Window Cleaning News

Gallery: Window on the World - Window cleaners work on a building during hazy conditions in Beijing May 6, 2013. The United States Embassy monitor on air quality in China classified the quality of air in Beijing as "hazardous". Click to enlarge.

Sharmin and Paul Messer from Messers Commercial Cleaning. Cleaning Maudie and Me windows in Victoria St. Spot the Wagtail!

CBD spit and polish is on offer: Break out the squeegees and window cleaner, Mackay's City Heart is set for a spruce-up. Messers Commercial Cleaning is offering 50 free exterior window cleanings to 50 ground-floor businesses on Victoria and Sydney streets next Wednesday. Co-owners Sharmin and Paul Messer said the City Heart was in need of a makeover. "We walked down the street and noticed only one out of 10 windows was clean," Ms Messer said. Traders have jumped at the offer, with 43 businesses signing up in under two hours.

Enter window washer Eloy Rodriguez.

CHICAGO (CBS) — A block of Huron Street was cordoned off this afternoon between Michigan Avenue and Rush Street – so a fallen piece of metal window trim could be removed from a ninth- floor ledge. The building used to be Chicago Place shopping center. Fire Department First Battalion Chief Michael Gubricky told WBBM Newsradio Steve Miller that the window trim that fell on the ledge was about three-feet long. “Somebody from the hotel next door saw the piece of metal laying there,” Gubricky said. “It does pose a hazard because if we get the wind later on today. We’re not going to put anybody up over the side, and of course we can’t reach it from the ground. We’re waiting for the window washer company.”
Enter window washer Eloy Rodriguez, who got the call from the fire department. “They tell us, you got to be here as soon as possible,” Rodriquez said. “So we show up and we went over the (side of) the building and removed the metal piece.” “But it’s funny because we are the ones calling the fire department all the time. They always help us out. So to receive a phone call from the fire department, that was funny.” Rodriguez says it took him and his crew more time to get there because of the traffic than it took to use a rope to go down the side of the building and grab the piece of metal. The fire department says the building’s facade will probably be inspected now to see if any other pieces of metal trim are ready to fall.

When I was in my early twenties I started my own window cleaning business which became quite successful. 'I started to sit back in the office and became lazy.

Obese takeaway addict, 33, sheds nine stone to reveal ripped bodybuilder physique. Daniel Blythe, 33, weighed in at an obese 21 stone three years ago. Now a bodybuilder Daniel, of Wrexham, competes in championships. An obese man who shed nine stone of excess fat is now competing in bodybuilding competitions. Daniel Blythe of Wrexham, north Wales, weighed in at 21 stone in 2010 and was given a warning by his doctor to lose weight. But after shedding the pounds and starting weight training he is now competing in bodybuilding championships, something he would never have thought possible just three years earlier.
Mr Blythe, 33, said: 'When I was in my early twenties I started my own window cleaning business which became quite successful. 'I started to sit back in the office and became lazy. 'I wasn't going to the gym or anything and I was eating really bad food. 'I would have three or four takeaways a week such as pizzas and kebabs. 'I reached 21 and a half stone.' In 2010, Daniel took a trip to the doctor and was told to lose weight. It was the incentive he needed to change his lifestyle - and his diet - for good. 'It really was a kick up the backside,' added Daniel. Daniel said that while he looked at holiday photos and saw a large man looking back at him, he never saw himself as quite the weight he really was.
Daniel stopped eating fat-laden takeaways in the evening. Instead of spending time on the sofa, he started going to the gym, initially to lose weight and get back into shape, but later to build muscle and change his shape. He started spending every morning and evening in the gym, focusing mainly on cardiovascular work. After losing nine stone of excess fat Daniel began to start weight training and went up to 14 stone - adding on two stone of muscle - and that is where his weight has settled now.
'It was really hard and took a lot of getting used to, but now I've gone from one extreme to the other,' he said. 'I feel a lot fitter and a lot more confident and I don't get tired just walking up the stairs anymore. 'I'm 33 but I feel better now than I ever did in my twenties.' Daniel is still the owner of DSB Cleaning Services in Wrexham, but now leads a healthier lifestyle with his partner Kayleigh Pickup and his 15-year-old son Connor Arrowsmith. He recently competed in the Strong Seniors Class at the North West Bodybuilding Championships where he finished fourth. He now says that he has plans to compete in many more competitions in the future. Daniel puts his success down to Craig Hughes, the owner of Valhalla Gym where he works out daily. He said: 'I have to thank Craig and the gym for all the help they have given me. 'Without Craig this wouldn't have happened, he really helped me with my diet and regime.' Mr Hughes, who has worked as a nutritionist in the Wrexham area for 20 years said: 'It is a fantastic change. 'To lose nine stone is one thing, but to transform two stone of that into muscle is really hard to do. 'All the lads in the gym are shocked.'

Martin Ferguson of MJF Cleaning Services.

MJF Cleaning Services set to double workforce after landing new contracts: A cleaning company is to almost double its workforce after landing a number of new contracts in the North East and beyond. MJF Cleaning Services, of Darlington, County Durham, has secured deals that will not only secure jobs for its team of more than 100 staff but also create around 80 new positions in the coming year. In addition, MJF’s headquarters are undergoing a major refurbishment and plans are in place to open a new office close to the M62 next year.

