Testing The Limits On Glass

The Skyslide, a glass slide fixed along the tallest building west of the Mississippi River, is open for business this weekend. Thrill-seekers can pay $25 to slide down 45 feet of bulletproof glass nearly 1,000 feet in the air. How do you clean the windows?

The incredible glass slide that's 70 floors high: Take a look at this glass slide in America which has been built on the side of a skyscraper. The Skyslide was built on the 70th floor of the US Bank Tower and gives riders a pretty incredible view of Los Angeles in America. It's made out of glass which is a thick as a book, and has been built to withstand strong winds and earthquakes. Would you be brave enough to have a go? Take a look at it in action...

Dramatic safety tests for glass-floor bridge in China: Theirs is a task perhaps few would envy. These courageous volunteers are making sure China's latest glass-bottomed bridge is safe to be opened to the public. At least one felt the need to shout "I love you mom" as she brought her sledgehammer crashing down. They were attached to safety harnesses just in case but none of the volunteers managed to smash right through.

Just to underline how much the structure can take a 15-tonne vehicle was driven over the bridge as well. At 300m above ground and 430m long, China's claiming this to be the highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge in the world. These safety tests might also be intended to reassure the public after a similar bridge in the same province was closed last year because of a cracked panel.

Sky Slide

Thrill-seekers will soon have the chance to sail down a glass side suspended 1,000 feet above ground and attached to the tallest building on the West Coast. Starting in June, it will cost $8 to slide down a portion of the 72-story U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles.

SKY SLIDE lifted to top floors of  OF US bank tower in downtown Los Angeles; The Sky Slide, a new attraction in downtown Los Angeles, was lifted over the city Saturday morning as it was being set up on the 69th and 70th floors of the U.S. Bank tower.

A massive helicopter dangled the clear glass slide over the streets below before it was placed near the top of the tower. The massive project hit a bit of turbulence during its 1,000-foot-high journey. It broke an awning on the building next door and a window was broken on one of the upper flowers of the tower.

John Colosimo's company built the slide and said all in all, the lift was still a success. He said safety has been the No. 1 priority in the project, which has gone through a rigorous testing process. "Before we brought that thing out here, we loaded it with 10,000 pounds of sand and hung it for an hour. It's pretty robust. I don't see it coming apart," he said.

When it's complete, the Sky Slide will take thrill-seekers from the 70th floor to the 69th. It's part of what will be California's tallest open-air observation deck called the OUE Sky Space. Tickets officially went on sale Saturday at skyspace and the attraction is set to open in June.

A helicopter on Saturday brought the Skyslide to the 69th floor of the downtown U.S. Bank Tower. At 72 stories, it is the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The helicopter experienced a bit of turbulence and the slide broke an awning on the building next door. A window was also broken on one of the upper floors of the tower, according to ABC. When it opens on June 25, the transparent, 45-foot-long slide will carry visitors from floors 70 to 69 as they peer down through 1 ¼-inch-thick glass.

A helicopter on Saturday brought the Skyslide to the 69th floor of the downtown U.S. Bank Tower. At 72 stories, it is the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The helicopter experienced a bit of turbulence and the slide broke an awning on the building next door. A window was also broken on one of the upper floors of the tower, according to ABC. When it opens on June 25, the transparent, 45-foot-long slide will carry visitors from floors 70 to 69 as they peer down through 1 ¼-inch-thick glass.

'The Skyslide boasts a safe, thrilling experience unlike any other in the world,' said a statement from Lucy Rumantir, head of U.S. operations for building owner OUE Limited of Singapore. 'Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to transform their view of Los Angeles as they glide down, gazing at unparalleled views of the city.' Skyslide is part of a $50 million renovation that will also put an open-air observation deck and bar on the tower's top floors. The slide ends at the observation deck. On a clear day, the tower provides panoramic views that extend to Catalina Island 22 miles off the Pacific Coast and over the Santa Monica Mountains to the city's sprawling San Fernando Valley.

Keeping The Museum Clean

Window washing technician Raul Dominguez does a dance as he cleans with a simple wand one one of the huge gallery windows of the Broad Museum. 

