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I feel sorry for people who are very anxious to get out of their countries ,They must realize west is not all bed of roses it is long hard road ahead crossing the immigration desk is just the beginningAll the other creamy honey stories are fake fabricated nothing elseSome of the hundreds of Chinese passports, along with fake Chinese passport stamps, that were seized from the home and offices of the former unlicensed immigration consultant Xun ‘Sunny’ Wang, by Canadian border officers in raids across greater Vancouver on October 17, 2012. Photo: Canada Border Services AgencyToronto immigration firm charges $170K for fake Canadian job, undercover investigation revealsThere are a lot of singing birds in Canada and all different sing songs. Of course, all have different agendas.However, street realities are different, and the benefits are different from the parties.An immigrant from an advanced country, with verifiable experience/education and transferable skill, sure he/she does not have any issue. He/She chirp chirp chirp happy song.A fraud refugee claim gets through the system since never crossed grade five, or less and never worked in his/her life. He/she chirp chirp chirp, life on the dole and with med and dental covered. What is the problem, none?A person coming through the USA, who had lost hope on HIB visa, with some transferable skill, lands a lower-level job but pays the bill. Chirp Chirp with some sad note.A person coming through the middle east who had no status there, he/she finds an anchor here. It is all chirp chirp chirp with some sad notes on the glory of Dubai.A person who just recovered ex druggie got through the family reunion, now he/she is in Mecca of Meth lab/Dube/and he/she resume his/her previous profession with Gusto. It is all chirp chirp chirp.A person who printed his/her own student visa is also singing chirp chirp chirp happy notes.A person who parks his/her family and goes back to his/her old stomping ground and family is mooching here with a minimum contribution to the systems. It is all chirp chirp chirp.The birds who are not singing happy songs and complaining:The birds who are not singing happy chirp chirp chirp,Who thought Canada is a land cream honey and dollars grow on the trees. As soon as they touch Toronto/Vancouver/Montreal/ they will find a money tree to pluck preferably 100 bills.My wife and I are still looking for these trees last close fifty years, did not find any.2. Spouse not working, and think it is India/China, with a maid, gardener, chauffeur, cook, ayya,(baby sitter), kitty parties, BD parties, anniversaries, and happy birthday fish in fishbowl day.No, it is not, it is one hell, a pit of cobras, and firestorm and ice storms to make money.3. OMG, I was MD, at my last job, well get used to no name no title no special treatment, produce and then you may get something otherwise you are nothing a number.4. How long it takes to reach to a cushy job, NEVER NEVER NEVER, it is just cutthroat country, even after a long service loyalty, you are number and old and sluggish horses do retire.5. What the Fu22 is Canadian Experience, after close to fifty years and reaching a very high level in the corporate world. Even God can explain to you this term, you only feel it, and when you retire, you check your rears. And find out, how the Canadian office politics, works. Try to watch God Father I, 2 and 3. You may get a hint.6. But but but I have Ph.D. how come high school drop out calling the shot, calm down kid, as you spend more time you will learn more.How about I have two M.Sc. one from my native country one from here, I reported to High school and in one God knows what did he do, other than he was very good God Father. He treated me very good because I was very street smart to do his dirty work.7. OMG, taxes are very high, kid a good portion goes to Health/Medical, but but but I did not use it, relax that fake refugee with a large family, a bum and some others questionable used it. But but but, I did not pay for them, sure you did, call your accountant he will explain how Canada puts a syringe in every artery you have. And you thought this clean air/water/roads/ are made by God, no hardworking Canadians made this infrastructure. Now they want to retire and you dig and they sit at home and see you going to work in minus 30 after dropping two toddlers at the nursery/baby sitter.8. But but but, will I go to Heaven if pay all the taxes and work an OX, no son, not everyone makes in this jungle, some cross this and some get lost here in this soil.9. The Canadian dollar usually never leaves Canada, only people who got rich in the past Grocery store owners, stadium owners, prostitutes, landowners, well kid you have to eat/live/clothe and have some fun.10. I promise I will be a good boy/girl: Will Santa give me a toy, no kid, Santa is fake. Keep your mouth shut, on the treadmill, remember the last scene movie Casino.11. But but but will I get a Canadian Passport, yes my son/daughter you will. Then I will travel to very nice places which I have seen in glossy magazines. My son/daughter has seen a mousetrap, with cheese hanging on it. Those glossy pictures are Cheese and you are the mouse. What do you mean????, My dear by the time you retire if you last that long, you will be at least 70, most likely with heart disease/obesity/or Diabetes type 2./knee problem/hip problem/and the list goes on. And if you are lucky your kids turn out to okay, otherwise you may supporting your grown-up kids and their kids.12., Sam, how come you know so much, kid, my rears were beaten on everything as stated above, this was my autobiography.13, Sam, how come your answers/articles usually have a lot of views, but upvotes are not proportionate. Yes, I know, I like to win your upvote but have seen too many bees over a heap of salt. No, of course not. My objective is to give ground reality and not sell Snake Oil, I have lived in this country, and I believe I know real life.14. Sam, do you have other stories of frauds and scams from immigrants, yes I do have, I know a lot of real-life happening. And some are very deplorable, some were filthy, some may turn your stomach. Some you may put hands on your ears, not to contaminate your ears.Yes, now may know: Immigration is a very