MJF has seen demand grow faster than expected for its wide range of commercial cleaning services for business and organisations such as bars, clubs, restaurants, hospitals, doctors and dentists surgeries, schools and building companies. New contracts include work for Shepherd Construction at the New and Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in Blyth, where the company carried out a major industrial deep clean; a three-year contract with Darlington Council to clean windows at council properties across the town, including the town hall and the Civic Theatre; and an industrial high-level clean at St George’s Park in Burton – the home of the new National Football Centre with more than 330 acres of training facilities, football pitches and five-star hotel accommodation.

Darlington entrepreneur Martin Ferguson established MJF Cleaning Services in 2006 while working as a domestic window cleaner. Since starting with just two members of staff, MJF has gone on to create around 125 jobs as it secured prestigious contracts with companies such as BAE Systems, Rockliffe Hall, the Esh Group, JD Wetherspoon, Cleveland Cable and Tolent Construction. Mr Ferguson said: “I attribute much of our success to the exceptional service standards that our committed team provides. “We know our staff make us what we are and we’re a very employee-focused business. “Winning new work with these great organisations means we’ll not only secure jobs for our team – very important in the current uncertain climate – but also create a variety of new positions. “We’re very proud of the reputation we have gained in a relatively short space of time, during a recession. But I firmly believe it’s down to our staff and we’ll be re-investing in our resources.”

As well as daily office, commercial and specialist industrial cleaning services, MJF carries out large and small-scale cleaning projects such as carpet and upholstery cleaning, window and high-level cleaning on construction sites. We know our staff make us what we are and we’re a very employee-focused business.

In this Nov. 17, 2012 file photo, an Indian window cleaner stands on a beam overlooking Air India aircraft as they stand on the tarmac at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

New Delhi: State-run carrier Air India said yesterday it had suspended a pilot and two female flight attendants after a passenger jet’s autopilot system was accidentally switched off “due to distraction.” The event occurred on an Air India Airbus flight to New Delhi from Bangkok last month carrying over 160 passengers and followed a series of other safety-related incidents involving the airline. Air India denied media reports the pilot and co-pilot had taken a 40-minute cockpit break to snooze in business class seats and left two attendants in their places to operate the plane in their absence.

Air India pilot locked out as plane cockpit door jams: State-run carrier Air India says the cockpit door of one of its planes got jammed during a flight while the captain was using the toilet, forcing an unscheduled landing by the co-pilot in central India. An airline statement says the captain couldn’t return to the cockpit because the door was locked and that all efforts to open it, even from inside, failed during Tuesday’s flight from New Delhi to the southern Indian city of Bangalore. The co-pilot landed the plane at the nearest airport. The door was fixed by ground maintenance staff and the plane resumed its flight.

Weird, strange and unusual taxes - Described as ‘daylight robbery’ the windows tax worked on the assumption that the more windows a house had, the more tax the occupants could afford to pay. Introduced in 1696 and not repealed until 1851, the tax is the reason some properties from that period have bricked up window spaces.

"Being that close to sharks and turtles is something even experienced scuba divers seldom enjoy out in the open ocean." Eddie the Eagle.

ITV Splash champion Eddie the Eagle faced a challenge every bit as daunting as an Olympic ski jump or 10 metre diving board this weekend. Eddie, who's form Cheltenham, was at the Weymouth Sea Life Park to open a bird of prey show but took the opportunityto fulfill a long-held ambition when he dived in a tank full of tropical sharks. Craig Dunkerley, Sea Life boss said "Eddie is an enthusiastic snorkeler and asked if he could take the plunge in our ocean tank.It’s not something we allow very often, but he’s such a good sport we couldn’t turn him down - and he did agree to do a bit of window cleaning while he was in there."

FBI Busts Kid for Joining Terror Group - In the same manner in which the U.S. has earned its bad reputation for funding the very terror groups it claims to be at war with, so too is the FBI becoming notorious for duping the immature and mentally ill into participating in fake terror plots. One of the more recent examples occurred on February 7, when the FBI arrested 28-year-old Matthew Aaron Llaneza, who supposedly attempted to blow up a Bank of America building with a fake bomb they helped him create. As it turns out, not only did the FBI engineer the entire plot, but, according to court documents, “the one-time window washer suffered from bipolar disease and substance abuse, along with being paranoid that people were out to get him.”

Window Cleaner Chris Miller and Thomas Horsburgh with the Reliant Robin.

Lothian window cleaner takes Reliant Robin to Le Mans: A Lovingly restored Reliant Robin is to make a 1500-mile round trip to take its owner to watch the ultimate endurance road race. Chris Miller will be taking the three-wheeled car – made famous by Only Fools and Horses’ Del Boy – to the 24-hour Le Mans race in France. And he hopes the car, which once belonged to his grandfather, lives up to its name as he travels to see the showpiece event, dubbed the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency.

Window cleaner Chris, from Tranent, said: “I remember my grandad flying round corners in this, with a cigarette clasped between his teeth. It’s amazing he didn’t topple over, especially considering there would usually be four of us in the back! Everyone around here knew him because of this car.” The vehicle has been in storage for over a decade, but 29-year-old Chris is confident he can have it back on the road for June 2 – 11 years to the day since his grandfather passed away.