The fine art of keeping the Broad museum super-clean: Hector Garcia is the Mr. Miyagi of window washing. As president of HSG, Garcia is tasked with the delicate and complicated chore of cleaning the exterior of the Broad museum, which opens to the public Sunday.

Dressed in his gray company polo shirt, Garcia demonstrated the Zen-like balance required of a window washer wearing a five-point harness while poised on a swing stage, a slender platform suspended many stories above the busy streets of downtown L.A.

"Washing windows is a fluid type of motion, you're lathering up and then you shave the glass," he says, his arms swinging in wide, purposeful arcs of the wax-on, wax-off variety, while two of his workers wash the gallery windows above. "And when you walk, the whole thing bounces so you have to train yourself to stay in the middle and do a little dance."

He does a lithe shimmy, his hips swivelling nimbly as his arms circle in unison. Above him, window washing technician Raul Dominguez does a similar, if less dramatic, dance as he cleans with a simple wand, squeegee, gray water and environmentally safe soap.

Apart from the "oculus," the Broad museum's facade is largely opaque, not letting in much light.

The bridal-white Broad is a special case because the building has two layers: an exterior consisting of more than 2,500 honeycomb panels made of fiberglass-reinforced concrete, called "the veil," which shades an interior shell made of glass. At the narrowest points, about 36 inches lie between the veil and the lobby and gallery glass at the front of the building. Not only do the veil's honeycomb orifices need to be thoroughly cleaned on both sides, but the glass behind it needs to be free of spatters from that cleaning.

The job is thankless. If it has been done correctly, nobody will know the difference. If it's done incorrectly, or not enough, everyone might notice. That's just the way things are when you wear white after Labor Day.

Broad architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro anticipated this scenario and its requirements. Consultants contacted Garcia about four years ago in order to find out if he could fit a swing stage within the narrow dimension between the veil and the glass. His solution: a swing stage custom made for the building.

The Broad's 20-foot-long swing stage is a mere 28 inches wide, and on this day it is uncomfortable for the casual observer to notice that there is a mere inch or two of space between the stage and the building. Dominguez must feel claustrophobic? No, he says after he has come down. He likes it. He feels "hugged" by the tight space, Garcia says.

Unlike the rest of this parched metropolis, the Broad is not praying for rain. The museum's pearly exterior is so pure that excessive precipitation could cause unseemly streaks. Cleaning the building is an art, says Rich Cherry, deputy director of the museum.

"The two biggest environmental stressors are cars and the rain," he says. "Say we're four months after a cleaning and you don't notice that dirt has built up, but then a rainstorm comes and washes it down. We might have to respond to that and do a cleaning we weren't planning on. You don't want to let that stuff set. That just makes it harder to get off later."

The Broad museum's cave-like lobby, long and narrow, features undulating walls finished in gray Venetian plaster.

Garcia's company, whose clients include the U.S. Bank Tower, the Gas Company Tower and the Getty, is scheduled to clean the Broad veil with pressurized gray water twice a year and the windows about six times a year. Cleaning the veil will likely take three to four weeks, with workers on from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. on days the museum is open. (They will work most of the day on Mondays, when the Broad is closed.)

Extensive testing on the veil materials showed how they reacted to the common assaults of nature and humanity such as rain, oil, rubber bits from tires and spray paint, Cherry says.

"You try to cross your Ts and dot your I's, but people think of creative ways to mess things up," he says. "So the art part of this is seeing how the building behaves. How much road dust are we going to get? How many cars are going to pass by, and what will the exhaust do? How dirty is the rain that's coming? We have a plan, but then it's how reality reacts to that plan."

Everything that the Broad discovers during this crucial first year of maintenance will be filed for posterity. Cherry is keeping a careful record so that when the building needs to be preserved 50 years from now, the task will be easier.

The Broad is also taking heart from an esteemed neighbor in its good housekeeping quest: Disney Hall. "Disney looks good, and they've been dealing with the same environment that we'll be dealing with," Cherry says, "only probably with more rain."

