Another Illegal Window Cleaner Gets Jail

Under surveillance: Thomas Kenny claimed his back complaint was a disability... but was caught on camera lifting a ladder. Thomas Kenny claimed his back complaint was so bad he couldn't walk. But he was caught on camera carrying a ladder and lifting a tyre from his car. The 52-year-old had been jailed for a separate case of benefit fraud in 2009

That will never wash! Benefits cheat who claimed £33,000 by pretending he had to use a wheelchair caught cleaning windows. A cheat who pretended he needed to use a wheelchair so he could claim benefits has been jailed after investigators caught working as a window cleaner. Thomas Kenny claimed more than £33,000 in incapacity benefit and disability living allowance over a five-year period. The 52-year-old - who had been jailed back in 2009 for a different case of benefit fraud - was emotionless as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to eight months in prison. The father-of-two was caught on surveillance by the Department for Work and Pensions carrying a ladder and taking a tyre out of the boot of his car.

Grey-haired Kenny was charged with failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of a change in circumstances when he started work as a window cleaner in 2007, having claimed incapacity benefits since 1997 for a bad back. He was also charged with fraudulently claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from April 2008 until his arrest last September. He pleaded guilty to both charges at Liverpool Magistrates Court in March. The 'serial fraudster' claimed £11,554.30 of DLA from April 2008 until September 2011. He also fraudulently claimed £22,129.50 of incapacity benefits from June 2007 to August 2011. He fraudulently claimed a total of £33,683.80.

Bootle-born Kenny claimed on his DLA application form that he used a walking stick, and sometimes used a wheelchair. He also claimed that he could not wash or dry himself, needed help climbing the stairs, and that it took him three to four minutes to walk five metres, but had been working as a window cleaner since 2007. Kenny claimed he only took on the window cleaning work from his father, who had suffered a fall in 2007 which resulted in a brain injury. An earlier sentencing date was adjourned last month as Kenny’s father died while he was in court. Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said: 'He (Kenny) has been in receipt of incapacity benefits since 1997 and was unfit for work. 'It was not fraudulent from the outset, but there was a failure to notify the DWP of the change in circumstances. 'In more recent times he was working as a self-employed window cleaner.' Kenny was also jailed for four months in 2009 for failing to notify the DWP of his wife’s occupational pension, after claiming income support for the couple since 2002.

Only a quarter of that sentence was served, and it did not deter Kenny, who continued to receive DLA and incapacity benefits following his release. David Birrell, defending, said: 'By explanation and not excuse, the window cleaning round Mr Kenny carried out had been his father’s round. 'His father suffered an accident when he fell from a ladder in 2007 and suffered what would end up as a fatal brain injury.' Mr Kenny was asked to step in by his mother and he said he felt obliged to do so. He is 52, married, with two children. His daughter sits in court today, and his family are devastated. 'He is a man who works and volunteers driving disabled children around - there is good in him.' Judge Mark Brown, sentencing, said: 'Mr Kenny, you said it took you several minutes to walk a short distance and needed a walking stick and needed help with personal issues.

Heavy load: In one image, Kenny is seen lifting a tyre from the boot of his car.

Easy does it: Far from being incapacitated, Kenny lifts the ladder on to the roof of his car with ease.

'There was significant dishonesty here and your position is considerably aggravated by the fact that in 2009 you were sentenced to four months in prison for making false statements to obtain benefits over the course of five-and-a-half years. 'Following your release from prison, you continued to claim incapacity benefits and DLA and did so fraudulently. 'It is clear to me that you are something of a serial fraudster. You are a repeat offender when it comes to duping the state. 'It has been said time and time again that this country cannot afford to pay out these kind of monies. 'Money that could be put into health care and social services. It could be used to support people, not put into your back pocket.' Kenny was sentenced to eight months in prison, and waved to his daughter, who burst into tears as he was led from the dock.

Net Closes On UK Benefit Window Cleaners Home & Abroad

An “unemployed” benefit cheat caught carrying a ladder and bucket for his window cleaning round claimed it was therapy for his bad back. His silly excuse tops a list of ridiculous fabrications used by fraudsters as they were caught red handed. Investigators are lifting the lid on a litany of hopeless claims today after Welfare Reform Minister Lord Freud warned the net is closing on Britain’s benefits cheats.

A common excuse tried by con artists is the old “not me guv” defence. One man who was caught working while claiming disability benefit insisted investigators had seen his “identical twin”. Another man said his wallet had been stolen and someone else was using his identity. Lord Freud said that while investigators could see the funny side, they were deadly serious about catching benefit cheats who cost the taxpayer £1.6billion every year.