“The work on the car has felt never-ending and I’ve easily spent between £1500-£2000. The suspension was gone, the roof needed replaced after a barn roof caved in on top of it during the really bad snow a few years back and the engine has been replaced twice – but I’m determined it will be ready in time.” He added: “I’m being sponsored for the drive and all the money is going towards the Sick Kids. The daughter of a friend of mine is currently in remission from cancer and it really made me want to help out other families in that situation.

The three-wheeled Reliant Robin was first manufactured in 1973 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England, with production continuing until 1981, when the model was replaced by the restyled Reliant Rialto. The single wheel in the front steers, while the engine (also in the front) drives the rear axle. Holders of a B1 driving licence are legally allowed to drive Reliant Robins due to their mass and the fact that they have three wheels, saving £55 a year more than those driving a conventional car. According to a survey in 2011 by comparison website Confused.com, Reliant Robin drivers are the safest in Britain, with only 11 out of 1174 owners submitting an insurance claim in the previous five years.

Cleaning the Kremlin.

Giving the State Duma a shine. A worker cleaning a window at the Duma building just meters from a double-headed eagle, the Russian state symbol. Kremlin Grapples With Series of PR Disasters - Rainbow flags were flown at half mast to mark President Vladimir Putin's visit last month to Amsterdam, widely known as a city of open minds that take pride in enjoying free love. Thousands of brightly dressed Dutch activists gathered outside the Amstelhof, the site of Putin's dinner with Queen Beatrix, to protest a proposed Russian ban on the promotion of homosexuality among minors and the imprisonment of two members of the all-female punk band Pussy Riot.

Senate Republicans’ tax plan includes cuts, taxing services - North Carolina has a sales tax on about 30 services. The proposal would add another 100 or so services to the list, including all kinds of repairs, personal services like haircuts and massages and professional services like those attorneys provide. Other services that would be subjected to the sales tax include pet grooming, commercial linen supplies and window cleaning. “The current concept is if a service is being taxed in another state, then it would be part of the expanded base,” Berger said. Business-to-business transactions would be exempt from sales taxes expanded by the proposal. Expanding the sales tax is sure to bring out interest groups that don’t want their products or services taxed more. Broadening the sales tax, however, to cover nearly all transactions may mitigate those complaints because everyone — including consumers — would have to pay more.

Oregon House approves rights for domestic workers: The Oregon bill would not set a minimum wage standard for workers. State law requires some domestic workers, including live-in housekeepers, to be paid minimum wage. Domestic workers who are paid by the state or employed by home health agencies or in-home care agencies are excluded under the bill. The bill also excludes workers who are caring for developmentally disabled people and exempts baby sitters under 18 and independent contractors such as yard workers and window washers. New York was the first state to pass such a law in 2010. Hawaii became the second last week. A handful of other states including California and Illinois are considering similar legislation.

One of the park’s violations, hazardous window cleaning operations, allegedly resulted in a November 2012 accident when one Disney employee fell from inside the Space Mountain ride.

Space Mountain Reopens At Disneyland Park Following Safety Violation Closure - One of Disneyland’s iconic rides is officially up and running again. Less than one month after Disney’s Space Mountain ride was closed in April due to multiple safety violations, the roller coaster reopened for Anaheim, Calif., park guests as of Friday evenings. The AP reported Monday that the ride reopened despite the Walt Disney Company’s decline to appeal the workplace safety case; the company is reportedly planning to continue to meet with state agencies regarding the citations. The two other Disney rides closed due to similar the safety violations, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Soarin' Over California, at Disneyland’s sister park, Disney California Adventure, have also reopened.

The three attractions were closed by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health on April 13 after serving the park with six citations and one notification of penalty. The park accumulated more than $234,000 in fines due to safety violations. One of the park’s violations, hazardous window cleaning operations, allegedly resulted in a November 2012 accident when one Disney employee fell from inside the Space Mountain ride, resulting in unspecified serious injuries. Other fines, including employees’ inability to locate fire extinguishers, ventilation issues, lack of guardrails to protect workers and reported floor and roof openings, were also cited.

The Bank of America Plaza tower took almost three years to construct, and opened to great fanfare in September 1985. The mirrored glass exterior was originally supposed to be a combination of silver and gold – “like a Rolex watch,” one of the builders explained to me. Fortunately, they chose all silver with gray stripes instead. And to make sure that the tower wasn’t missed at night, the building was outlined with almost two miles of green argon-filled lighting. (The developers considered both blue and red light tubes before picking green because the color was visible from further away.) Those light bulbs were trouble from the very start. Within weeks of the grand opening clumsy window washers had broken about 15 feet of them. And Dallas’ hail storms and high winds have played havoc with the system over the years. Part of the current makeover of the Bank of America Plaza includes replacing the light tubes with LED strips like those used on the new Omni Dallas Hotel. The 1.9 million tower – which has had a handful of different names over the years – is getting it’s most extensive remodeling.

Billy Keane: We lap up that window cleaner which the French serve as beer: Some French-owned pubs don't really respect beer. I was at the Munster game last week in Montpellier and the tough bartenders just feck the sudsy lager into the plastic glasses. One fleeting tip off another person, your reflex automatically squeezes the pint and like an overflowing dam the lager goes all over clothes and friends. I hate plastic glasses and the beer tastes like the water used for squirting windscreens clean. A good few of the French don't really give a shit about beer and in their heart of hearts, they think we are barbaric morons for drinking so much, in huge gulps, like a whale swallowing krill.

