Wednesday 3 November 2010

Tom Cruise Cleaning Windows + Other News


Cruise That At The window? Star Tom Films Stunt... 124 Floors Up - It wasn’t exactly the view they had expected from the 124th floor of the world’s tallest building. As they looked out from the observation deck of the 2,717ft skyscraper, Daniel Mathew and his family were suddenly confronted by Tom Cruise – dangling in mid-air outside the window. The 48-year-old Hollywood star, suspended by several safety wires, was filming a stunt for Mission Impossible IV. The scene sees him chasing another actor around the outside of the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai. Mr Mathew, who lives in Dubai, said: ‘


My sister Caitlin is visiting from our home town of Norwich. I told her I was going to show her something really special and took her to the tower with my wife and kids. ‘When we got there we saw this pair of legs outside and assumed it must be a very brave window cleaner. 'Then Caitlin shouted, “That’s Tom Cruise!” I said, “Don’t be ridiculous”, but sure enough, it was. I grabbed my camera and he smiled and laughed. ‘He was cool as a cucumber. Anyone brave enough to film up the Burj Khalifa Tower deserves a Hollywood pay cheque.’ Pictured: Adrenaline junkie: Tom Cruise runs along the side of Dubai's Buri Khalifa, the world's tallest building, as he films scenes for the fourth Mission Impossible film.

The cost of cleaning the windows at Foster & Partners’ City Hall in London has spiralled to £13,600 a month, new figures reveal. The unusual design, nicknamed “the glass testicle”, means highly specialised cleaners are needed to wash the 30,000 panes of glass. But the £145,000 annual bill for 2010/11 is more than twice what it cost when the building opened in 2002. The latest monthly cleaning bill was £13,600, though the building is not cleaned every month. Previous news blog also here. More pictures at the link.

Knight rides in to the rescue with a plan to clean up: A window cleaner has a clear vision of how to clean up in business with the addition of a new wheelie bin scrubbing service. As Enfield Council rolls out wheelie bins in Winchmore Hill, Southgate and Palmers Green, Richard Knight is seizing the opportunity to offer his existing customers the option of a spruce-up for their rolling recycling receptacle. Richard, 42, who owns Knight’s Cleaning, said: “It’s difficult out there at the moment. Everyone’s started doing window cleaning now. I bought a water system – a purified water tank that fits in the back of the van – which I had for the windows, and I thought that I might as well start another business. So I can go round and, even if the people are not in, I can clean their bins. “I’ve been working for 12 years and I can say that Enfield people are very house proud so I expect they will want to keep their bins really clean.” With the tank holding 230 litres of water, Richard and his assistant will wash bins inside and out with bleach and freshen them up with an odour spray. Householders will pay between £3 and £5, depending on how many bins they have, and there will be a discount for those having their windows done as well.

Soldier Tom returns to Afghanistan: A former window cleaner from Scarborough has returned to Afghanistan for the second time. Private Tom Revitt, 20, left Graham School and worked with his cousin washing windows when he joined 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment. Now he is serving as a machine gunner in the Nad-e Ali area of Helmand province. Working alongside members of the Afghan National Army, his job is to protect his fellow troops, as well as to train up his Afghan counterparts. His previous tour, in a similar role, was in Sangin. Tom is looked up to by younger soldiers on their first tour. It also gives him a perspective on progress being made. Tom said: “The local population understand much better why we are here and the Afghan soldiers are becoming a lot more capable and skilled. “I was obviously a little anxious about coming back to Helmand, at the same time, it’s always exciting to get to do the job you have trained for. Tom is based at Colchester Barracks in Essex, where his battalion has its headquarters.

Man who burgled five Bristol properties is jailed: A long term drug addict who burgled five Bristol properties, including four in one day – has been jailed for 18 months. Simon McLoughlin broke into a home in Hanham where he had cleaned windows, helping himself to an iPod and laptop computer. Three months later the 30-year-old, who is of no fixed abode, burgled a house, two pubs and a sports and social club in one day. McLoughlin was arrested and admitted one charge of burglary. He asked for four further offences of burglary and one offence of theft to be taken into consideration.
Mary Harley, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court, told how the defendant first raided the home of Jason Bateman in Church Road, Hanham, on July 16 this year. She said the defendant had offered his window cleaning services to Mr Bateman and a neighbour and the day before the burglary had asked his victim for £10 payment. The court heard Mr Bateman did not have the money then so the defendant returned when he was out and stole his laptop and iPod. The defendant had been stopped by police while he was carrying the items but the burglary had not yet been discovered and he was allowed to continue. He was later arrested when Mr Bateman returned home and found his property missing.
Ms Harley said McLoughlin was on bail when he then committed four burglaries on October 19. She said he broke into the Kingswood Colliers public house and stole cash from a fruit machine. He also broke into the Brass Mill public house in Keynsham where he also broke into a fruit machine. Ms Harley said the defendant also burgled a home in Samuel White Road where he stole two televisions. He also broke into Bitton Sports and Social club. He caused damage getting in but did not steal anything. The court also heard the defendant had stolen a jar of ladies cosmetics from a pharmacy in Kingswood.
Jane Chamberlain, defending, said her client had struggled with a class A drug addiction following a disruptive childhood. She said the father-of-four wanted to put his drug use and offending behind him. Jailing McLoughlin for 18 months, Recorder Mr Adrian Palmer QC, said: "You know courts regard burglary as very serious offences and they attract a term of imprisonment."

