From China To Chicago - Window Cleaning Bumper News

China: We want the most and biggest around ...skyscrapers, we mean! Good news for Shanghai's window cleaners: They won't be out of a job any time soon. According to a report released on Monday by Skyscrapers Magazine, there is a new skyscraper built every five days in China. This means that by 2016 there will be 800, four times the number in the US. Now you might be wondering if this number doesn't sound pretty low. Well, a skyscraper is only a skyscraper when it is more than 500 feet (152.4 meters) in height. That's also when it gets much more expensive to build. The extraordinarily high costs don't seem to hold people off. Wrap your mind around this fact: Jin Mao, Shanghais second tallest building, cost 20,000 yuan ($3,088) per square meter to build. "The appetite in China for high-rises, in the last five years and the next five, is bigger than ever before in the history of building," says Silas Chiow, China director for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the U.S. architectural firm, founded in Chicago, responsible for the Burj Khalifa.

The highest paid city workers in Chicago: As the City of Chicago wrestles with a $650 million budget deficit, one of its biggest expenses is the city payroll. In this Intelligence Report: What city workers are paid. Their names, positions and salaries have just been posted on Chicago's website. This is a fascinating look at how city tax dollars are used, from traffic cops to window washers, even the guys who boot illegally parked cars. You may be surprised to learn how much they are paid. Late Wednesday afternoon, the city put up its complete database of all 34,219 municipal workers. Their pay totals $2.5 billion dollars.

The top spot is occupied by this Garry McCarthy, who was approved Wednesday as Chicago's police superintendent, with a salary of $260,000. The man who appointed McCarthy, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is paid less, $216,210 a year. The third highest paid city official is Robert Hoff, fire department commissioner, at almost $203,000. It is the fire department that has the most highly paid employees; 952 fire employees are paid more than $100,000 a year. Even though the police department is almost three times as large as fire, far fewer police employees are paid six-figure salaries.

In all, there are nearly 2,400 city workers paid $100,000-plus per year. Consider: At Chicago's airports, the city pays eight window washers $43,000 a year. There are 582 people directing traffic. Full-time traffic cops each make $50,000 or more per year. Hourly traffic cops are estimated to make $18,800.

HONOLULU — Hawaii is paying $35,000 to rid the state Capitol building of bird droppings. KITV reports Wednesday the state plans to hire a contractor to install new bird netting and clean the building's windows. It's a month-long task that is expected to begin next month. Existing netting to keep birds from roosting on a ledge outside the building has deteriorated over the years. State Comptroller Bruce Coppa says the bid came in about 50 percent lower than expected because of the sluggish economy. He says the 42-year-old building needs other improvements such as fixing a leaky roof.

Are you spending too much as a landlord? Inflation is high, VAT is up and costs in general are rising significantly. It’s a good time to take stock of what you’re spending as a landlord and make sure that you’re running as lean and agile an operation as possible. What costs should you be looking at? Everything. If you use a lettings agent they’ll take a significant chunk of the rent and likely your profit. Ask yourself if you really need them. Upad can do all your advertising and you can do the rest yourself. If you’re self-managing, keep a list of everything you spend as a landlord from the petrol you through to expenditure on property maintenance, whether one-offs or regular. When it comes to something like window cleaning, for instance, could you be saving money by doing it every other month rather than every four weeks?

Water is becoming an increasingly valuable resource, particularly in Montgomery County where we need to conserve water and reduce our dependence on aquifer water supplies. Drip irrigation is another method for supporting that conservation effort besides saving us time and money. Home maintenance is an ongoing process. Why not make it easier by using drip irrigation for the flower beds next to the house and save yourself some chores in the spring? Since water is not spraying the house and fence, patching and painting are reduced. Windows aren’t sprayed, so less window cleaning is needed.

NEWARK -- City Council tabled a resolution Monday that would have appropriated $404,000 for capital improvement expenditures. Council members John Uible and Doug Marmie said spending money for landscaping and window washing does not meet the definition of a capital improvement and should be removed from the list.

Fish Window Cleaning named 2011 military friendly franchise: ST. LOUIS — Fish Window Cleaning has again been named a military friendly franchise by G.I. Jobs, a magazine published for veterans, according to a press release. The list "honors the top seven percent of franchises doing the most to recruit America's veterans as franchisees," the release stated. According to the release, the list is designed to help veterans learn which franchises give them the best financial incentives and training and which franchises have the highest number of veteran franchisees. "Military veterans can execute a plan, lead employees and are trained to overcome adversity. Combine this background and work ethic with an established franchise system, and you have greatly increased the odds of the business succeeding," said Sean Collins, general manager for G.I. Jobs.