At present there are about 300 developments being marketed in Melbourne.

Developers offer top-end freebies: Mirvac is offering buyers of million-dollar apartments at its proposed Docklands Yarra Point development a bonus berth at the local marina on a leasehold until 2030. At the Studio Nine apartment project in Richmond, buyers of an off-the-plan penthouse will receive a $40,000 Hermon & Hermon designer furniture package and a consultation with a home stylist. Those buying a townhouse are entitled to $20,000 worth of window furnishings. Agents CBRE are offering 5 per cent rental guarantees at the You and I development in Collingwood and the Lucia development in South Yarra. CBRE and Spec Property developers are also offering stamp duty savings of up to $45,000 for developments in Prahran and Doncaster.

However, buyers advocate Chris Koren said buyers should be aware that such rebates and giveaways are factored into the end sale price. ''There are so many apartments being built now that the only way developers can offer a point of difference is to offer inducements,'' Mr Koren said. He said developers were trying to keep prices artificially high despite the competition. ''What they don't like to do is reduce the price because then they have to do it for everyone.'' He warned that body corporate fees in some of these developments could costs thousands each year to pay for such things as window cleaning and pool maintenance.

The study by Muller de Luxe Corner found that three quarters of the 2000 adults polled said that indulging in little luxuries in times of austerity helped to cheer them up.

Modern life's little luxuries revealed: The typical person is said to treat themselves to just two treats in an average month. The biggest contributing factor for splurging on a luxury item was a hard day at work, followed by the item being reduced in price. Other reasons for a little pick-me up were bad weather and following a row with the other half. One in ten said that they enjoyed having their hair dried, particularly if they have been saving money for a while. And nearly two-thirds of those polled said that women were more likely to find any excuse to treat themselves to a luxury and one in five have rowed with a partner over the amount of treats they spoil themselves to. More than half said that if they were struggling financially there are still some things they could absolutely not go without, with the top item being internet service.

Canadian Tire Study Shows 8 in 10 Canadians Think the May Long Weekend is Ideal for Spring Chores: Canadians who are doing spring chores this long weekend will spend an average of nine hours tackling them, with gardening and landscaping, window cleaning and getting organized topping the to-do lists. With the late arrival of spring, Canadians are thinking more about their spring to-do lists than relaxing this upcoming long weekend. According to a recent Ipsos Reid Public Affairs survey commissioned by Canadian Tire, 82% of Canadians surveyed agree that the May long weekend is the ideal time to tackle spring chores. This weekend Canadians are rolling up their sleeves, with those planning on doing spring chores spending an average of nine hours checking off their to-do lists. The top long weekend chores for these Canadians are gardening and landscaping (65%), window cleaning (59%) and storing and organizing seasonal items (57%).  In true Canadian style, of those who plan to tackle spring chores, four in ten (38%) say they're actually looking forward to these seasonal jobs and 85% are motivated to get started. In addition, half of those doing chores plan to spend time with their families as they complete jobs around the home. 

As I photographed a window washer, my camera suddenly began vibrating and ringing.

Mixing a phone, a camera and Twitter: I was wandering through downtown Worcester, street shooting with my new favorite iPhone camera app, PureShot. A major upgrade was released this week and I wanted to try the new features before writing a review for this blog. As I photographed a window washer, my camera suddenly began vibrating and ringing, reminding me that it was primarily a telephone. A slow day at a newspaper is a good time to write a blog, but it never stays slow for long. It was my boss calling about breaking news. A man had fallen from a second-floor window, but we didn't know the location. What happened over the next 20 minutes was a reminder of how important an iPhone's connections and functions are to a journalist. The phone call was at 1:15 pm. After I ended the call I could hear sirens nearby, so I checked Twitter on the phone. A guy I follow on Twitter - but have never actually met - happened to have seen the man fall from the window. He sent out a tweet. At 1:24 p.m., 9 minutes after the phone call, I shot my first picture at the accident scene (pictured left).

Managerial lessons from Sir Alex and Manchester United: When Sir Alex Ferguson arrived at Manchester United in 1986, the club was a bit of a drunken mess. It had not won a league title in 19 years. Its players enjoyed long, liquid pub “lunches” at which hardly a bread roll ever got eaten. Sir Alex, a former publican who like many ambitious Scots had come to regard alcohol as the enemy, was appalled.

After his managerial triumphs in Scotland, he could have decided that Man United’s club culture was rotten and in need of uprooting. He could have stormed in like a bullying egomaniac chief executive. But he didn’t. Instead he spent his early months at Old Trafford interviewing people, from window cleaners and supporters to legendary former players, trying to understand the club’s values.

He then set out to personify those values, such as: “United plays attacking football,” and “The world is against United.” Sir Alex always managed with the grain of a football club’s culture. The Scot, explained Jorge Valdano, the Argentine player-turned-football thinker, “bleeds the club’s history, can interpret the sentiment of the support.”

A bid by company, which has operated for a decade and employs nearly 100 people, for a window-washing contract has reached the final review stage.

Company exploiting foreign workers up for Helsinki contract: Work-safety inspections this year at about 20 small and medium-sized cleaning companies that employ immigrant workers have discovered problems at every firm checked. Yle has found that the City of Helsinki is considering contracting services from a company that was determined to have employment rules violations.