Sweeping reforms being introduced by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith will replace the current complex system with a single Universal Credit. Lord Freud said: “Benefit fraud is no joke and yet our investigators are routinely dealing with ridiculous excuses for stealing money from the taxpayer. “Universal Credit will simplify and automate the benefits system. This will make it much easier to catch people who make false claims.” Cheats can now be reported anonymously online.

 

With summer fast approaching, Spain is again bracing itself for an onslaught of Brits looking for their annual fix of sun, sea and sangria. The Costas traditionally attract a significant amount of holidaymakers from the UK and across Europe, while a sizeable and largely law-abiding expat community now call the region home. But beneath the sun-soaked exterior of the Costas lies an unwanted element that continues to tarnish a stretch of coastline keen to shake off its ‘Costa del Crime’ tag.

The issue of benefit fraud is one that authorities are particularly keen to stamp out, as demonstrated by the establishment of a dedicated fraud hotline for expats in Spain. But so called ‘abroad fraud’, where Britons claim benefits back home while living in Spain, is a problem that refuses to go away. Such a big problem, in fact – estimated at 80 million euros a year – that the UK authorities are launching a fresh purge on the problem, joining forces with their counterparts overseas to find new ways of addressing benefit fraud. 

Fraud investigators at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are working alongside the land registries, the Foreign Office and UK banks to identify offenders. “We are determined to clamp down on benefit fraud abroad,” a DWP spokesman told the Olive Press. “This money should be going to the people who need it most and not lining the pockets of criminals sunning themselves on taxpayers’ money,” she added. The problem, of course, is not just confined to Spain, with other European countries including Greece and long-haul destinations, such as America and Thailand, also housing numerous fraudsters looking to go unnoticed. But it is in Spain, and particular the Costas, that has the unwelcome distinction of having the highest number of offenders.

Benefit thieves going abroad, It’s not if we catch you, it’s when. The British Government takes benefit theft seriously.  There is no hiding place for anyone who thinks they can get away with stealing taxpayers’ money because they are abroad. It’s not if we catch you, it’s when

We are:

• Tracking down benefit thieves wherever they are
• Working closely with authorities abroad to identify benefit fraudsters
• Following up calls to our UK Benefit Fraud Hotline in Spain

It’s estimated that between April 2010 and March 2011, £79m was lost as a result of benefit fraud overpayments to British claimants who have not told us they are living or travelling abroad – that means British taxpayers are financing the fraudsters’ overseas lifestyle. If you know anyone who is stealing benefits, we want to hear about them. The UK Benefit Fraud Hotline in Spain now makes it easier to report benefit thieves on 900 554 440. Lines are open 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Your call is free and confidential. Remember – if you are in receipt of benefits, it’s an offence not to tell us if your circumstances change, for example:

• you are going or living abroad
• you get married, or if you separate, divorce or are widowed
• you start work, increase your earnings or your savings?

If you don’t tell us it could mean prosecution, imprisonment and even the confiscation of your home and possessions. For more details visit the benefit theft website.

Picture Of The Day + Window Cleaning News

Day in Pictures -BREMERTON, WA: Jonathan Kessler of Pacific Window Cleaning in Seattle cleans the glass on-the Norm Dicks Government Center in Bremerton, Wash. The windows are cleaned once a year. Click to enlarge.

WARREN: Walks and Windows coming- Courthouse Square soon should be looking a little cleaner due in part to a new program being undertaken by a downtown promotions group. The ''Walks and Windows'' program is sponsored by the Downtown Warren Events and Promotions Council, a division of the nonprofit organization Warren Development. Chairwoman Jennifer Campbell said the program involves nonprofit groups adopting the block of Courthouse Square in exchange for a $300 donation. The ''windows" part of the program will involve downtown merchants sharing the cost of having their storefront windows cleaned. Campbell said it is less expensive to have all the windows cleaned at the same time than for each individual merchant to pay a private window washer on their own. "Even though there are vacancies, this will help the remaining merchants and hopefully attract new ones. There is a lot of pride in downtown. We need to let it shine," Campbell said.

Waging war on benefits cheats: John Booth's claim that he was scared to go outdoors and could not walk 50 yards without help was a tall story. In fact the 63-year-old, from Chorley, Lancs, was running a window cleaning business. He fraudulently took £71,500 in handouts over 14 years. Booth, who admitted 17 false accounting charges at Preston Crown Court, was given a suspended 28-week jail term in June and told to pay back all the money he had claimed. He was also placed under a four-month curfew from 8pm to 7am and ordered to pay £750 costs. Previous Blog here & here.

Like an adrenaline shot to the heart, Trauma is the first medical drama series set exclusively where the real action takes place – in the field. Cliff Curtis (Push) and Derek Luke (Notorious) star as ambitious heroes dedicated to one of the most dangerous professions in the world: first responder paramedics. Often the scene is one where you want to hide you eyes - a man falling off of a wall onto a cement spike, a window washer on a sky scraper going through a window. Helicopter and ambulance are dispatched, and the teams have dialogue and banter back and forth until they get to the scene where Rabbit or Nancy use unorthodox measures to save a life.