The Broad museum sits at the corner of Grand and 2nd Street, right next to Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Save The Americans

"Save the Americans" campaign: The advertising concept brings Costa Rica to Los Angeles by using window washers  suspended platforms showcasing the sloth mascot along with the message: “Cubicle. Cage. What’s the difference?”

Send In The Sloths - Costa Rica Touts Its Wildlife To Lure Tourists: Last year, Costa Rica Tourism Board and its agency 22squared launched the "Save the Americans" campaign to convey that Americans in Canada and the U.S. are overworked and under-vacationed and Costa Rica is the solution for their vacation deprivation. 

Now, this campaign is taking to the streets. The concept brings Costa Rica to Los Angeles by using window washers and their suspended window washing platforms to deliver messages with the campaign’s spokesperson, the sloth.  

"Since there’s a heavy portion of our target audience in LA, and there are direct flights to Costa Rica, LA seemed like a perfect fit," says Curt Mueller, SVP, Group Creative Director, at 22squared. “Our mission is simple: Use Costa Rican animals, like the sloth, to convince overworked Americans to come to Costa Rica for a much-needed vacation. So, with ‘Save the Americans’, we’ve challenged ourselves to find innovative ways and new places to reach these Americans. We’ve reached them through music videos, a Twitter campaign called ‘Endangered Tweets’, sand sculptures near Wall Street in New York City, and now, in office buildings in downtown LA. 

Take a photo to win a holiday.

Having the animals reach out to overworked Americans where they work, and when they’re feeling overworked, has been a major reason for the success of the ‘Save the Americans’ campaign.” The campaign appears on 3333 Wilshire Blvd, a 13-story office building in Los Angeles on busy Wilshire Blvd, as well as on the ground surrounding the building. Messages include “Attention Tenants: We will be washing the windows today. Watch for sloths” and “Staring out the window during work isn’t productive. That will change tomorrow.”

In addition, window washer's suspended platforms showcase the sloth mascot along with the message: “Cubicle. Cage. What’s the difference?” 

Those walking by these images are invited to take a photo and share it using the  #SlothSweepstakes hashtag for a chance to win a trip to Costa Rica. Finally, on August 25, the campaign will release video showcasing office workers' reactions to a sloth showing up on their windows, as well as their moments when they enter to win a trip to Costa Rica.

Costa Rica spent $3.3 million on its Save The Americans campaign last year.

“From what we’ve seen in the building and on social media, people are loving the ‘Window Washing’ campaign so far," says Mueller. "We teased the idea in the building’s lobby and elevators the day before, and there was a lot of curiosity. In general, it’s hard not to love a six foot sloth who appears outside your office window, offering trips to Costa Rica.”

While it remains too early to tell if this campaign will actually translate into increased visitors, the previous Save the Americans initiatives have been effective. Costa Rica spent $3.3 million on its Save The Americans campaign last year and Tourism Ministry officials say that revenues from Costa Rica’s travel sector last year totaled $2.6 billion in 2014, an 8.3% increase over the $2.4 billion registered in 2013. There were more than 2.53 million international arrivals last year, an increase of 4.1% over the previous year. 22squared has been working with The Costa Rica Tourism board for five years.

Pressure Washer Shot, Stabbed & Killed In L.A.

The victim was helping to pressure wash the parking structure prior to the shooting, according to Lt. Jim Gavin of the LAPD. His coworkers were upstairs when they noticed the water pressure had dropped. When they returned to the truck, they found the victim with gunshot wounds and called police, Gavin said.

Attacker Shoots, Stabs Man Cleaning Target Parking Lot: A member of cleaning crew was shot and stabbed early Tuesday outside a Target store parking garage in Van Nuys. The victim, whose name was not immediately released, was found on the ground next to his Fleetwash pickup. He was hospitalized in critical condition after the shooting in the 5700 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. The man in his 40s, identified by police as a member of a private cleaning crew, later died at the hospital.