Enterprise is not the sole preserve of the entrepreneur. You don’t have to be Sir Tom Farmer or Sir Tom Hunter to be an enterprising fellow. You can be imaginative, hard working and organisationally wise without founding your own business. You can bring enterprise to any firm, department or office. In fact, it’s misleading to think that everyone should be an entrepreneur. There isn’t room for that many new ideas, or even old ideas like taxi driving or window-cleaning, the stand-by part time occupations of many of the men who lost their jobs in the last round of de-industrialisation.

50 years ago today; Ambitious Halloween plans of two pranksters were dampened when they were subjected to window-washing chores. Sheriff deputies ordered the youths to wash the windows at the home of Mrs. Naomi McNally, 4579 Lakeshore Road, which they had soaped.

Call for change in benefits system: THE friend of a grieving husband who felt 'let down by the system' after being hit by a huge funeral bill for his wife has called for a change in the benefits system. Dr John Robinson said change was needed to help people on low incomes. He was speaking after Amersham man Colin Bowden was refused support for the funeral of wife Marilyn, who committed suicide a year ago on Sunday. Mr Bowden applied for funeral funding through the Job Centre in Chesham but was turned down as he was not on benefits. However, the Department for Work and Pensions said the resident of The Gowers would have been eligible for support if he was already on benefits. Dr Robinson, from Lawson Gardens, Pinner, said: “It's absolutely shambolic people like Colin, who've worked hard all their lives, can't get any help. “He's never claimed any benefits. What motivation is there for this guy to keep working and not to take benefits? He's resisted them all his life and accrued very little on his pension and he's got no savings. “It just seems if you are on benefits you get everything. There doesn't seem to be any help for people who are working but not earning much.”
Dr Robinson wrote to the Prime Minister about Mr Bowden's plight and received a response from Pensions Secretary Steve Webb. Mr Bowden, who works as a window cleaner, has since come to an arrangement where he pays off a certain amount of money owed from the cost of his wife's funeral each month. Marilyn committed suicide on November 7 last year after suffering from depression. Mr Bowden said: “I feel the system is totally wrong. I thought they were supposed to help people.” Patricia Gondim, spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “Funeral payments help people on low income, who are claiming certain benefits, towards the costs of arranging a funeral. “Anyone who disagrees with a decision can ask Jobcentre Plus to reconsider or they can appeal to an independent tribunal.” Previous blog here.

PEKIN, Illinois: John Edward Wagle, 62, formerly of Pekin, passed away at 12:04 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, at Fairview Nursing Plaza in Rockford. Born Feb. 22, 1948, in Peoria, to Duke E. and Alberta (Simpkins) Wagle, he married Nancy Schettler Stroup on Nov. 8, 2001, in Pekin. She survives. Also surviving are a daughter, Angie Durr of Decatur; five grandchildren; a great-grandson; three sisters, Rita Potter, Patty (Doug) Anderson, and Donna Wagle, all of Pekin; and two brothers, Terry (Mary) Wagle of Pekin and Mike Wagle of Daytona, Fla. John was preceded in death by his parents. He had owned and operated Four Seasons Window Cleaning in Pekin.

Republican Warren Petryk has defeated Incumbent Democrat Jeff Smith in the 93rd Assembly District by 71 votes. A well-known Eau Claire musician is challenging incumbent Democrat Jeff Smith for the 93rd Assembly District seat. Republican Warren Petryk lives South of Eau Claire and works for UCP of West Central Wisconsin. Petryk has been part of the band “The Memories” in Eau Claire for 38 years. Incumbent Jeff Smith is hoping to be re-elected for a third two-year term. Smith, of Eau Claire, was elected in 2006. Smith owns Bob Smith Window Cleaning in Eau Claire. The winner of this seat will represent Southern Eau Claire County, including much of the City of Eau Claire and parts of Dunn, Pierce and Pepin Counties.

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