Nice Name - Clever business names, and Gary likes the window cleaning mob on the Mornington Peninsula called Pane In The Glass. And nearby there's a builder who seemingly specialises in outdoor decks because he calls his business Deckhead.

Nice Advert - Job Title: Detail Cleaning/Window Washing. Local company is looking for mature, reliable, self motivated people who have the ability to take 'ownership' of the building they service. Background searched. Wages negotiable. Marshfield, Neillsville, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Cadott, Rice Lake. Must be 18 or over.

Water pressure may go down in the U.S. - 9-Year-Old's Science Fair Project Saves City Thousands of Gallons of Water. According to a report from The Reno Gazette-Journal, Mason's ingeniously innovative idea was borne from an experience he had two years ago. One day, he was at the a local baseball field enjoying a hot dog with his mother, and afterwards he visited the park's restroom to wash up -- but the water from the faucet was so strong that is was almost too painful for his little hands to bear. That's when he stumbled upon a simple discovery: if the tap was turned down halfway, it was actually just as effective. The youngster began to suspect something which most adults had never thought of -- that reducing water pressure could save a lot of water. With this theory in mind, and his school's science fair approaching, Mason set out to prove it. He tested his theory by using a half-gallon bucket and a stop watch, measuring how much water came out within a certain amount of time when the valves were wide open and when they were turned half off. The tests were conducted three times each at his house, his grandmother's house and a friend's house, with a resulting savings in water use ranging from almost 4 percent to 23 percent. Since 2009, the park has reduced the water pressure in its facilities, saving an untold amount of water and saved 20 percent off their utility bill each month. And sure enough, the idea started catching the attention of the local water authority, TMWA. There are meetings planned to determine where Mason's idea can be implemented, like in other parks, public schools, casinos, and private homes. Ultimately, turning down the pressure on some water lines won't just be a boon for the environment, but for the other areas as well. "You know how teachers have kind of been losing their jobs?" Mason told the Gazette-Journal. "If we turned down every valve at every school we have in the Washoe County School District, with all that money we can save, we can save at least one teacher's job." Oh, and by the way, his project took the top prize at the science fair.

Martyn Pearce, of Lincoln Avenue, Saxmundham, was sentenced to a year in prison when he appeared before Ipswich Crown Court yesterday. The 22-year-old had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to four counts of handling stolen property. Pearce and two of the others, including his brother Christopher, 18, were arrested during one of several raids on a house in Crown Street, Leiston, being rented by Erin Savery. Sentencing Martyn Pearce, Judge Peter De Mille said: “It’s absolutely clear to me that the address where you were all living at the time was used as a repository for stolen goods. “The evidence clearly shows that you, Martyn Pearce, were the principal offender. It’s the prosecution’s case that you were a professional handler of stolen goods and in my judgment there is no doubt on the evidence.” Christopher Pearce, also of Lincoln Avenue, Saxmundham, was sentenced to a 12-month community order and told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a four-month curfew between 9pm and 7.30am. He had admitted two counts of handling stolen goods. Roger Thomson, mitigating, said both brothers had been involved to a greater and lesser degree in working for a window cleaning business while they were awaiting sentencing. However, Judge De Mille said residents and shopkeepers would be concerned if they knew the brothers were washing their windows.

A 50 year old window cleaner is punching above his weight after beating more than 400 young bodybuilders in an endurance challenge. Steve Ellwood, from Wantage, lifted two 16kg dumbbells more than 850 times in 50 minutes to win the Dragan Challenge at Birmingham NEC. Yet the grandfather-of-two was the only contestant over the age of 30. The part-time personal trainer said he wanted to win the competition to mark turning 50 after finishing second last year. He said: “I was determined to win this year – it was a great feeling. “I got a lot of pats on the back when I finished. I was walking around afterwards and everybody was congratulating me.”

The new national endurance lifting champion, from Park View, in Garston Lane, said his achievement showed age should not be a barrier to fitness. Heart rate monitors showed his heart was beating as fast as a cyclist competing in the Tour de France. He said: “It is a very hard working competition – sweat was pouring off me. Everything hurts – from your toes to your head. “But what I do is I forget about it, and forget about how many I have done and the time flies.” Mr Ellwood has been lifting weights since he was 11 after his dad bought him a chest expander.