dirty chapter, there is a lot of hidden Skelton in the closets.15. Okay, Sam, I have one last question: I did you come, and why did you hang on here.a. When we came India was totally on its knees in the early 70 s we had nothing to compare.b. We had to fight and struggle here.c. Also, we all are different and my wife and I are both fighters, and we vowed we may suffer all our lives but we are here to stay and survive.I have been here close to fifty years, there is much I have to see here any more. I have been there seen it.Here is a very small sample: Visa printing factoryWATERLOO — Sarbjeet Singh landed in Canada on August 2012, telling the airport border agent he would be studying for his master's degree in engineering at the University of Waterloo the following month.Investigators say there’s a cottage industry producing fraudulent university documents in some foreign countries.To back up his story, he had a government-issued student visa, and an acceptance letter into one of Canada's most sought after engineering graduate programs.The border agent stamped his paperwork, and waved him through.On the surface, there's nothing remarkable about a young man from India being one of the more than 5,800 international students who come from abroad to study at Waterloo every semester.There was only one problem. The University of Waterloo had never heard of him.Instead, the Canada Border Services Agency allege Singh was part of a sophisticated immigration fraud used to gain illegal entry into Canada.Investigators say Singh had no intention of attending the university, and his behaviour once he arrived was not that of someone planning to study here, according to court records.His Waterloo acceptance letter, used to gain a student visa and eventually a work visa, was fake.Singh was one of 15 people caught in a recent probe by the Canada Border Services Agency, all using fake acceptance letters from the University of Waterloo's engineering program.He was convicted in April under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and is awaiting sentencing. As a foreign national, he could face deportation.Singh, who told the court he was born in 1991 and has a high school education, managed to fool Canadian officials for years — until he was caught during an investigation into a larger network of Indian men who gained entry using fake University of Waterloo acceptance letters, according to court documents.He arrived in Canada through Edmonton International Airport on August 4, 2012. By that November, he'd applied to change his study permit into a work permit, claiming he had a job offer from a company called Cheema Janitorial Services Ltd. in Edmonton. It was granted.In January 2014, Singh applied for an extension of his work permit, and received it. Since arriving, he's worked in Alberta. There's no evidence he's ever been to Waterloo Region.It wasn't until the CBSA caught another man, Harinder Singh, when he tried to enter the country with a fake Indian passport in January 2016 that they were led to Sarbjeet Singh.Like Singh, Harinder had also obtained a student visa using a fraudulent University of Waterloo acceptance letter, claiming he'd been admitted into the same master's program in engineeringShut Down Canada’s Chandigarh Consulate And All of Its FraudThe newspaper ads in India are the visible tip of a booming underground industry in fake marriages involving would-be international students.The prize for the “spouse” whose family buys an instant marriage with a foreign student is back-door access to a full-time job in Canada and a fast-track to citizenship.The matrimonial ads normally promise that the foreign students’ sham marriage, plus all travel and study expenses, will be paid for by the Indian families who are determined to have their son or daughter emigrate.The type of Indian student the ads seek is usually a teenage girl, who must have passed an English-language test and therefore be in line to be accepted as an international student.Media outlets in India, such as the Hindustan Times, report there is a “booming matrimony market for ‘brides’ who can earn the ‘groom’” coveted status as a migrant to a Western country.Canada is among the most sought-after destinations for Indian foreign students, say migration specialists, because it is the most generous toward foreign students and their spouses. Australia has also been popular, but recently tightened its rules.Here is a typical recent ad from one Punjabi-language newspaper in India, Ajit:“Jatt Sikh, boy, 24 years old, 5 feet 10 inches, needs girl with IELTS band 7. Marriage real or fake. Boy’s side will pay all expenses.”The ad is listed by a high-caste “Jatt” Sikh male, or more likely his parents. It seeks a contractual marriage with a young woman who has scored well (“band 7”) on an international exam called “IELTS,” the International English Language Testing System. Almost three million IELTS exams are conducted each year.Here is another ad, from the newspaper Jagbani:“Barbar Sikh, 24, 5 feet 8 inches. Finished Grade 12. Looking for BSc or IELTS pass girl. Boy’s side will pay all expenses to go to Canada.”In this ad the family of a lower-caste “Barbar Sikh” is seeking to have their son marry an Indian female with a bachelors of science degree, or a passing mark on the IELTS test, so their son can be allowed into Canada as her spouse.As these kinds of ads illustrate, the parents of the male “spouse” typically offer to cover all expenses for the international student, who often end up attending one of the scores of private colleges in Canada with low to non-existent standards.Shut Down Canada’s Chandigarh Consulate And All of Its FraudShut Down Canada’s Chandigarh Consulate And All of Its FraudCanada’s Sikh Defence Minister, Harjit Saijan, has recently admitted that he lied when he claimed to be the architect of a key NATO mission in Afhghanistan. Saijan is one of four Sikhs whom Trudeau has appointed to his Cabinet. About 1% of Canadians are Sikhs, yet they represent 14% of Trudeau’s Cabinet. Post National Trudeau has never justified this outrageous situation and in this latest Sikh scandal, has refused to fire Saijan.This article describes the rampant corruption at the Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh, the corrupt political environment in India’s