This ROCR from the University of Utah can actually climb walls like a spider. It’s more like a monkey, honestly. Let’s just say it’s like a spider monkey. It can only climb carpeted walls for now, but it goes at a speed of six inches per second. The creators of the ROCR boast of its efficiency to be twenty percent, a number derived by the ratio of work done to energy consumed. Apparently, the next (and most obvious) step is higher climbing efficiencies and extended battery life. I’m sure there are plans to make certain that certain that it can climb more than just carpeted walls. Soon it will give Spider-man a run for his money. Just think of a window washer on a large skyscraper with one of these things on his back. No more of those cable and scaffolding jobs. I can’t think of anything else for this, but give it time.

£30,000 to clean 6 windows: The Bishop of Durham held a service on Sunday as a piece of history returned to a church. The stained glass window at St Thomas’ Church, in Stanhope, County Durham, was removed for £30,000 renovation work last year amid fears it would fall out. Some parts of the window date back to the 14th Century. Church warden John Anstee said: “It is the second oldest glass in the county, next to Durham Cathedral. “Everybody has had a moment with it. You can now see detail that you couldn’t before. “There are 11 Tudor roses that we didn’t know were in there. “Since it has been back, especially when the sun is setting in the west, it is very special. “We are very proud of it.” The Right Reverend Tom Wright held a rededication service at the church on Sunday.

Trio abseil clock tower housing Big Ben for repairs: The clock faces are set in an iron frame on St Stephen's Tower, which is part of the Houses of Parliament, in central London. The trio descend each of the four sides of the clock face at a height of around 315ft (96m). Each clock face is 23 ft (7m) in diameter, while there are a total of 312 pieces of opal glass. Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell housed within St Stephen's Tower. Two height safety specialists abseiled on the clock faces initially. Then specialist heritage glazer Tony McGilbert abseiled to evaluate the repairs to the fragile glass fascia panels within the clock faces. The men wore ear defenders as the clock continued to strike as they carried out the work, which was expected to last all day. Their equipment was attached to them to ensure it cannot fall onto the ground below. "We have worked on a lot of historic buildings such as the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament and Bank of England," said Terri Cliffe-Harrison, a spokeswoman for height safety specialists TaskMasters. "It's a real privilege to be working on such another famous landmark, although that makes it all the more daunting a prospect."

An elaborate window-cleaning at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts - The stained-glass rose window at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is rarely noticed, although it dominates the North Broad Street facade of the historic building. Of course, most windows accomplish their task best by not being seen. But not stained glass. Stained glass usually announces itself, transforming an interior with ethereal light, drawing an eye to conspicuous arrays of color. This week, the window and its many panels - 511 pieces of glass - are being cleaned and restored; leading has been removed and replaced; and the whole array is being returned to its quiet perch, a process that should be finished by Monday. Their absence has drawn attention to the windows.

Google Street View: past controversies - In July, a window cleaner who appeared to have two heads was spotted in Hawes, Yorkshire, and displayed on Street View. One explanation given was that the Google Street View car took two images of that part of the street and he happened to be caught on the edges of both.

Comedian saved as he died on stage: As the comedian was getting to the punch line he was dying on stage - literally. Eddie Stapleton would have faced his final curtain without the swift actions of an audience member who delivered life-saving CPR as paramedics raced to the scene. Retired window cleaner and carpet fitter Eddie, 77, is a member of Tenby Male Choir and had taken part in a concert at the town’s St Mary’s Church with the Gentlemen Songsters of Dudley in May. Afterwards, the choirs retired to the De Valence Pavilion for refreshments and Eddie took to the microphone with a monologue, only to keel over as he reached the end of his story. “Doctors later told me if Guy Jackson, who was with the Dudley choir, hadn’t stepped in I would have been a gonner. “Guy gave me CPR and got my heart going before the paramedics arrived and I will always be grateful for that. He was fantastic and so were the paramedics.

One of the aftershocks is the move to post salaries of municipal workers online, in particular for the city and county of Los Angeles. Even though this information had been available in the past, now there is an ample appetite for seeing just where taxpayer money goes. It’s being trumpeted under the title of “transparency.” It has 16 people with the title Window Cleaner/Airport who make $54,000 a year or more. For a 40-hour week in a 52-week year, that’s about $26 an hour. That’s pretty good for someone who wields a large squeegee.