The worker was cleaning the lot with a high-pressure hose when the attacker approached from behind and opened fire, police said. His co-workers were inside the building at the time of the shooting and stabbing, police said. They likely did not hear gunfire because of the noise made by the high-pressure washer. "They noticed the pressure in the hose had been reduced," said Lt. Jim Gavin. "They went out to see if he was ok, and that's when they found him with several gunshot wounds."

One person was in custody after the 5 a.m. shooting, according to police. The individual, who was found in the pickup, might have been under the influence of bath salts (window cleaner), a synthetic drug, police told NBC4. There doesn't appear to be any connection between the suspect, who is a reputed gang member, and the victim, who was not connected to any gang, police said.

Man Fatally Shot, Stabbed Outside Van Nuys Target Store: When officers arrived on scene, they found the suspect on the passenger side of the vehicle. He tried to flee the scene, but officers tackled him and arrested him. The victim was transported to Holy Cross Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released. The unidentified suspect, who authorities believe was under the influence of narcotics, was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Police do not believe the suspect and the victim knew each other. A gun and knife were recovered at the scene.

Target Gun Ban Continues to Backfire – First Murder in California: Well we knew it would just be a matter of time until waves of violent crime started at Target retail stores. Just like Jack in the Box, the so-called Target gun ban has brought forth a “wave” of armed robberies, and yesterday Target experienced their first murder in California.

Yesterday, a man in his early 40′s was shot just outside the Target store in Van Nuys. According to Lt. Jim Gavin of the LAPD, the victim was pressure washing the outside structure of the Target store. Gavin stated this appeared to be a random shooting, and there’s no indication that the victim and suspect knew each other.

Window Washer Rescue L.A.

Window washers rescued in 10100 Santa Monica Tower because of a scaffold malfunction.

Fire Crews Rescue 2 Workers Trapped On Scaffolding Outside Century City High-Rise: (CENTURY CITY) —Two window washers were rescued Thursday after being stuck on scaffolding on floor 26 of a 27-story high-rise in Century City. The incident happened around 4:50 p.m. at 10100 Santa Monica Tower located on W. Santa Monica Boulevard. “We had to inspect some windows, came down safety. We went back up and the cable got jammed. We couldn’t go up, we couldn’t go down. We didn’t want to play with it, so we called 911,” said worker Javier Barajas. Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue unit hoisted the two men to the roof of the building. No one was injured.

CA/Window Washer Firefighter reacts: Two window washers get rescued by Los Angeles Firefighters after getting stuck 26 floors up, outside a Century City high-rise. Problems with cables on their scaffolding left the pair stranded Thursday near the top.

LASS says: "Were here to do a job. Fortunately today, we did it well."

LASS says: "There were two patients trapped on the scaffolding and I believe mechanically it wasn't able to work anymore and they required rescuing."

LASS says: "No, I think they had their phones with them so they were chatting with some of their friends. They were in good spirits because there were two of them and they were able to keep each other company."

Both men were not injured or in serious danger, but firefighters had to put them each in a rescue harness to hoist them to the roof after 2 hours of being stranded.

Window washers saved from floor 26 of LA building: Los Angeles firefighters had to rescue two window washers who got stuck 26 floors up outside a Century City high-rise. Fire department spokesman Brian Humphrey says problems with cables on their scaffolding left the pair stranded Thursday not far from the top of the 27-story Santa Monica Tower shortly before 5 p.m. They were not injured or in serious danger, but firefighters had to put the two men in rescue harnesses and hoist them on to the roof about two hours after they got stuck.

46 Counts Of Insurance Fraud For Window Cleaner

Man Slapped With 46 Counts of Insurance Fraud: Authorities arrested Los Angeles, Calif. business owner Emmett Timothy Kennedy III, 47, on May 12, charging him with dozens of counts of insurance fraud after Kennedy allegedly under reported his company’s payroll.

In 2007, the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) suspected Kennedy’s company, WWC Window Cleaning, to have been committing premium fraud. The California Department of Insurance (CDI) began an investigation, and in 2009 it obtained a search warrant to collect WWC’s financial records. The CDI discovered that WWC was underreporting the number of employees at the company to the SCIF and the Employment Development Department (EDD).

