Quick Window Cleaning Updates

Barry Bujol Jr. (pictured), the man accused of trying to aid al-Qaida terrorists, and his wife were a reserved couple, neighbors said, who became devout Muslims about four years ago and who occasionally expressed feelings of disenfranchisement as black Americans. The 29-year-old Bujol is in federal custody, accused of trying to provide terrorists with global positioning instruments, cell phones and a restricted publication on the effects of U.S. military weapons in Afghanistan. Authorities said he had been exchanging e-mails with the charismatic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, the native-born U.S. citizen who also was in communication with the man accused in the 2009 mass killings at Fort Hood, Army psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan. Investigators say their rent had been reduced from $715 a month to only $6, because the husband claimed to be earning $75 a week from a bogus window washing company.

42 Ways of Supporting Jihad: Hard or impossible to stop, but a 29 year old "window washer" named Barry Walter Bujol Jr. was accused by a Grand Jury of trying to aid and abet al Qaeda terrorists by providing GPS devices and cell phones, along with military weapons information. The FBI JTTF began investigating Bujol two years ago when it was discovered that he was sending emails to Anwar al-Awlaki. Apparently al-Awlaki provided our would be American jihadist with a document titled, "42 Ways of Supporting Jihad." Bujol is being charged with providing support to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and identity theft (Bujol had a TWIC card) that could have gained him access to sensitive areas of sea ports. "This arrest is a sobering reminder of the threat we continue to face," said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Richard Powers. Joseph Varela, an attorney for Bujol, declined to comment on the case. Bujol is scheduled to have an arraignment on June 8, 2010 in Houston.

A moment of high drama at the FSA: The FSA (Financial Services Authority) has moved from fines to the fire brigade. One assumes the two gents involved were squeaky clean, but I understand the emergency services were called out yesterday when a window cleaner’s gantry got stuck halfway up the FSA’s Canary Wharf HQ. The pair of workers were brought down safely. What they saw up there we may never know.



A great-grandad has launched his own one-man war against rubbish in Ramsbottom. Jim Needham, a semi-retired window cleaner felt the town’s streets badly needed a clean-up. So he took the matter into his own hands, spending several hours sweeping up around Market Place. Jim, 66, of Central Street, said he was inspired to launch his solo cleaning campaign after returning from holiday with his wife Wyn. He said: "We were out in Prague recently, and it was just so tidy out there. It was really nice to walk around somewhere that you hardly see any rubbish at all. "Then we came back to Ramsbottom and there was a lot of rubbish here. But rather than complain, I decided to do something about it. "I haven’t done this for recognition, but just because I want the place to look nice.
"I think it seems to be having some impact. The problem is that if you have rubbish in an area, people are more likely to leave more around. "Things can have a knock-on effect which is why I have tried to help keep things tidy. It’s not a protest against the council, it’s just something I wanted to do." Jim has children Melanie, Lydia and Colin, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Paul Morris, of Ramsbottom’s Chocolate Cafe said: "Jim is a customer of ours. I came into work one morning to find he had been sweeping up for four hours in the Market Place, so I took him a few drinks. "He is the sort of person who is very pro-Ramsbottom and he likes the place to look good. That’s why he is determined to do his bit for the town."
A Bury Council spokesman said: "Mr Needham got in touch with the council to offer his services in helping to clean up the streets." He added: "We are delighted with his offer, and we will be in touch with him asking him to sign up to the Street Care pledge. "Many people have already signed up to this initiative, which encourages residents to take pride in their area, and we are grateful to them for their commitment. "We do regularly clean the streets of Ramsbottom, as we do all towns in the borough. It is very disappointing, however, that so many people drop litter in the first place and we urge them to dispose of their waste properly."

They fell and survived: a roundup of falls from balconies in Broward and Palm Beach counties (among other falls) -
Oct. 4, 1995: Gary Sainvill, 6, plummeted four stories after falling through a window at the Lauderhill complex. He was treated and released from the hospital after being treated for bruises and other minor injuries,
Nov. 9, 1994: David Pickwick, 40, a window washer from West Palm Beach, fell seven stories while working at the Hillsboro Landings condominium in Deerfield Beach. He landed on an aluminum carport, which helped break the fall. He was listed in critical but stable condition, suffering a broken rib and a collapsed lung.