He said: “It makes me feel great. It makes me look better and it makes me feel better.” He trained four times a week for four months ahead of the challenge. In a gym in a spare room in his home he practiced with 20kg dumbbells Wife Sandy said his family were proud of his success. She said: “It is marvellous. He worked really hard. But he is really fit – he is always running about.

Sudbury youth entrepreneurs get a boost: Four Sudbury youth-driven businesses are receiving funds from the NOHFC. The province announced funding of $96,051 for young entrepreneurs who are offering new products and services, and creating jobs in Sudbury. “Sudbury's future is being shaped by the entrepreneurial spirit of our youth, whom are actively supported through the NOHFC,” Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci said in a news release. “These young entrepreneurs are an essential part of our business community and contribute to local growth, job creation and prosperity.” A grant of $25,000 each will go to Born to Shop Boutique, a downtown women's clothing store; Squeegee Gang, a window-cleaning business; and Northern Screams Party Store. The funding has been allotted under the Young Entrepreneur Program, which assists Northern residents aged 18 to 29 start their own private enterprises in Northern Ontario.

Window cleaning: In every street there is a Ms Judgement and a Ms Honesty. One day Ms Honesty decided to visit Ms Judgement. As soon as Ms Honesty arrived, Ms Judgement began to complain about her new neighbours. "She is a terrible housekeeper", said Ms Judgement, "you should see how dirty they are... and as for her house! It is a disgrace to live in the same neighbourhood. Just take a look at the clothes she has hung on the line; see the black streaks on the sheets and towels". Ms Honesty walked up to the window to look. "Actually the clothes are quite clean, my dear. The streaks are on your window!" she exclaims. Like Ms Judgement, how often am I deceived by my own dirty windows into projecting my own 'misjudgements' externally, fully convinced that I am seeing the truth? The original seed of misjudgement colours everything I see. So each interaction with my neighbours reinforces my attitude. Until a Ms Honesty arrives. Only then do I look closely at my eye-windows. As I begin the process of cleaning the dirt from the outside of my windows, I notice something interesting. There is also dirt on the inside. The dirt outside is the product of external influences, atmospheres, opinions and attitudes. The inside dirt is of past experiences, perceptions and assumptions unconsciously colouring my vision.

The Window Fashion Pros Introduces SunClean Self-Cleaning Glass for the Synergy Pro Series. SunClean Self-Cleaning glass is coated to achieve hydrophilic and photocatalytic properties that make it much easier to clean. The durable and transparent coating is added to the glass while it is being formed so it isn't just a layer that will peel off; it is an essential component of the window's outer surface. The photocatalytic properties make it possible for UV rays to energize the surface and slowly break down organic dirt, and the hydrophilic properties turn water into evenly distributed sheets across the surface, rather than beads that leave spots after drying. And when used in conjunction with advanced Solar Control Low-E Glass products, the maintenance is even easier.

Extract of an exclusive interview conducted with Foreign Employment and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera. He talks about social welfare, migrant workers and new ventures of the Foreign Employment Bureau: - Another new employment opportunity with higher salaries is available in Qatar and similar countries for Sri Lankans with least educational qualifications. It is ‘Window Cleaning’. This job does not require higher educational qualifications. But it needs a proper training. Qatar and similar countries have a large number of high-rise buildings with huge glass windows. Well-trained workers are required to be employed as window cleaners to clean these windows. The companies pay higher salaries for them. Sri Lankans will be trained with the assistance of relevant foreign countries and companies in order to employ them as window cleaners.

Burnley man convicted of hunting badgers: Jeffrey Johnson, 34, a part-time window cleaner and father of three, told the court he was walking his dogs, the terrier and a lurcher, in the area and they had been chasing rabbits. Jeffrey Johnson told Hyndburn magistrates that he had been digging close to a badger sett in Altham because his terrier had got trapped after chasing a rabbit down a hole. He denied having any interest in badgers but was convicted after a trial. Johnson, of Forfar Street, Burnley, was fined £270 and told to pay £265 costs. John Wood, prosecuting, said Johnson was seen stood in a three foot deep hole with a spade in his hand by badger enthusiast Stephen Broadbent, who was carrying out one of his regular checks on the sett.