As it turns out, WWC had been paying part or all of each employee’s salary in cash, allegedly under Kennedy’s direction. This action defrauded the SCIF and Unemployment Insurance fund of more than $1 million in a mere 4 years.

“The actions of this business owner put his employees at severe risk, had an accident occurred in the workplace,” said Calif. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “The under reporting of his payroll shows an extremely blatant disregard for the welfare of his employees and the law.”

Kennedy now faces 46 counts of insurance fraud and four counts of violating the Unemployment Insurance Code. Each of the 46 counts carries a possible 5 years in prison. The court set his bail at $1 million.

SACRAMENTO, California: Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today announced that Emmett Timothy Kennedy III, 47, of Los Angeles was arrested as he appeared in the Los Angeles Superior Court to face 46 counts of insurance fraud and four counts for violating the Unemployment Insurance Code, all of which are felonies. Every count of insurance fraud carries a potential five year prison sentence. Kennedy is the President of WWC Window Cleaning which is alleged to have defrauded their insurance carrier and the State's Unemployment Insurance fund of over $1,000,000 in unpaid premiums. Kennedy's bail has been set at $1,000,000.

"The actions of this business owner put his employees at severe risk, had an accident occurred in the workplace," said Commissioner Jones. "The underreporting of his payroll shows an extremely blatant disregard for the welfare of his employees and the law."

In 2007, the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) contacted the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and reported their suspicion that WWC Window Cleaning (WCC) was committing premium fraud. CDI's Fraud Division, together with Investigators from the Employment Development Department (EDD) initiated an investigation of WWC. A search warrant was executed on March 17, 2009 which resulted in the seizure of WWC's financial records. A forensic audit of the financial records was performed by EDD and it determined that WWC actually had more employees than they were reporting to their insurance carrier SCIF or to EDD for the proper Employee Contributions or Unemployment Tax.

This misrepresentation defrauded SCIF and the Unemployment Insurance fund of over $1,000,000 in a four year period. To conceal the misrepresentations, WWC paid their employees in cash for either a portion or all of their salary. WWC is alleged to have taken this action at the direction of Kennedy.

This case is a result of a joint investigation between the California Employment Development Department and the Department of Insurance - Fraud Division and is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Workers' Compensation and Health Care Fraud Unit.

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.

Hector Garcia & HSG Inc of Los Angeles

Hector S. Garcia of HSG Inc: Hector founded HSG, Inc. in 1980. As the company expanded, he used his hands-on expertise to train each new hire in safety and diligence, instilling the company’s values early on. HSG, Inc. grew steadily each year as Hector brought on a larger staff to accommodate increasing sales. Now, with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County and a strong hold on the commercial property market, the company is enjoying solid success and the support of a long-standing, dedicated team of employees. Hector now looks forward to the continued development of HSG, Inc. as the industry expert in curtain wall maintenance.

Services provided: window cleaning, caulking & waterproofing, high pressure cleaning, metal and curtain wall restoration, glass scratch prevention and removal, bird control, rigging and high lifts as needed. They also provide OSHA and OPOS consulting for their valued clients.

Hector Garcia appeared on the KTLA show "Making It", a regular program that features business success stories. He appeared on the show twice.

In 1996, Hector Garcia was a guest on the ABC talk show "Caryl & Marilyn: Real Friends". During the segment, he gave the viewers a close-up look at cleaning on a high-rise building. The show was produced by Viacom Productions.

HSG, appeared on a Channel 2 News special titled "The Worst Job I Ever Loved", in which Hector was featured as an expert in the window cleaning business. Host Dave Malkoff reports from high up on the top of building in Downtown LA in December of 2007.

This commercial for Quaker Oats was shot using two of HSGs own window washers, filming them as they worked on a high-rise building in Downtown Los Angeles. The equipment was supplied and operated by HSGs as well.

HSG provided the swing stage (the platform where Candace Michelle stands outside the building) and related equipment and operated it during filming. The commercial debuted during the 1st Quarter of the NFC Wild Card game between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers.