for the book. You just have to send me a message with your wishes / mention how the skater and the bystanders must look like, and I'll make you some sketches of which you can choose one which I then shall work out :-)

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