As Sean Welby stood in line at a check cashing agency in Pacific Beach to pay his overdue water bill, he wasn’t expecting to meet an angel. But that’s how the 44-year-old Clairemont man described his experience the other day. After Sean paid his bill, a gray-haired lady who had been standing near him approached. She said, “I have something for you. I’m your angel for today,” and she pressed a piece of paper into his hand. Sean opened his fist to find a $100 bill.

Astonished, he thanked and hugged her. “You have no idea how much this means to me,” said Sean a struggling self-employed window washer who cares for his elderly father. She smiled and replied, “The one thing I ask is that you pay it forward,” then she handed him a second $100 bill, saying her mother had died and left her some money she was sharing with others. Sean immediately set out to pay it forward. He got change and handed out about $65, in $5, $10 and $20 bills, to strangers who looked like they could use a little extra cash. He never learned his benefactor’s name but says her unexpected gift has transformed his life … not the cash so much as the caring behind it.

Sean says he suddenly went from not wanting to get up in the morning to bouncing out of bed with a smile on his face. “Everyone has heard of Cloud 9,” he says, “ well I’m on Cloud 10 or 11.” Just sharing his “kindness of strangers” story with others, he says, brings him joy. “There are good people out there.”

You're a Yekke? How cool. Yekkes - (Jews with origins in the German-speaking countries). The Yekkes were also willing to do any kind of work, adds Merhav. "There were academics among them who became window cleaners, lawyers who became bus drivers, doctors who became poultry farmers and historians who sold handbags." "Yekkeness is no longer a matter of ethnicity, but rather a kind of Israeliness," she adds. "Even my cleaning woman, an Arab from Jaffa, tells me she is a Yekke and refuses to leave until she has cleaned all the windows in the building."

A SCUBA diver who is taking the plunge in the publishing world visited a seafront aquarium at the weekend to sign copies of his new book. Patrick Shier is a well-known diving instructor and runs Kent-based Exclusively Scuba Diving School. And his new book, UK Dive Guide, is expected to go down a treat with fellow enthusiasts. She added: “He’s widely recognised as one of the best diving instructors in the country.” Patrick and his team of divers are regular visitors to the aquarium and have helped with a number of sub-aquatic tasks over the years, including underwater window cleaning and appearing as a scuba Santa Claus.

The downturn in home building is getting a lot of blame for the nation`s high jobless rate. Unemployment in the construction industry tops 16 percent, and experts say construction and other related businesses account for nearly one-fifth of the economy. Diane Eastabrook looks at how the housing slump is rippling through the Chicago area. Steve Sobkowiak built the 3,600-square-foot home on spec, and he says it took roughly 175 people to do it. That goes from your architect, your engineer, demo, all the way through framers, electricians, plumbers, all the way through final cleaning, window washers, everybody. The jobs created by the construction of this one home clearly illustrate why the stagnant housing industry is weighing so heavily on the rest of the U.S. economy. Experts estimate one construction job can generate at least two more in other areas like landscaping and painting. And when construction tanks, it can take those other jobs with it.

From its roof to its four-level underground parking garage, the almost 20-year-old Berks County Services Center is slowly crumbling, the county commissioners confirmed Thursday. However, the commissioners said the areas cordoned off are where contractors are taking test bores, essentially drilling into the concrete walls and ceilings to test the structural integrity of the building. Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach said corners were cut when the services center roof was installed in 1992. Anchors on the roof intended to tie off window washer platforms were not properly maintained, which is precluding contractors from using the anchors to repair the facade, Leinbach said.

An ELLESMERE Port man has become an internet sensation with almost 2,500 people signing up to his Facebook page. Fleabay is being managed an Ellesmere Port resident who refers to himself only as Mr Fleabay. Selling anything from baby clothes and children’s toys to cars and house clearances, the site’s popularity has soared over the last two months. Mr Fleabay, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “It’s been brilliant.As well as offering items for sale, some people give things away for free or offer swaps for other items. Others offer or seek services such as window cleaners, van hire or even a caravan to rent for weekend getaways. “I have had loads of feedback and people seem really happy with it,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, if I can help people that’s all that matters really.” To find the site, go to www.facebook.com and search for Fleabay Ellesmere Port.