Design a glass house: No, people who live in glass houses shouldn't be on television, unless, of course, their assignment is to design and build a glass house. Then the goal, a perfect metaphor for the process itself, makes some sense. HGTV's Design Star'' takes the metaphor to heart for its penultimate episode, ``The Glass House Challenge,'' airing Sunday on HGTV. The three remaining designers are challenged to come up with glass houses smack in New York City's Foley Square. The requirement involves putting a personal design aesthetic into each abode. Not just glass walls but also a certain enveloping feel.

Freeport, Grand Bahama - For specific business categories in Freeport, the cost of starting a business just got lower, thanks to the newest business development initiative launched by The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA). Their recently introduced, ‘Self-storage & Warehouse’, programme allows individuals in specified trades to use self-storage facilities as approved premises to apply for a GBPA business license. Company president, Ian Rolle, explained the premise of the initiative. “It is a fact that there is a great demand to enter in to business, but the start-up costs makes it difficult for some,” he stated. “The Self-Storage & Warehouse initiative allows entrepreneurs, in specific categories, to take advantage of the benefits offered as a GBPA licensee.” “If you take a small business person like a window cleaner, he doesn’t need to rent an office. Now he can get a storage unit, put all of his equipment in it where it’s secured and operate his business using a cell phone,” Gallagher explained.

Distraction burglary against the elderly: Police believe a man is targeting vulnerable people and posing as officials to gain access to their homes. A man claiming to be from social services stole a bag from a property in Britwell before making off at about 3pm on Tuesday. Police believe the same man, posing as a care worker or window cleaner, gained entry to another property in the vicinity and knocked at the doors of others, although nothing was stolen. Det Con Nicola Douglas said: "We believe that the man targeted the type of addresses normally occupied by elderly or vulnerable people. I cannot stress enough the importance of using door chains, checking ID, and calling the police if you are in any doubt whatsoever about someone calling at your home. Don't answer the door unless you are one hundred per cent certain the caller is genuine." The man is described as white, between 30 and 50 years old, about 5ft 7ins and of medium to chubby build. He had a full black and grey beard and a moustache. It is possible that two of his front teeth are missing or chipped. He is thought to have been driving a red car with a black fabric roof, possibly a convertible. Anyone with information can call Det Con Douglas on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Dad spared jail after drugs raid: A dad whose cannabis habit spiralled following the death of his child has escaped a jail sentence after police found his stash of the drug. Officers raided the home of Dean Simpson's ex-partner, Makhala McGurry, in Hartlepool's Brafferton Street. They found a box containing cannabis as well as a total of 38 foil wraps and valued the total haul at £220. Simpson arrived while police were there and said the cannabis was his, Teesside Crown Court heard. After previously admitting possession of cannabis, a class B drug, with intent to supply, Simpson, of Cameron Road, Hartlepool, was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18-months, and supervision. He was also ordered to complete 160 hours unpaid work. McGurry, 22, was given an 18-month conditional discharge after admitting being concerned in the supply of a class B drug. In interview, Simpson said McGurry was the mother of his son and he went to the house daily. By the end of the interview Simpson admitted he sold wraps for between £7.50 and £10 to people who came to the house. "Tragically they lost one of the children. Almost simultaneously Dean Simpson became unemployed because of economic conditions in the local area." He said Simpson, 24, started to use cannabis more heavily and supplied a few friends to fund his habit, but has since cut down considerably. Both Simpson, who has now got a job as a window cleaner, and McGurry, were of previous good character.

Window Cleaning News

Yesterdays news of the fiddling window cleaner seems to have taken over the UK news. A benefit cheat claimed more than £70,000 by saying he was too sick to leave the house alone while working as a window cleaner for 14 years. John Booth, 63, claimed he was agoraphobic, had panic attacks and could only walk 50 yards before he needed to rest.Best headline article today was from the "Sun," titled "Snakes & ladders." This video is the moment investigators trapped a Chorley benefit cheat who claimed he couldn’t work because he had agoraphobia. The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by a humble window cleaner, Murk E. Payne Esq. in 1945 - see here.

Window cleaner lives on the edge: A reader writes: "I'm sitting here in my office having one of those 'some people' moments ... To the window cleaner on Windsor St, Parnell on Friday morning. Step 1: balance old, shaky 6m ladder on wet/slippery tarmac, make sure you don't secure the ladder to anything, or have anyone holding the base. Step 2: climb up a wet, soapy ladder to the top carrying a paint bucket filled with water and sponges in one hand and balance on the top rung. Step 3: while still holding full bucket, lean over to the next window balancing on one foot, 6m off the ground, and have a casual chat to your employer while still scrubbing the window! Mate, you are a true blue genius. I hope you have good life insurance!"