The City of Helsinki is currently considering contracting services from one of the companies found to guilty of violating employment rules in its employment of foreign workers. Regional Administrative Agency officials say that the company has been negligent in registering hours worked by employees, lacks proper bookkeeping for wages paid and not all of its foreign employees have the right to work in Finland.
A bid by company, which has operated for a decade and employs nearly 100 people, for a window-washing contract has reached the final review stage. Before Yle contacted city authorities about the company, they were unaware that it had been inspected and found to be suspected of violations of the law in its employment practices. City officials say that contract partners are obliged to observe the law and have pledged to examine the background of the companies that have filed bids for the job.

Workplace safety for teens with summer jobs - Employers who hire teens must obtain a minor work permit endorsement on their business license, as well as a parent authorization form for the job assignments and hours the teen will be working. Work assignments for 16- and 17-year-olds can be less restrictive. Their jobs may include such things as cooking, baking, landscaping, window washing (no more than 10 feet off the ground), maintenance and repair, and amusement-park work.

Anoka business owners nab suspect - Employees at an Anoka business nabbed a burglary suspect. Steve Ronald Grbich, 52, 2911 Seventh Ave., Anoka, was arraigned in Anoka County District Court April 16 on felony first- and third-degree burglary charges. Bail was set at $40,000 without conditions or $20,000 with conditions and he is due back in court May 14. Shortly before 6 a.m. April 13, Anoka Police were called to City Heights Window Cleaners on Fifth Avenue where the field manager reported that when he arrived for work and entered the building, he found a two-wheel dolly stacked with three computer towers, two computer monitors, two keyboards, computer cables and mouse devices plus a large screwdriver near the dolly which did not belong to the business.
Checking the building, he told police he found fresh footprints in the snow outside a rear overhead door, which had been jimmied. Then when he and other employees went through the building, they discovered a man, later identified as Grbich, hiding inside a vehicle and detained him, according to the complaint. On his person, the employees allegedly found pocket stamps, computer cords and other property belonging to City Heights Window Cleaners. And when police searched Grbich prior to placing him in a squad car, they retrieved two folding knives and a flashlight from his pockets.
In a statement, Grbich alleged that he forced open the overhead door and crawled under it with the intention of stealing property and selling it to pay his rent. He also alleged he was trying to remove the catalytic converters from two trucks parked outside the business and sell them, but the battery on the cordless grinder he was using ran out. Police found fresh footprints in the snow by the trucks as well as the grinder, according to the complaint.

Van the Man started out as a window cleaner on the streets of Belfast.

The Best Bands To Come Out Of Northern Ireland - Anyone who’s had a night on the town in Belfast will be struck by the energy of the live music scene. Every night of the week, week in week out, countless gigsters are strutting their talents. Northern Ireland’s contribution to the musical landscape of the past few decades is starting to get wider recognition. In almost every genre, from punk to heavy metal and from R&B to indie pop, there’s a roll call of names that would give lustre to any nation’s musical heritage. As good a place to start as any is Van Morrison, one of Northern Ireland’s most famous exports. After starting out as a window cleaner on the streets of Belfast, ‘Van the Man’ first found fame as lead singer of R&B band Them, who will forever be remembered for garage rock hit, ‘Gloria’. A solo career kicked off soon after with the all-time classic ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ in 1967, and this catapulted him to transatlantic stardom. The song has since become one of the very few ever to receive over 10 million US radio air plays.

Noddy Holder became a household name in the 1970s with rock band Slade. Back in 1973, stunt rider Evel Knievel was the man of the moment, the Ford Cortina was the nation’s most popular car and The Wombles were on a mission to make Britain tidy. Big hair and even bigger flares were the order of the day and, in the fickle world of pop, Slade were at the height of their fame. Now he’s back on the road and reminiscing about his life. The future Slade line-up was complete, although in the early days it was far from a glamorous life. “When we started out we’d play two-hour sets and we’d get paid a fiver, most of which went on petrol for our van. It was a pretty hand-to-mouth existence and I even used to ferry Robert Plant around in my dad’s window cleaning van,” he says. 

‘Zombieland’ TV Show ‘Hated Out Of Existence,’ Producer Rhett Reese Blames Fans For Canceled Amazon Series. Not Realistic - Why would a window washer still be washing windows during a zombie apocalypse? COME ON. Viewers understood that it was a comedy, but didn’t like how unrealistic it was.

Kingston Police email warning about 'prolific burglar' released from prison on Friday: Police have sent an email to residents warning them about a prolific burglar and drug addict who was released from prison on Friday. The Kingston man, in his 30s, has used various guises and tricks to target elderly and vulnerable victims including pretending to be window cleaner, a charity worker, a painter and even claiming he was a police officer. He has smashed windows, stolen from homes while his victims were asleep and sneaked past while residents were taking the bins out. The email to the Brag (Burton Road, Richmond Park Road and Gibbon Road) residents' association in north Kingston said: “He lives in the borough and is highly likely to commit further offences in order to fund a drugs habit.” Sergeant Bob Whitehead said: "With the warm weather, please, please be careful not to leave windows open even when in the house as suspects may reach in and take property."