Ukulele revival: A small Hawaiian four-stringed instrument, conceived in the early19th century, is enjoying a spell of unparalleled popularity at the moment. Sales of the humble ukulele are outstripping those of any other instruments, pushing electronic keyboards and guitars into second and third place. Demand is said to be so high that music shops are selling stock as soon as it arrives. The factories (mainly in China) simply can’t keep up with the UK ukulele renaissance. The ukulele, or uke as it is affectionately known, is commonly associated with George Formby with his window cleaning, lamp-posts and little stick of Blackpool rock.

Vandalism causes store to give up on expansion: When J. Sylvester and John Carlotti opened their antiques store at 60 E. Broadway in October, they said they were excited about the move and committed to downtown Eugene. The antique dealers plunged into fixing up the new space, refinishing the floors, pulling down the venetian blinds from the 26 12-foot windows, and hiring a window washer to make the windows sparkle. “We made the mistake of making (the space) apparent,” Sylvester said. Within a 48-hour period, he said, a window in Cone Ball was scratched, a side window in the shop was defaced with paint, the freshly cleaned windows of the annex were covered with spittle and finger- and faceprints. Then, one of the windows in the annex was shattered, Sylvester said. He and Carlotti reluctantly decided to cancel their expansion plans.

FINANCIAL DISTRICT—A tipster wandered past New York by Gehry/8 Spruce Street/Beekman Tower yesterday and saw the window-washing equipment in action. A few shots above. Says our tipster, "Not sure how this equipment will work over the waves. Good thing Frankie didn't use titanium."

'Montco Madoff' Sentenced 3 To 7 Years for Thefts from Entrepreneurs: On Thursday afternoon at the Montgomery County Courthouse, Bala Cynwyd businessman Robert Krikorian, a.k.a. the "Montco Madoff", was sentenced to three to seven years in state prison on theft charges, with an additional 35 years of probation following the successful completion of his prison sentence. Krikorian spoke on his own behalf, apologizing to the victims but also defending his character and the good things he did before the thefts. "I'm not a criminal," Krikorian said. "I made a mistake. I'm no thief." During both victims' testimony, Krikorian, dressed in blue prison attire, sat silently with his head down. "I live like a single mom now. I'm taking care of my kids and working full time. This has devastated us, and now we're back at zero," said a victim, who requested her name not be used due to the sensitivity of her husband's work. "I've heard the statements made by Mr. Krikorian's attorney, as well as his friends and family members who have said he's been a reputable business man for many years.

When the economy went sour is when they said he began to do these things." "That's a disgrace! You don't ever have to steal money from someone," added the victim, as she stared angrily at the man who had taken $22,500 from her and her husband. Krikorian then went on a rant, citing various good deeds he had done since he came to America in the 1970's, including helping a homeless man find work as a window washer, and loaning a friend $30,000 to close a business deal. His victims began to groan, and some of them actually had to avert their eyes, as to not look at the man who had stolen so much from them. "I have helped so many of my clients. My clients today are millionaires," continued Krikorian. "My guidance and my coaching have helped hundreds and hundreds of clients." After Krikorian's bizarre allocution wrapped up, Judge Smyth rendered his decision, sentencing the defendant to three to seven years in state prison, dating retroactively to Nov. 10, 2010. In addition to the prison sentence, Krikorian was ordered to make restitution to the victims in the amount of $692,000.51,

Fun runs and walkathons have been a fund-raising hit for non-profits. But critics say too little of the money makes it to the finish line. On a crisp autumn day in Richmond, Va., the view from 25 stories up was absolutely horrifying. Jeff Sigmon, a 51-year-old commercial-property manager, was about to rappel down the side of the city's second-tallest skyscraper, and he was having second thoughts. After all, the would-be Spider-Man had just a few minutes of training, and he could barely breathe in his tight-fitting harness. It didn't help that the man ahead of him had just popped over the edge in a pirate costume, complete with a long, shiny sword. Sigmon paused at the precipice and posed a rather pertinent question to himself: "What are you doing? This is insane."

Sigmon got interested when he read about the "Over the Edge" fund-raiser for Special Olympics Virginia. His 3-year-old niece Katie has Down syndrome, and he liked the idea of making a grand gesture. Sigmon signed up, used the nonprofit's online fund-raising tools to launch a Web page featuring an adorable photo of himself and Katie in her flowery pink dress, and set about asking for money. He felt awkward soliciting from friends and fellow churchgoers to make the event's $1,000 fund-raising minimum, so he stuck with e-mail and focused on business contacts. His company made a big donation, and he had good luck with vendors, including local electricians and window washers. He even kicked in $300 from his own pocket.

When D-day rolled around, Sigmon felt fantastic, and the practice jump off a three-story parking garage was easy. But the 25-story slide down the mirrored SunTrust Center? Sheer terror. As crowds cheered from the plaza 400 feet below, he slowly fed his harness's heavy ropes through pulleys blazing hot with friction and focused on the sky's reflection in the glass. Looking back, he's glad he had the guts -- he blew through the event's fund-raising minimum, raising $2,520. Only a portion of his contribution will fund programs for kids like his niece Katie, however. Like many athletic fund-raisers, the Richmond event cost a lot to produce. It raised $61,000, but Special Olympics Virginia says it paid a for-profit production company $24,000 to stage the event and shelled out another $2,100 for catering, brochures, posters and fund-raising tools.

UBS’s Potential Abandonment Is Killing The People Of Stamford, Connecticut: Earlier this week, we discussed the possibility of UBS moving out of its Stamford, CT building (which houses the largest trading floor in the world) and into New York City. Peter Charpentier says, “The State of Connecticut should be begging them to stay. I’m a man who believes in trickle-down economics. You take away UBS and it affects everything and everybody. What happens to all the restaurants? How about the window washers? The elevator operators? The janitors, the gardeners? It would be disastrous.” UBS is currently negotiating for space at 3 World Trade Center, an 80-story office tower planned for Lower Manhattan, and Mr. Charpentier wondered why anyone would want to move there. “You couldn’t pay me to work at a World Trade Center tower,” he said. “Have they forgotten about 9/11?”

TORONTO: A 43-year-old man was struck several times over the head with a squeegee after he refused to have his window cleaned at a Toronto intersection. According to police, a man approached the victim's car and started cleaning the window while it was stropped at a red light southbound on Spadina Avenue at Queen Street at about 3:50 p.m. on Monday. The driver rolled down his window and asked the cleaner to stop. When the cleaning continued, the driver got out of his vehicle and approached the man. The driver was then punched and repeatedly hit him over the head with a squeegee tool, police allege. "The assailant took the squeegee and struck the victim over the head a number of times," Const. Tony Vella alleged.The driver suffered a cut to his head and was treated in hospital before being released. Jason Ortiz, 23, faces charges of assault with a weapon.

SALISBURY – For 18 years David Harrison had listened to tenants who lived in a rental house he owned talk about having strange experiences and seeing things they couldn’t explain in the old house on Highland Avenue. There were stories of a mysterious black cloud that would appear in a hallway at night, voices speaking in a whisper about a fire, and the sound of children running up and down the stairs. According to Harrison, the group set up their recording and detecting equipment several times and actually captured voices on tape whispering what they say sounds like the words “fire,” “by the window,” and “get out.” He also says they captured a short image of a cloud forming in the hallway that appeared to take on the shape of a woman or child. On his own, Harrison had discovered at least one clue to the home’s past. While working on the house he found that there was a drop ceiling below the home’s original ceiling.  Looking more closely he discovered that the rafters of the original ceiling were burned, some severely. The house was built in 1910.  Harrison says he can trace the history to about 1950, but doesn’t know anything about the house prior to that date.  He says there were no fires after 1950. He says the only other experience that he has had personally involved a bottle of Windex window cleaner that disappeared from inside a room where he was working alone one day. Harrison is opening the house as an art gallery, “and more,” as his sign says.

While some college and university students might be goofing off like actors in a beer commercial this summer (as my songwriting friend Dr. Dave Shamchuk likes to refer to the beach volleyball crowd), most will be out in the temporary workforce until late August struggling to top off their tuition accounts. To that end, if you can hire a student, do it. Painting, window washing, and landscaping have long been mainstays for undergrads motivated more by finances than fun.

Coronation Street - Soap blog: What a shame that window cleaner Daft Graeme doesn't change the water in his bucket as often as he changes his mind. Then all the windows on his round would be sparkling clean. Technically, sleeping with his missus Xin isn't being unfaithful, apart from it being a sham marriage and Tina is really the love of his life. But having decided to "divorce" Xin last week, he now has second thoughts. "I think I'm in love with my wife," he tells mate David.