42 reasons to wear safety gear: Craig writes: "Speaking of window cleaner safety, my wife and I now live in Manhattan and as part of the 42nd floor apartment lease we signed we get one free window clean on moving in. We were expecting to see a window cleaning basket come down the side of the building at some point, but imagine our surprise when this young man climbed up on to our window sill and leaned out the window to clean the outside. He was not attached to anything with 42 floors below him."

Gateshead burglar Shaun Bell conned pensioners: A burglar was branded “the lowest of the low” after he preyed on vulnerable pensioners to feed his drug habit. Posing as a window cleaner, Shaun Bell called at the homes of elderly women and demanded cash, saying he had cleaned their windows. But the 26-year-old, from Gateshead, had done no such thing. Instead, he was conning some of the most vulnerable members of his own community out of cash so he could score heroin on the streets of Tyneside. A judge branded Bell “the lowest of the low” when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing. But the cruel fraudster was given one last chance to clean up his act and walked free from court after promising to kick his heroin habit. Judge Beatrice Bolton heard how Bell, who has already done time for burgling the homes of elderly pensioners, targeted vulnerable victims to get cash.
Peter Gair, prosecuting, said: “The defendant committed fraud by conning an 84-year-old lady who lives on her own out of a modest amount of money by telling her he was a window cleaner. “She had been ill, is immobile and requires care and she was visited by this defendant, who said he needed £8.50 for cleaning the windows. “She gave him £10 just to get rid of him. Thereafter he returned to the property. Fortunately on one occasion a carer was present.” Bell pleaded guilty to the fraud, which happened in December last year. The court agreed that five other similar offences could be taken into consideration. Bell, of Aycliffe Crescent, Wrekenton, asked the judge for one last chance to stay out of prison and stay off drugs. He said: “I want help.” Bell was given a two-year community order with requirement that he follows a drug treatment programme. But Judge Bolton warned him if he failed to comply with the order he would be going to jail for 18 months. “This man is a drug addict,” she said. “He’s mean, he’s selfish, he’s the lowest of the low and will do anything to obtain money for drugs. “This is your very, very last chance. Picking on the elderly is reprehensible.”

Dad Sean McAtee is fed-up sharing a cramped one-bedroom council flat with his wife and two young children - and angry there seems little hope of getting the type of house he wants. Self-employed window cleaner Sean (34) had been living in the flat in Herbertshire Street, Denny, for 12 years. When he got married five years ago, wife Maureen (26) moved in with him and first son Sean was born just a year later. When younger son Declan came along in September last year and all four of them began sleeping in the same bedroom. This is obviously not ideal for a family of four and Sean began to question Falkirk Council's housing allocation policies.

Husband's despair as he can't afford wife's funeral: A grieving husband feels “let down by the system” after a series of errors left him with a funeral bill he is unable to pay. Colin Bowden applied for funeral funding through a Job Centre after his wife Marilyn died in Chesham in November. He applied on December 16 and was told he would get a response within 12 weeks – but heard nothing back until April 6. Correspondence about the application was sent to the wrong number house in The Gowers, Amersham, where Mr Bowden has now moved to. This week Mr Bowden was sent a letter stating “further action to recover full payment” of the £2,401 he owes for the funeral costs is now being considered. But Mr Bowden, who says he 'only just has enough money to get by' from his job as a window cleaner, believes he should have had more help. He said: “They are putting pressure on me and asking me for money I haven't got. “I feel let down by the system. I just can't believe they can turn down people who've got no money and can't pay for the funeral.

AUBURN — They’re back. They’ve been in Auburn for just over a week and already have attracted the attention of visitors and passers-by. Some do a double-take. Is that really a woman walking her dog? Is that a police officer writing a parking ticket?
For the next three months, 13 life-size bronze sculptures and one monumental sculpture by artist J. Seward Johnson will remain at sites on a walking tour through downtown Auburn. The commission first brought Johnson’s work to Auburn in the summer of 2007 and is presenting an encore exhibit due to its overwhelming popularity. Nice to See You: A window cleaner appears to be looking in at the window he is cleaning; West Seventh and North Main streets. See here for the sculpture in question.

With the help of graduate students from Wright State University, city officials recently conducted a survey to gauge local interest in creating an Special Improvement District for downtown Urbana. Melanie Kendrick, city development planner for Urbana, said the study showed businesses who participate would pay about $130 per year to join the special improvement district. The district would likely have about a $50,000 budget to provide services that could include snow removal, window cleaning, and cleaning sidewalks, among others. Several business owners already pay outside companies to perform those services, Kendrick said. Those business owners would likely see a savings if an SID is implemented.

The Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire has appointed a local man to replace Chair Jim Forsythe who has stepped aside to focus on his state senate campaign in the fourth district. Andrew Hemingway, who has served as chair of the Bristol Budget Committee, said he plans to work within the state chapter organization to lead conservative Republican candidates to victory in 2010 elections and to bring the Republican Party back to its roots. "I became a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire because the values and principles of the group match the values and principles that made this country successful and this state great," said Hemingway. "The Republican Liberty Caucus is working aggressively to get solid conservative candidates elected. I'm honored and excited about the opportunity we have. I think we can make a huge impact."
Hemingway, born and raised in Plymouth, in the home of a small-business owner, has created several successful entrepreneurial enterprises, from a window-washing business in his early college years to an online sports coaching portal.Hemingway lives in Bristol with his wife and two children. As chair of the Bristol Budget Committee, he has supported zero-based budgeting, requiring town departments to start from zero and add expenditures to the budget each year, rather than start from the prior year's budget amount. He says the committee has cut spending by more than 10 percent, or $500,000, and reduced property taxes to the lowest rate in more than 20 years for Bristol residents.

University of Exeter designs blast-proof curtain: A blast-proof curtain is being developed by scientists from a Devon university to protect potential terrorist targets. The curtain can capture debris, such as flying glass, when windows are blown in. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) project is led by the University of Exeter and research and development firm Auxetix. The curtain could also be effective during typhoons and hurricanes. Shock absorption: Testing has begun at a government-approved facility and the curtain could be on the market in three to five years. The curtain has been primarily designed to be fixed over the windows of potential terrorist targets, such as government and high-profile commercial properties. Professor Ken Evans, from the university, said: "In the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, glass accounted for nearly two thirds of all eye and head injuries. "The blast curtain we're working on, which will be capable of dispersing the shock from an explosion extremely effectively, will be backed up by robust scientific understanding vital to ensuring it really can block flying debris and achieve widespread use." More here.

David E. Eisner was bitten by the computer bug at age 12 when his parents purchased an Apple II computer for him. Tinkering on the computer opened a new world. He played games, then advanced to writing programs. After studying computer science at the University of Maryland at College Park and Johns Hopkins University, he worked for IBM and two other companies before founding Dataprise in his Rockville apartment in 1995. The goal: to provide information technology services for small and medium-size businesses. Fifteen years later, Dataprise has 115 employees, 1,000 active clients from Northern Virginia to New York City, and is approaching $16 million in annual revenue. In May, Eisner, 44, of Rockville, was named the Tech Council of Maryland's 2010 Executive of the Year. He is married and has three children.
Worst job: "My best friend and I started a window-cleaning business that lasted one weekend. After we cleaned three houses, I thought I would never get out of bed again. I couldn't move for a week!"

Death, dissatisfaction and dirty windows haunt Hisae Iwaoka's Saturn Apartments: Saturn Apartments embraces an existential melancholy, accentuating quiet moments, mystery and introspection over space opera. Call it zen in the art of window-washing…in space. Young Mitsu has just graduted from junior high. He’s 14, an orphan, and he’s following his late father’s footsteps into the occupation of window-washer. In manga artist Hisae Iwaoka’s dream-like vision of the future, that’s a hazardous profession, not unlike the chimney sweeps of Victorian England. A structure that recalls (lightly) Larry Nivens’s classic novel Ringworld, the Saturn Apartments appear to be a massive, three-level ring built to encircle the Earth. All of humanity relocated there generations ago, when the planet was declared a nature preserve—no humans allowed. The ring’s levels correspond to three classes of wealth, opportunity and privilege.
Many elements of the story are also reminiscent of Charles Dickens: life revolves arounds class; people are practically born into their roles and cannot change levels; and the story follows an orphaned child of mysterious lineage being thrown into a harsh working life, which also gives him a view (literally, through the windows he’s hired to clean) into lives of all classes. Through Mitsu’s eyes, we meet people at all levels who experience similar existential crises. It’s as if everyone quiet wonders if this is all there is. Mitsu’s father died on the job, five years earlier and under mysterious circumstances. Since then, an organization known as “the guild” (apparently a sort of union of window-washers) seems to have been looking out for Mitsu, much to the annoyance of his co-workers. Their resentment could prove fatal for Mitsu, and he wonders on more than one occasion if particular colleagues are out to kill or at least deceive him.

I searched for a custodial job last summer after working for 10 months in an on-campus job that was demanding (to put it mildly). A custodian’s job lacked agonizing deadlines, bureaucratic meetings and conflicting viewpoints. After all, there is really only one way to wash a window. And that’s what I was hired to do. Clean windows and vacuum rugs at the entrances to the Richards Building. Occasionally an assignment comes up to break the monotony. But other than that, it’s washing windows for four hours every day. It’s the stress-free environment I was looking for, but I will admit it is boring sometimes. Because of the unexciting nature of my job, any interaction with others is a highlight of my day. And because I happen to work on the BYU campus, most of those interactions are very positive. Hardly a day goes by I don’t hear a “Thank you” or “Good job” from someone coming through the door. These passers-by not only appreciate a clean window, but they are willing to voice that appreciation out loud to someone who they have never met. Instead of ignoring the janitors like the masses tend to do, they empathize and know a custodian could use some gratitude. Even if that custodian isn’t depressed or forlorn, a “thank you” never hurts.