Punjab from which Saijan and many of Canada’s Sikhs emerged and the continued Sikh corruption in Canada. This article was written for The Canadian Immigration Reform Blogspot in 2010, but is just as relevant, if not more relevant, today. For the Blogspot’s more recent views on “DIVERSITY”, see the following : Canadian Immigration Reform Blog+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Shut Down ChandigarhI started Canadian Immigration Reform Blogspot with a few goals in mind. Getting Canada’s diplomatic mission in Chandigarh, Punjab, India shut down has been added to the list. Two more stories published in the Toronto Star add fuel to the fire and illustrate why Canada’s diplomatic mission in Chandigarh, Punjab, India does not serve Canada’s interest as it is a complete waste of money.The first one takes a look at the unscrupulous, unethical, lecherous face of immigration consultancy in the Indian state.Sandeep Ohri is a dashing 42-year-old who revels in zipping through the traffic chaos in his gleaming Mercedes, passing billboards touting him as the leading immigration consultant in Punjab state.But Canadian officials see someone else: an extraordinarily brazen and successful scam artist in an industry rife with deceptive swindlers willing to provide applicants with a litany of sham documents — everything from fake airline tickets and doctored bank statements to forged letters from Canadian-based funeral homes.Of the nearly 500 visa applications formally rejected this year, 228 come from Ohri and his firm, OGIC Immigration Consultants.The six visa-section staff who work at Canada’s mission in Chandigarh, Punjab’s capital, review 40,000 visa applications a year from students, family members and prospective immigrants. While official statistics aren’t available, one senior Canadian diplomat estimated at least a quarter of those applications are refused because of fraud.“More would be if the processing was completed, but sometimes you know it’s fraud and just refuse the request and close the file,” the diplomat said.India is Canada’s top source for immigrants simply because of the volume of applications the country produces due to the size of its population. Of those who immigrate, approximately half of them come from the state of Punjab. Punjab is home to the majority of India’s Sikhs. Thus there are more Sikhs in Canada than Hindus. Hindus comprise the majority of India’s population at 80%; Sikhs are only 2% (there are more Christians in India than Sikhs). In Canada, Sikhs constitute roughly 50% of the Indo-Canadian community whereas Hindus are just over 30%.In Punjab, “the average per-capita annual income of $484 is still the highest in the country” which means in relation to rest of their compatriots, Punjabis are not necessarily hurting. They have money.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/s...Scamming your way into Canada is easy. The fix is easy too, if government is willing to acthttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/s...Some Canadian employers and their employees conspire against the country's immigration program. "Paper jobs," like the one detailed by CBC after a recent undercover investigation, are for sale with price tags typically ranging from $150,000 to $350,000.After CBC investigated CRA scams in India, that country worked with Canada to help fix it. Hopefully this latest investigation pushes Ottawa to work with China to shut down paper job scams operated from Chinese soil.This is an opportunity to show the world that, notwithstanding some current pressing irritants, China and Canada can publicly show they are still working together right now to assist Canada.How it worksThe paper job immigration scam is easy.The foreigner who wants to be an employee hands over cash, some of which covers their own future salary for at least a year of full time employment and the deductions the employer has to pay the CRA.Toronto-based Wonhonta Consulting promises to help Chinese nationals gain permanent residency in Canada for $180,000. (WonHonTa Consulting Inc. )The employer then doles out cash regularly to the employee's bank account and to CRA. This creates a fiction of continuous employment in Canada at a specific job at a specific place for at least a year.The "work experience" from the paper job can then be used to upgrade the employee from a temporary foreign worker to a permanent resident of Canada. The free medical care that comes with being a resident is a bonus.Meanwhile, the organization that coordinated the scam from outside Canada gets a hefty payment for its role.CBC INVESTIGATESToronto immigration firm charges $170K for fake Canadian job, undercover investigation revealsImmigration scams not victimlessImmigration officials in Canada know how they could fix this, if they were allowed to. It's the same tactic in place to prevent immigration via marriage http://scams.In a marriage scam, the Canadian spouse receives money for sponsoring the foreigner at a market rate of at least $50,000.For example, say a foreign student prefers to not pay the $20,000 per year in foreign student fees. They marry a Canadian, getting permanent residence and access to local student fees. Meanwhile, the Canadian gets money to cover their university tuition.Forget about whose fault it is. Fix it.- Richard KurlandSome call this a victimless crime where "everyone" wins.The losers are Canada and our immigration program.How important is the relatively small volume of scam cases relative to the entire immigration system for Canada? How important is a relatively small hole on a submarine? How to stop itThe policy solution to uncover a "marriage of convenience" is simple: the interview. Interview the couple together and separately. Our immigration people are highly trained. It does not take long before stories pop and truth is uncovered.it works.ANALYSISKnowing how fake news preys on your emotions can help you spot it9th person sentenced in largest immigration fraud case in Canadian historyThe same solution could work for paper job scams in places like Atlantic Canada, where the number of both immigration officials and immigration staff are relatively small. Bring the employee and the employer into the immigration centre and interview them, both together and http://separately.As in the marriage interviews, it will not take long before stories pop and truth is uncovered.On top of catching scammers, there would likely be a deterrent effect. The marriage scam market in China largely evaporated after Ottawa made the decision to send specialized teams of Canadian immigration officers to systematically interview large numbers of spousal cases. Bad guys didn't try it anymore.Ottawa may want to consider systematically interviewing work-based immigration cases for a while.Forget about whose fault it is. Fix it.Immigration scams take many forms. These passports and stamps used in a scam by New Can Consulting were seized by Canada Border Services Agency. (CBSA)This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.Read more opinion and point of view pieces from CBC SaskatchewanInterested in writing for us? We accept pitches for opinion and point-of-view pieces from Saskatchewan residents who want to share their thoughts on the news of the day, issues affecting their community or who have a compelling personal story to share. No need to be a professional writer!Read more about what we're looking for here, then email [email protected] with your idea.ABOUT THE AUTHORRichard KurlandRichard Kurland is an immigration lawyer and policy analyst. He has been invited as an expert witness on immigration issues by Parliamentary committees from 1994 to present and was awarded a medal by the Senate of Canada in 2017 in recognition of his valuable service to the nation.CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC NewFor further studies:https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/s... (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/s.Some of the hundreds of Chinese passports, along with fake Chinese passport stamps, that were seized from the home and offices of the former unlicensed immigration consultant Xun ‘Sunny’ Wang, by Canadian border officers in raids across greater Vancouver on October 17, 2012. Photo: Canada Border Services AgencyToronto immigration firm charges $170K for fake Canadian job, undercover investigation revealsThis country is in serious mismanagement trouble, the recession is looming very close,46 percent of Canadians are only 200 dollars away from financial insolvency.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/200-financial-insolvency-2019-1.498658646% of Canadians $200 or less away from financial insolvency: pollThis is PM of Canada, what else do you expect:????

HOLA!!!No Money to Start a Business? No Problem.You might be limited to a strict budget when you want to start a business, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any options. It is possible to start a business with very little money, if you have the right combination of skills, work ethic and marketing know how.Convenience craving consumers are always looking for a way to do things better, faster and cheaper. Often, that means turning to a specialty services entrepreneur who knows how to get the job done right. Here, i provide some inspiration for aspiring service providers from adventure tour leaders to window washers. With my ideas to choose from, you have no excuse not to get started today with your own service business.Personal ServicesMobile Pet GroomingSnip, clip and brush your way to success as a mobile pet groomer. Fido and his owner will both appreciate the convenience of a "doorstep" doggie-grooming service. With the proper training and experience, a van and some grooming tools, start barking up the right tree by marketing your business in your neighborhood and others.Collectibles SearchCollectibles searchers, who carefully canvas swap meets, thrift stores and garage sales, can collect a bundle locating objets d'art for clients. Once you've found your niche--be it antique lunch boxes, dolls or grandfather clocks--advertise your services in hobbyist publications, at collectibles stores, in specialty forums on the internet, or on eBay. Soon you'll be taking up a collection of your own.Diaper DeliveryWhoever said cloth diapers couldn't be convenient--and user-friendly? Velcro diaper "wraps" replace awkward pins, and pickup and delivery take the dirty work out of diapering. Equipped with a "clean," propane-fueled delivery truck and some washing machines, you can provide an environmentally friendly alternative to disposables. Talk about a change for the better!Dry-Cleaning Pickup & DeliveryAre you clothes-minded? Then try on the dry-cleaning pickup-and-delivery business for size. Provide pickup and drop-off at a place that's convenient for busy professionals, then follow suit by arranging with a local dry cleaner to do the actual cleaning.Mobile LocksmithYou hold the keys to success as a mobile locksmith. For best results, be ready for 24-hour action with a cell phone and van. With some training and basic equipment, you'll have this business mastered--lock, stock and barrel.Graffiti Removal & AbatementEquipped with some paint and other preventive treatments, you're set to serve residential as well as commercial clients with your own graffiti-removal-and-abatement business. City governments and schools can also benefit from the removal of unsightly "tagging" in their districts.Golf-Club CleaningTake your best shot with a golf-club cleaning service. Not only will you be offering golfers a clean edge to improve their game, but you'll be offering a way to protect their investment from the rusting, pitting and discoloration of dirty clubs.Self-Defense InstructorYou can never feel too safe or secure. People of all ages and backgrounds can benefit from the self-defense skills you can teach them. Get your business jump-started by training others in the disciplines you've learned--Aikido, Karate, or simply basic safety-awareness skills.Adventure ToursGot a taste for adventure? Whether it's exploring South American caves or touring English teahouses, you're sure to find a fanatic following . . . so long as you do all the footwork first. Put your service on the road to success by coordinating transportation, food and lodging. Your clients only need to worry about one thing: having fun.Pet SittingWhen it comes to creature comforts, most canines would choose their own backyard over a kennel any day. Thanks to pet sitters--who take care of pets while their owners are out of town or busy--Fido can have his kibble at