Window Genie of Charlotte Gives Back to Local Veterans - Peter Cogan and his team at Window Genie of Charlotte, NC participate in Window Genie’s give back program, “Windows 4 Wishes.” Cogan calls his project, “Windows 4 Wishes: Cleaning the homes of those who protect ours.” This is his first job for a local veteran. Cogan and D’Ausilio met through a mutual acquaintance. Cogan hopes to eventually establish enough relationships with other local veterans so he and his team may perform at least one cleaning per month. “I’m glad we’ve come up with a way to use my business and my team’s skill set to give back to local Veterans,” said Cogan. “They’re all heroes and deserve much more thanks than we can give, but this is a start.”'

About Raphael D’Ausilio: Raphael served in the US military during the Vietnam War. D’Ausilio was living in Florida running a business until 2008 when he moved to North Carolina to enjoy retirement. Not ready to stop giving and serving, D’Ausilio decided to volunteer 40 hours a week at the local VA office. He said of Cogan’s efforts to give back, “I can’t wait to tell my friends and family about Window Genie. When someone reaches out to the community, I want to do something in return for his business. I so appreciate the outpouring of generosity and I feel honored that Window Genie cares so much about veterans.”

Despite the slowness of the entire process (it takes around five minutes of cooling before the robot’s foot is free enough to attempt another step), the scientific development is amazing to watch.

This wall-climbing Spider-Man robot has a serious case of sticky feet - For all flack that Spider-Man gets in his own fictional universe (particularly the 2007 film rendition…), there’s no denying that the ability to climb up walls is something we’re all fascinated by. So fascinated, in fact, that scientists have built a robot that can climb walls while carrying up to five times its own mass. The unnamed robot is the creation of Dr. Fumiya Iida and fellow researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. The secret to its success is in its footpads, which are coated in an adhesive that’s heated to melting point. This thermoplastic allows the footpads to flow onto the surfaces they come in contact with to form a temporary bond, providing the ability to grip to walls. It’s not exactly as graceful or speedy as the natural (or radioactive spider) solution, but it apparently works.

“Our technology uses thermoplastic adhesives, which are much stronger than those used in gecko-type climbing systems,” researcher Liyu Wang told New Scientist. The thermoplastics began melting at around 70 degrees Celsius (158 degress Fahrenheit), and that appeared to be the temperature that provided maximum tackiness for the robot’s feet. Additional elements were still needed for a fast cool so the robot could lift the feet and take the next step.

Watching the robot in action is a somewhat amusing proposition. If anything, it looks more like a diminutive version of Star Wars‘ “Power Droid” that very slowly walks up vertical surfaces. Despite the slowness of the entire process (it takes around five minutes of cooling before the robot’s foot is free enough to attempt another step), the scientific development is amazing to watch. It is, after all, walking up a wall – and a wall of either stone or wood. This thing can also deal with rough terrain, unlike the window-washing robot we’ve previously seen that can only adhere to glass. Imagine the possibilities once someone manages to evolve the technology into something that’s both faster-acting and larger scale.

A large amount of glass will be the distinguishing feature to the new Vikings stadium. It’s the latest unique feature to come to an NFL stadium.

Vikings go glass: When the Minnesota Vikings unveiled the design of their new stadium, they introduced another attention-grabbing image to the NFL’s stadium collection: The see-through roof. With a translucent material covering the south half of the asymmetrical facility, plus five 95-foot high pivoting glass doors on the front of the building, the Vikings will get as close as they can to the great outdoors while still playing in a controlled climate. The $975 million project will be completed in time for the 2016 season. Until then, here are six other prominent signature stadium designs around the NFL.

Not all windows are created equal…nor will they pass inspection!  If you are considering a home improvement project or new construction for any project that includes the purchase and installation of windows or doors and is one that requires a building permit, you should be aware of significant changes in the building code that will take effect July 1. With Canada leading North America in its commitment to energy efficiency, the Canadian government is requiring all window manufacturers to comply with the new and stricter manufacturing, testing and labelling requirements. “The focus of these new changes is to minimize the amount of air and wind that can penetrate through a window,” said Bob Kamerbeek, a representative of All Weather Windows. “If a customer purchases windows without the new labelling after July 1, the building inspector for that project will most likely require replacing the new window with one that is compliant with the new requirements."

While these new changes are on the federal level, B.C. is the only province that already requires windows be low-e and argon-filled. Island homeowners and contractors should be sure any newly purchased windows comply with that requirement as well. The new technology that is incorporated into these new specifications is only the minimum required for a window to be government-regulation compliant. Many homeowners choose to add additional features that vary by manufacturer. All Weather’s SunStop is one of their most popular features that keeps homes cooler during the summer and warmer in the winter by increasing R Values, as compared to clear glass.

For a product category that many think of as a commodity—one window is the same as the next—it is important to know how much window/glass technology has evolved in the last decade. Window manufacturers around the world are investing huge dollars into R&D to gain the competitive edge in energy efficiency and other features, as simple as built-in blinds. Be sure to do your research with a local company that not only can provide you with information about government requirements, but also about features. Also, make sure your installer is aware of these building code requirements, installs windows that are compliant, and stands behind his or her work. And, don’t forget to read the fine print in warranties or ask questions of your retailer. Some manufacturer warranties even have stipulations in the fine print about the validity of the warranty in and around salt water.

Arborists compete to go climb a tree.

Dozens of climbers are getting ready to scale the trees at Wheaton's Cantigny Park, but their mission is not child's play. The statewide Illinois Tree Climbing Championship on Saturday will feature professional arborists and tree-trimmers, replicating some of the most dangerous working conditions in the field. They'll have to climb in ways that don't stress or harm the trees and even rescue a dummy and bring it to safety in 20 minutes. "The individuals competing, they do this on a daily basis. This is their job," said Sonia Garth, spokeswoman for the International Society of Arboriculture. "This originated as a way for arborists who do tree work to come together and learn new techniques." The winner of the state title will compete internationally in August in Toronto.

"One of the aspects that makes it so dangerous is you're dealing with a three-dimensional, living structure," he said "Window washers and guys who work on cell towers, they don't have to worry about the structure failing. Trees break." The work may be risky, but it is also rewarding, said Kramer, 42. He works for his parents' West Chicago company, Kramer Tree Specialists, which maintains urban forests and residential backyards. When a tornado devastated Joplin, Mo., in 2011, Kramer and others helped remove trees so utility crews could restore power. "It was unbelievable," he said, of the cleanup. "When a disaster hits, the first thing that everybody wants is the power back on. You can't start fixing up the town until you have electricity." The demand for professional tree-climbers is growing, especially with the spread of invasive species such as the emerald ash borer and the need for cleaning up after disasters, said April Toney of the Illinois Arborist Association, which is hosting the weekend competition.

Friday in Washington, the House Judiciary Committee subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations is scheduled to hold a hearing called, "Eyes in the Sky: The Domestic Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems." Several lawmakers have proposed legislation to limit the use of drones domestically.
The public's misconception about drones has fed much of the current controversy over this new and indispensable technology. The typical concerns focus on individual privacy, government intrusion and the potential erosion of basic freedoms. Fortunately, there are many other practical uses for drones and the accompanying navigation, automation and payload components.
This technology has advanced to a level that has been proven to be effective in military applications. But the transference from military to civilian use also has the potential to aid law enforcement agencies and, in the future, will have many commercial applications, as well. Commercial operators of these systems will use them for precision landscape surveys, delivery services, building inspections -- maybe even window washing.

Living sky high - Want to buy a penthouse in a Mumbai high-rise? Among Mumbai's biggest banes is an inelegant jostle for space. A stylish way to bypass it is by snapping up a penthouse in any of the up and coming high rises. The chaos of urban life looks inconsequential from these houses, which crown tall buildings over 100 metres high. "Nobody can touch you there and you feel like the king of the world," notes Shri Hari, consultant and founder of Real Estate Deal Street. Of course, all this claims an expense of several crore rupees. Often with a 360 degree panoramic view and large windows, they give a sharp sense of room. Ashiesh Shah, architect and creative director at Ashiesh Shah architect+design, says height is the most important factor and it "becomes the brief for the design." As it follows, stairwells and chandeliers are critical elements for designers to play with.

As with any piece of property, there are some challenges. "Buyers have concerns for kids and senior members in the family, considering that (a penthouse) is usually a two-level apartment," says Raheja. So, the developer offers a modern hydraulic lift in its Atlantis project in Lower Parel. At kissing distance from the sky, the houses are also more exposed to the rain and sun. Maintenance can be tricky. Several screens are needed for protection against the heat and dehumidifiers are installed in store rooms and closed spaces to ward off mildew. Owners have to routinely employ the services of specialised window cleaners. A penthouse's strongest selling point is the view. The city's economic disparity means an inevitable juxtaposition with poverty. Even in the most prominent locales, nearby slums and drains are squarely in sight of the penthouses, creating an incredible live chart of the class system for the onlooker.

SEATTLE — Glass from a window dropped out of the sky from a high-rise in downtown Seattle, but luckily no one was hurt. The window at the Crowne Plaza Hotel dropped 29 floors to the street at about 7 a.m. Friday. The glass crashed down onto Seneca Street in front of the hotel. Workers scrambled to clean up the glass covering the sidewalk and street in front of the 34-story hotel and Seneca Street was closed briefly. No one was hit by the falling glass. Hotel guests leaving Friday morning had no idea what happened. “It’s scary that it could happen. I mean, when you’re up in a high rise you always look at those windows and think of things like that – all those crazy things,” said Alan Stameisen. “It’s actually amazing it doesn’t happen more often,” said Bob Phalan. Both guests said they were staying on the 31st floor. It is not yet known what caused the window to shatter and fall.

An ape's eye view of Melbourne. Don't look down! King Kong dangles his captive 300 metres above ground, recreating the iconic skyscraper scene at Eureka Tower.

Eureka stunt is no monkey business -  Leigh-Anne Vizer certainly looked terrified as she writhed, rolled, kicked and screamed while caught in the clutches of a giant gorilla, suspended 300 metres in the air from the side of Melbourne's Eureka Tower. Vizer, a stunt double for the lead actress in the stage show King Kong, hung from the side of the southern hemisphere's highest vantage point – in the grip of the big ape – on Tuesday as part of a publicity stunt to promote the production. The event was billed as an opportunity to see the giant beast come to life on the top of the Eureka Tower, recreating the scene made famous in the 1933 film King Kong.
But it merely involved a 4.5-metre-tall hand – similar to that of the six-metre-tall, 1.2-tonne animatronic silverback gorilla that will fire up when the production opens on June 15. Vizer was taken to the roof of the building in a window-washing carriage and was then strapped into a seat attached to the hand that was lowered down the side of the building in view of the 89th floor. More than 100 people were involved in the operation, Eureka Skydeck manager John Forman said, leading to some frayed nerves as it played out.
"It was actually easier to see my wife give birth to my first child than ... seeing the hand come out over the building," Mr Forman said. Creative director Christian Wagstaff, who created the ape's hand, reassured those watching with sweaty hands that the stunt was not dangerous. "It is completely safe, even though it looks a bit dubious," Wagstaff said, as Vizer twisted and turned in the air, screamed and kicked her feet, much as Fay Wray had done in the classic film. The hand, made of polystyrene and a metal frame, will remain inside the Eureka Skydeck for nine months, with a green screen behind it, as part of an interactive display.

Vit plant windows arriving: Bechtel National has begun receiving the final shipments of specially designed, leaded-glass shield windows for the Hanford vitrification plant. The project has purchased 87 shield windows for four buildings -- the Pretreatment Facility, the High Level Waste Facility, the Low Activity Waste Facility and the Analytical Laboratory. Nine windows have arrived in the past two weeks, and four or five more windows are scheduled to arrive each week until all 87 are at the plant, according to Bechtel. The first shipment of 22 windows arrived in October 2012.
The shield windows are designed to work as a barrier between the radioactive and nonradioactive areas of the facilities and will allow operators to safely observe the work going on in the radioactive hot cells. Each shield window weighs 7,200 pounds, is 16 inches thick and measures 75 inches wide by 65 inches tall. The windows have a yellow tint and are made of borosilicate glass and lead. The shield windows will be stored until they are installed as part of the completion of each facility. Once installed, the windows will go through yearly maintenance and testing.

Carlisle window cleaner celebrating birthday punched man in face - A window cleaner has been given a suspended prison sentence after he punched a man in the face so hard that he suffered three fractures. Anthony Miller, 33, carried out the attack near the entrance of the Border Rambler pub in Botchergate, Carlisle, on February 20 – his birthday, Carlisle Crown Court heard. The defendant, of Cranbourne Road, Raffles, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on Wayne Bates.
Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson told the court that the background to the attack was an incident earlier in which a man called John-Boy Keenan had arrived at the pub with his bicycle, when he accidentally knocked into Mr Bates on his way into the building. “Mr Bates took exception to this,” said Mr Rogerson. “He went into the pub and remonstrated with Mr Keenan, taking hold of him and throwing him onto the surface of a table, requiring the intervention of the bar staff.” The prosecutor said the Crown did not dispute that at that stage Mr Bates was the aggressor, and his behaviour was “fairly deplorable”.
Immediately after that incident Miller, who was part of Mr Keenan’s group in the pub, was caught on CCTV as he approached Mr Bates and punched him once in the face. But the blow was so powerful that it left Mr Bates with fractures to his eye socket, his cheekbone, and his nose. “It was a fairly serious injury,” said Mr Rogerson, who added the injury caused ongoing complications for Mr Bates.
When interviewed by the police, Miller said he had been celebrating his birthday and at the time was under the influence of both drink and drugs. He also expressed remorse, particularly about the degree of his victim’s injury.
Malcolm Dodds, for Miller, said: “He’s a family man, a hard-working man, who has his own window cleaning round.” The lawyer agreed that an immediate prison sentence would have been a financial catastrophe for his client. Miller was given a 10-month jail term, suspended for a year, and told to do 150 hours unpaid work in the community. He was also given an electronically - tagged curfew, from 9pm to 7am, for the next two months, told to pay £500 compensation, £500 costs, and a £100 victim surcharge.

£100,000 money launderer from West Bowling is jailed - A criminal who laundered almost £100,000 has been jailed for three years. Peter Rawson, 37, was found guilty after a trial of money laundering and possessing class C drugs, diazepam, with intent to supply. Jailing him at Bradford Crown Court yesterday, the judge, Recorder Jonathan Sandiford, told Rawson: “It seems to me there was an element of professionalism in your criminality.” Describing it as “classic money laundering behaviour,” Recorder Sandiford added: “You were a man prepared to take in any cash if there was money to be made. You were something of a chancer. You didn’t care where the money came from.”
Rawson, a self-employed window cleaner, was arrested after police executed a search warrant at his home in Henley Road, West Bowling, in April, 2011, and seized more than 1,400 diazepam tablets, valued at between £1,500 and £7,500, and almost £3,000 cash. Recorder Sandiford said it was a not insignificant quantity of controlled drugs. He told Rawson he had to sentence him for money laundering of just under under £100,000, though he said some of the money he received went to pay other people and the costs of his legitimate window cleaning business. 

The judge said that over five years, £198,000 was paid into Rawson’s bank account, but some of it was accounted for. He said some money had been transferred offshore to Thailand and brought back in carrier bags. Recorder Sandiford said: “You appeared to be offering a money laundering service over a period of time. Some of the money was probably proceeds of your own criminality, whether it was tax evasion or something more sinister, but some of it must have belonged to other people. It is necessary to deter other people from offering the service you did in this case.”