LOS ANGELES — Tens of thousands of jubilant Los Angeles Lakers fans lined a two-mile route Monday, many waving purple and gold flags and T-shirts that read "Back 2 Back" as they cheered the NBA champions during a parade to celebrate the team's second consecutive title. Many fans took a day off work to pay tribute to their team. Window washer Jimmy Baskom, 58, said he forewent the day's pay to drive in from Palmdale because he wanted to see his longtime basketball heroes up close after watching every game this season on TV.



21 'spidermen' to scale glass facade of MBS: Teams of top rock climbers from around the world will compete to emerge as the best "Spidermen", in a building-climbing contest - the first of its kind - to be held here (Singapore). Tomorrow, 21 climbers will scale the glass facades of integrated resort Marina Bay Sands' three 200m-tall towers to reach the Sands SkyPark, in the World Championship Climb. Each team comprises two men and a woman, who will have to conquer one tower each, one after another. After the last climber completes the 55-storey ascent, all three team members have to race to the finish line near the infinity pool in the Sands SkyPark - the rooftop level linking the three towers containing swimming pools, restaurants and a viewing deck.
The seven teams represent the United States, Canada, China, Europe, the Commonwealth, Asia and Singapore. The contest will be held to mark the official opening of Marina Bay Sands tomorrow, but the resort plans to make it an annual affair. The resort - which opened 963 hotel rooms, conference rooms and a casino on April 27 - will open the remaining 1,598 hotel rooms, and more shops and restaurants tomorrow. As part of the opening, eight skydivers will jump off the Sands SkyPark and parachute into the waters in front of the resort's Event Plaza.
Dr Omer Mei-Dan, the climbing contest's executive producer, said that the climb will be challenging as the tower walls are overhanging. It means that the climbers will need a stronger grip in the last leg of the climb, he said. They also need to use the same set of muscles repeatedly to move up, making the climb more strenuous, he added. Ms Beatrix Chong, 31, the top female rock climber in Singapore's national team who will represent the country in the contest, said this will be the first time she will climb a building in her 11 years of experience. She usually climbs over natural rocks and rock interfaces at outdoor gyms, and does speed climbs of only 30m in height.
Mr Tim Emmett, 36, a British television host and a member of Team Commonwealth, emerged first out of the seven climbers involved in yesterday's trial climb. Asked to rate his team's chances, he said: "I got to the top first, so, hopefully, if we play our cards right, we can get to the top before everyone else." He added: "The view was just amazing. I wanted to get my parachute and jump off the building." Climbers will have two more trial climbs on the towers before the competition begins at 5.30pm tomorrow.

44th Floor Rescue, Virginity & Another Fiddling Window Cleaner

Window cleaners rescued from outside 44th floor: A team of window cleaners were left dangling outside the 44th floor of a US tower-block when a piece of scaffolding fell from the device that moved the cleaners. The trio had been cleaning the (many) windows on the Wells Fargo Plaza building in Houston, when the accident happened. When their device broke it meant the platform they were standing on fell, snapped and left the men clinging on. They were then left hanging by their harnesses for over two hours while rescuers removed a window from above them and pulled them to safety. When they were finally yanked in from their precarious position one of the rescuers said: "you missed a bit".



When it comes to first-time sex stories, Shawn Wickens (pictured) has heard them all - and then some. The tales of lost virginity are collected in a new book by the Queens window washer, who spent three years interviewing Americans from sea to pining sea about their romantic debuts. Much to his surprise, more than 1,000 strangers said yes to revealing their first intimate moments. They spoke of sex in the backseats of Cadillacs, in a broken Tilt-A-Whirl ride, in bunk beds and even in mom's bed. They detailed randy romps, fantasies fulfilled - and a few regrets. "There are joyful, erotic and unfortunate moments," Wickens said of his "How To Lose Your Virginity." "There's a sense that the first time is awkward or uncomfortable. I tried to look for stories that ran the gamut, to shed light on everything out there."
Wickens, 34, of Sunnyside, traveled 12,000 miles to speak with people in 36 cities, both large and small. Traveling with a tape recorder and a business card, his stops included Gettysburg, Pa., Roswell, N.M. and Hoboken, N.J. Wickens, who has a girlfriend, winnowed the book to the top 200 tales, spread across 18 self-explanatory chapters: "It Was a Train Wreck," "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Me" and "I Did It My Way."
Breaking the ice with interviewees was often done over something on the rocks. Bars were a fertile source of subjects, with Wickens - who spent a short time in telemarketing - delivering a quick spiel to prospective subjects. He was also shot down on a few occasions, including a bizarre hat trick in Amarillo, Tex.: "I met three gents over the age of 50 who said they were virgins and didn't want to talk about it ...Three virgins in one night!" Inspiration for the book struck in his native Cleveland, at a film festival where Wickens saw the German flick, "Mein Bruder, Der Vampire" - an offbeat tale of lost virginity. He grabbed the tape recorder - and bang! The first night, he captured 13 stories.
When not washing windows, Wickens works as a comedian ("I never do both at the same time," he jokes). And yes, he does share his own story. It happened just after he turned 22, with "Alice." It took a while, but he's finally comfortable talking about it: "At the time I started the book, I was embarrassed," he confessed. "Over the process, I grew to enjoy my own story a little more."

Window cleaner who pocketed £71,500 in benefits by claiming he was too scared to go out is still doing his round: A benefits cheat who stole £71,500 in disability payments after claiming he was too afraid to go outside was caught operating his own window cleaning business. John Booth (pictured), 63, took the incapacity benefit handouts citing stress and agoraphobia and being unable to go out alone. He also said he could not walk more than 50 yards unaided. But inspectors from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) discovered he had set up a window cleaning round. They secretly filmed him scaling 20ft ladders and cleaning windows as well as climbing over the balcony on the first floor of a house.
He also subsequently claimed Pension Credit stating he was single and not working. In truth he was married and his wife was in full-time employment. Inquiries revealed he had been taking state benefits for 14 years whilst cleaning windows in Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, Cheshire. At Preston Crown Court today Booth from Chorley, Lancashire, admitted 17 counts of false accounting. He was given a 28-week prison sentence suspended for two years after the court heard he was able to pay back the £71,000 in full. He was also placed under a four-month curfew from 8pm to 7am and ordered to pay £750 costs.
Prosecuting, Frank Nance said; 'The defendant claimed benefits from being unfit to work due to illnesses and later claimed he was grossly disabled. 'In reality he was working as a window cleaner throughout this time.' The court heard that Booth began claiming incapacity benefit in 1982 stating he was 'was suffering from depression and produced medical certificates signed by his GP'.But in April 1994 he started working and failed to notify the DWP. In December 1996 he claimed he has 'agrophobic anxiety' and a fear of open spaces. The court heard that in April 2002 Booth had a building society account with £27,000 in it which he closed two years later when it had £24,000 in it.
He continued to claim it took him two minutes to walk 30m and he couldn't go out on his own. Booth lived in Wilmslow and then Winsford until February 2008 when he moved to Chorley. Mr Nance went on: 'He claimed he was a single parent when he was married to a lady who had a full-time job. That was false from the outset. 'An investigation began in 2008 and in the summer of that year he was observed working as a window cleaner in Alderley Edge. He was witnessed carrying ladders and walking unaided.' Booth was arrested in October of that year and claimed he had been feeling better because of spinal injections he had in his back.
But further inquires were made by the DWP and 'customers confirmed he had been working for many years'. Defending, James Hawks said: 'This is a defendant whose claim was not false from the outset but became false and there were subsidiary false claimed within it. 'The dishonesty was a lapse into dishonesty. The vast bulk relates to the claims of invalidity or incapacity. 'Some of the more recent claims were limited in time and limited in value. 'This is a defendant who has had and continues to have genuine difficulties with his health particularly to do with chronic back pain. 'A considerable amount of money claimed went to support his son who is a long-term heroin addict and has health problems and has run up debts which the defendant paid off on his behalf. 'There was an element of pressure from his ex-wife based upon her life-style which he couldn't meet with his income. 'He remains a principal carer for his son who is in his 40s with considerable health problems. 'A voluntary repayment of £39,000 has been made at an early stage and he is in a position to recompense the state fully.'
Sentencing, Judge Norman Wright said: 'What you committed was not just a a fraud of the state but a fraud of everyone in this court and every member of the public. 'Because the monies you claimed came out of the public purse that tax payers have contributed for the welfare of people who properly deserve these monies. 'Some of those claims were dishonest from the very outset and these are serious matters. 'Because of what you did it means the people who are genuinely disabled all the time have suspicion placed upon them and have to undergo rigorous examinations to try to wheedle out people such as yourself. 'This money wasn't just frittered away because based on that money, you were able to save up and you were able to help your son and you were able to fund your consumption of cannabis. All this paid for by the state. 'You have repaid the money but the state has lost out because it has not had use of these monies.'

Above: Department of Work and Pensions inspectors filmed Boothscaling 20ft ladders and cleaning windows as well as climbing over a balcony on the first floor of a house.