home. This business isn't just for the dogs, however; gear your services toward all creatures great and small for maximum profits.Mobile MassageSuccess is close at hand for mobile massage providers. Advertise your stress-relieving services at local workout clubs, spas and physical therapists' offices. Then bring your trained hands--and a portable massage table--to clients' homes or places of work.Personal ChefCook up tasty profits as a personal chef. Those with culinary competence can likely find a hungry clientele among the ranks of America's busy working families. Or, market your business to clients for those special occasions when they prefer to dine in--complete with restaurant-quality food and service.Mobile MechanicAs a mobile mechanic, a good knowledge of automobile repair techniques and a list of referrals help you rev up sales. Put your business in the fast lane by bringing your service directly to clients' homes or places of business.Seamstress/TailorAs a seamstress or tailor, sew your way to success altering clothing and/or creating new apparel from scratch. Spread the word about your service at local boutiques and dry cleaners, plug in your sewing machine, and start stitching.Court-Paper ServingYou can't beat the legal system . . . as a great resource for business, that is. Private attorneys, who lack the time to do much footwork themselves, often turn to registered court-paper processors to serve their summonses. Come judgment day, you'll be courting success.Porcelain RepairRub a dub, dub, a porcelain-repair entrepreneur in the tub: Fixing unsightly chips and cracks in tubs and other porcelain accessories puts entrepreneurs in business. With a porcelain-repair kit in hand, sinks and tubs are made like new again.Cover Letter/Resume ServiceNot everyone knows how to look good on paper. With your editing and basic layout skills, a laser printer, and some high-quality stationery, you're set to start showing clients how to put their best foot forward in their resumes and cover letters--and how to get in the door of potential employers' businesses for an interview.Mystery ShoppingNow, you can shop till you drop . . . and get paid for it! Just put on your shopping shoes and put service personnel to the test as a "mystery" shopper. Rate local retail stores' employees on attitude, friendliness, and overall quality of service, then report back to your store-owner clients, helping them to ensure their service really is number one.Tax-Form PreparerOne thing is certain: There will always be a need for tax preparers. Come tax season, businesses and individuals alike need help preparing numerous tax forms and understanding the latest tax regulations. Equipped with some specialized computer software, start scheduling your career as a tax preparer this fiscal year-and get ready for some returns on your time and investment.Wedding-Guide PublishingFor photographers, bakers, caterers and florists, wedding bells mean big business. Help them get a piece of the action by publishing a wedding guide with space for local advertisers. Include some basic wedding-planning articles, and you'll find June brides aren't the only ones to benefit from your premarital publication.Mobile Car-Wash and DetailingTake your business on the road, and clean up on profits as a mobile car-wash and detailing pro. Let a little soap and water do wonders . . . along with a few rags, brushes, and elbow grease; then drive home sales by marketing your services to car dealers, rental fleet owners, and corporations.Used-Car InspectionSometimes, it takes a little more than a kick of the tires to evaluate a used car. With some basic diagnostic equipment and mechanical know-how, however, used-car inspectors can help steer clients away from "lemons." Developing a roster of appreciative customers puts you on the road to referrals--and success.Professional OrganizerNeatniks need apply: If you're got a knack for neatness, why not help the organizationally challenged? Messy closets, home offices and commercial offices alike could benefit from a more efficient setup. Put some order into others' lives, and arrange yourself some pretty profits.TutoringThought your proficiency in high school algebra was all for naught? Think again: As a tutor, you could help others bone up on their studies. Whether it's reading, writing or arithmetic, help your students reach the top of their class with a little experienced guidance and support.Power WashingOily driveways, mud-caked semi trucks, or barnacle-ridden boats . . . You name it, and entrepreneurs equipped with specialized power-washing equipment can probably clean it. For spotless results, target commercial as well as residential customers.Windshield RepairTo find potential clients for your windshield-repair business, simply canvas local parking and used-car lots for cars with cracked, chipped windshields. A basic repair kit enables you to offer clients what is clearly a better alternative to costly glass replacement.Private InvestigationBlaze your own entrepreneurial trail while following others' footsteps-literally. As a private investigator, make your mark in the industry by keeping a keen "eye" on other people's activities. Clients include attorneys gathering evidence for a case, or individuals seeking information about a significant other.Business ServicesBusiness-Plan ConsultingNot only is a business plan crucial in obtaining bank financing, but it's an invaluable tool for anticipating--and tackling--a business's inevitable ups and downs. With your writing skills, spreadsheet know-how, and general business savvy, show clients how to present their best-laid plans . . . while accomplishing your own.Packing and Unpacking ServicePacking up to move to a new home or office--not to mention unpacking on the other end--is enough to leave one feeling upended. Thank goodness for packing and unpacking entrepreneurs who, with their hassle- and time-saving services, make moving seem like magic.Business-Travel ManagementMake the skies even friendlier for business travelers--and less costly for business owners--as a business--travel manager. Help book low-price tickets, keep expense records, manage frequent-flier miles . . . and reap the high-flying rewards.Carpet DyeingFor a fraction of the cost of replacing unsightly or stained carpeting, carpet-dyeing professionals provide hotels, community centers, nursing homes and other businesses an attractive alternative. So go ahead, lay the options at your clients' feet . . . and start making wall-to-wall profits.Hospital-Bill AuditingThere's nothing worse than being laid up in the hospital for a few days . . . except maybe the pile of often confusing bills that follow. The remedy: hospital-bill auditors, who--thanks to their billing savvy and attention to detail--make way for their clients' smooth recovery.Specialized StaffingHelping clients meet their workforce needs is a matter of finding a niche and filling it--and keeping up with human resources trends. Work your way up in the industry by developing a roster of specially skilled workers, then use your "people skills" to build your business.BookkeepingThough today's software makes keeping your own books easier, it doesn't make it much less time-consuming. That's why, for business owners with little time to spare, a bookkeeping service is not only a time-saver, but an asset.Computer RepairIn today's computer-based society, computer "downtime" can be both costly and aggravating. As a repair professional--equipped with some basic diagnostic equipment and technological savvy--you can get clients' computers back up and humming again.Referral ServiceFor referral-service entrepreneurs--who act as a "welcome wagon" to newcomers--getting to know new as well as existing businesses pays off in more ways than one. Local companies pay to get their services introduced to newcomers, while these new customers pay for a little friendly advice.Video BrochureMake record profits taping corporate video brochures. Just get your video recorder handy, and zoom in on the action. Video-editing skills and special-effects techniques help you pull together the big picture--and reel in the profits.Executive SearchTake your business to a "hire" level: As an executive-search specialist, help busy clients find the right man--or woman--for the job. Your job involves placing ads and conducting interviews to screen potential employees for clients. Put on your best interviewing suit, and get down to business.Freight BrokerageOne sack of flour for a dozen eggs . . . Gone are the days of such no-frills, local trade. In their place: a sophisticated global commerce system requiring a thorough knowledge of land, sea, air and rail shipping rates and regulations. Knowledgeable freight brokers are indispensable to this burgeoning scene.Long-Distance ResellingBy buying time in bulk from wholesalers, long-distance resellers ring up sales by servicing long-distance consumers--often at significant savings. You make the call: Either purchase the telecommunications equipment you'll need now, or rent it and simply focus on the marketing of your service.Computer ConsultingTap into a surging market as a computer consultant. Whether you're an expert at Linux, putting together hardware components, or networking, a growing number of computer "newbies" will surely benefit from your services.Limousine ServiceWith a limo and some insurance, you could be the driving force behind a new business venture. Stretch your market by adding more drivers and cars to your fleet. Then, once you've established a reliable reputation, start driving home your limousine-service sales.Language TranslationFalling foreign-trade barriers and improved communication technology translate into success for language translators and interpreters. An ear for multiple languages puts you at the forefront of this global movement.Office-Relocation ServiceHelping businesses get plugged in to a new neighborhood comes easy for office-relocation-service entrepreneurs who, as "locals," know who's who in providing such services as printing, restaurant delivery and equipment repair.Office Plant MaintenanceSet your roots in a growing business as an office-plant-maintenance entrepreneur. Regular watering, light pruning, and fertilizing are all in a day's work. Though a green thumb is helpful, some clients may also request maintenance of their silk plants. Either way, your business is sure to grow.Professional Office ConsultantIt's one thing to spend a day at the office, and another altogether torun the office. As a professional office consultant, you'll oversee such responsibilities as marketing, insurance and daily operations for professional lawyers, doctors or other specialists--while leaving the rest to the "pros."Miniblind CleaningPut an end to dusty miniblinds in offices, homes and other buildings with your miniblind-cleaning service. Immerse blinds in tanks of gentle, yet effective, cleansing solution . . . and give clients a squeaky-clean new perspective on the world outside their windows.Office-Support ServiceTyping, filing, sorting mail, entering data, and answering phones are just a few tasks an office-support service can perform to help out harried business owners. Hand out business cards to every businessperson you know--and get ready to spend a productive day at the office!Apartment-PreppingMove in on the housing market with some basic plumbing, painting, caulking and scrubbing skills. Busy landlords and leasing offices can both benefit from your handyman skills, while you, in turn, make some handy profits repairing vacated units for clients' new tenants.Debt-Collection ServiceMoney makes the world go 'round: You get paid when your clients get paid by the people who you get to pay them. Sound complicated? It doesn't have to be: As a debt collector, it pays in more ways than one to have some persistence in tracking down clients' delinquent debtors.Restaurant Delivery ServiceWhen "Let's do lunch" means eating at the office, an ordinary sack lunch doesn't have to suffice. Thanks to restaurant deliverers, busy professionals can order their meals from local restaurants. By collecting a delivery charge and tip, operators get a good taste of entrepreneurial success.CateringA caterer's place is in the kitchen . . . cooking up hot profits, that is. So long as your kitchen is commercially approved--and you've got a knack for stirring up some "dough"--you've got the makings for savory success. Service weddings, holiday parties, and other festive gatherings; if you're lucky, clients will have your cake and eat it, too!Seminar PromotionIf there's one thing consumers can never seem to get enough of, it's information. Give 'em an earful by planning and promoting informational seminars. You don't need to be an expert yourself; just schedule the speakers, reserve a location, promote the event, and get ready to collect the profits at the door.Window WashingBusiness has never been clearer for window washers. Grab your bucket, squeegee, and glass-cleaning solution, and rap at the dirty windows of local businesses and residences alike. Add repeat customers, and you'll soon be on a winning streak.Valet ParkingDrive right up to entrepreneurship as the owner of a valet-parking service. Restaurants, hotels and convention centers can all use the services of a well-dressed, bonded parking staff. The key is having your own team of drivers to keep clients' customers--and their cars--on the move.Professional OrganizerNeatniks need apply: If you've got a knack for neatness, why not help the organizationally challenged? Messy closets, home offices and commercial offices alike could benefit from a more efficient setup. Put some order into others' lives, and arrange yourself some pretty profits.Power WashingOily driveways, mud-caked semi trucks, or barnacle-ridden boats . . . You name it, and entrepreneurs equipped with specialized power-washing equipment can probably clean it. For spotless results, target commercial as well as residential customers.Marketing and SalesSales-Lead GeneratingStreamline salespeople's efforts by identifying prospects and generating sales leads. Some footwork, market research, and a phone set you on the path to compiling a list of potential customers for your clients.Public-Relations AgencyA way with words, enthusiasm and persistence are all necessary in this competitive business. Networking--by developing contacts with reporters and other media--is also crucial to helping your clients go public with press releases and more.Copywriting and Proofreading ServiceWanted: creative writer with a knack for finding typos and misteaks . . . er, mistakes. Writers who help ensure clients' advertising copy is both catchy and fault-free may not win a Pulitzer, but they will have some profits to write home about.Direct Mail/CouponCash in on consumers' coupon-cutting craze with a direct-mail coupon service. Get started by selling ad space in a direct-mail coupon package to local businesses. When you mail coupons to local residents, your clients will benefit from the exposure and you'll benefit from a first-class business of your own.Public-Relations AgencyA way with words, enthusiasm and persistence are all necessary in this competitive business. Networking--by developing contacts with reporters and other media--is also crucial to helping your clients go public with press releases and more.Mailing ServicesPost record profits fulfilling clients' envelope-stuffing and bulk-mail-processing needs. Advertise in the business section of your local newspaper, and start looking for your check in the mail.Sales TrainingDon't sell yourself short: With some self-promotion and marketing know-how, you could have what it takes to build your own business as a sales trainer. By sharing your sales savvy with other busy business owners, you not only help boost clients' bottom line, but yours, too.Welcoming ServiceWelcoming-service entrepreneurs--who greet newcomers to town with a package of coupons, samples from local businesses, and other community information--not only provide a welcome service to newcomers, but to local businesses, as well.Home ServicesPacking and Unpacking ServicePacking up to move to a new home or office--not to mention unpacking on the other end--is enough to leave one feeling upended. Thank goodness for packing and unpacking entrepreneurs who, with their hassle- and time-saving services, make moving seem like magic.Handyman ServicesIf it's broke, you can fix it. Advertise in local newspapers and bulletin boards, then get busy repairing everything from leaky pipes and stopped-up toilets to jammed cabinet drawers and broken windows.Carpet DyeingFor a fraction of the cost of replacing unsightly or stained carpeting, carpet-dyeing professionals provide hotels, community centers, nursing homes and other businesses an attractive alternative. So go ahead, lay the options at your clients' feet . . . and start making wall-to-wall profits.Home-Entertainment InstallationJust watch a novice attempt to connect the wires, cables and other components of their new or relocated stereo and television equipment, and you're likely to view consumer impatience at its finest. But with your sound electrical and wiring expertise, you'll have all systems buzzing in no time.Mortgage/Debt-Reduction ServiceBy explaining alternative payment structures to clients (which can result in a smaller total payment in a shorter period of time), mortgage and debt-reduction-service professionals are helping to relieve America's debt--one citizen at a time.Pool ServicesMake a splash in the pool-services business with little more than some cleaning equipment and a water-test kit. Just load up your tools in your car and make the rounds in your neighborhood. Then dive right into business by marketing your service to homeowners' associations, apartment complexes and individual residences.Lawn CareWhen push comes to shove, you've probably got what it takes to make some "green." Just roll up your sleeves and start mowing, clipping and fertilizing lawns for office complexes and residential clients alike.Home-Inspection ServiceA keen eye for structural detail paves the way to success in your home-inspection service. Start by assessing clients' homes for problems such as structural damage and foundation abnormalities, then refer customers to contractors who can ensure their homes are in good repair.House PaintingBrush up on your painting skills, and get ready to paint the town red--or white, blue or beige, for that matter. Just load up your truck with brushes, rollers and ladders, and get primed for business!Local Moving ServiceBe a mover and shaker with your own local moving service. This is no business for the faint of heart, however: Make sure you're equipped with some upstanding leveraging techniques . . . as well as brawn.House-SittingIs there a sitter in the house? If so, homeowners can rest assured that, while they're away, their plants and pets will be tended to. Don't wait for opportunity to come knocking; a reliable set of references get you in the door.Home DecoratingHome in on the decorating business with your flair for design. Work with local furniture and accessory stores, paint shops, and carpet and drapery outlets to coordinate clients' interiors. And remember: The key to getting in the door of this business is decorating your own home, first.Miniblind CleaningPut an end to dusty miniblinds in offices, homes and other buildings with your miniblind-cleaning service. Immerse blinds in tanks of gentle, yet effective, cleansing solution . . . and give clients a squeaky-clean new perspective on the world outside their windows.Pet-Food and Supplies Home DeliveryLugging pounds of pet food and supplies from the store each week or so can be a burden on pet owners, but it's certainly not too much for pet-delivery entrepreneurs. Once you've sniffed out some leads, start serving up success by delivering pet supplies directly to customers' doors.Custom Closet SystemsCalling all closet-organizing fanatics: It's time to come out and show your stuff! With a few hooks and shelves, and a lot of creativity (but checking any fear of small spaces at the door), you've got the makings of a custom closet-systems pro . . . with plenty of room to grow. New homeowners and long-time closet accumulators alike make up your potential clientele.Window WashingBusiness has never been clearer for window washers. Grab your bucket, squeegee, and glass-cleaning solution, and rap at the dirty windows of local businesses and residences alike. Add repeat customers, and you'll soon be on a winning streak.Residential CleaningNot only is residential cleaning a good way to keep a body busy, but it's also a way to clean up some profits while you're at it. Start on the ground floor by mopping, sweeping and dusting one house, and work your way up from there!Computers and TechnologyComputer RepairIn today's computer-based society, computer "downtime" can be both costly and aggravating. As a repair professional-equipped with some basic diagnostic equipment and technological savvy-you can get clients' computers back up and humming again.Computer ConsultingTap into a surging market as a computer consultant. Whether you're an expert at Windows 95, putting together hardware components, or networking, a growing number of computer "newbies" will surely benefit from your services.Internet ResearchPractice makes perfect when it comes to surfing the internet. With some search-engine and self-marketing savvy, put information at clients' fingertips--and "net" profits at yours.Web-Site DesignerWith specialized software, creating websites comes easy, so long as you have some basic technical and graphic savvy. Home in on business by helping businesses establish a site; existing clients will need help keeping their websites up-to-date, as well.Children's ServicesChildren's Party PlanningDo parents a favor and plan their next children's party. From hiring Sesame Street character look-alikes to coordinating games, decorations and food, you're sure to be the life of the party by allowing parents to relax and have fun, too. Plan birthday, holiday, and religious-ceremony celebrations . . . and let the festivities begin!Child CareAs a child-care provider, you'll need a state license, plenty of baby-sitting experience, and a lot of patience and TLC. Whether you "sit" at your place or theirs, you'll find busy parents aren't your only clients; many office complexes, gyms and other businesses need quality child care, too.Child-Identification ProgramSafety first: When it comes to keeping tabs on children, there's no excuse for kidding around. By offering parents a complete child-identification program, including information files, fingerprinting, identification tags and photos, you not only set parents' minds more at ease, but provide a safety net for our next generation.Children's FitnessIf there's one thing that never seems to run out, it's a kid's supply of energy. Tap into that vast resource with a children's fitness program. Put your knowledge of children's education and physical fitness to the test by renting a location, then coordinate activities such as tumbling, dance, gymnastics and karate. And hop to it!Children's Transportation ServiceFor working and nonworking parents alike, transporting junior to and from school (as well as to after-school activities) can become, well, taxi-ing. By providing a reliable children's transportation service, you give busy parents a break-and keep their busy kids on schedule.Baby-ProofingStairs, cabinets, electrical cords and outlets-they're all potential baby hazards. New parents, grandparents, and even baby sitters could all benefit from a more kid-friendly house. So grab your tools and be prepared to get down on your hands and knees (it helps to view things from a baby's perspective).Computer Training for KidsReading, writing, arithmetic . . . and computers. Though it seems like kids today are born speaking computerese, they've got to start learning somewhere. Teaching them the basics early on is sure to put kids at the head of their class . . . and you at the head of your own business.Nanny PlacementFor busy parents, finding a good nanny isn't child's play. Nanny-placement agents-who screen applicants, check references, match personalities, and set schedules-provide clients an invaluable service by saving them considerable time and worry.New Mother/Infant Home CareMake new babies' homecomings from the hospital less tiresome for parents by providing the in-home care and support they need. Preparing meals, diapering the baby, and providing light housekeeping are all a great relief to proud-but occasionally exhausted-new parents.TutoringThought your proficiency in high school algebra was all for naught? Think again: As a tutor, you could help others bone up on their studies. Whether it's reading, writing or arithmetic, help your students reach the top of their class with a little experienced guidance and support.Event ServicesPhotographyWith your eye for photo opportunities-at weddings, parties, special events and more-you could be zooming in on profits as a freelance photographer. Be prepared to work weekends and evenings (when many clients will need your services) and to hire an assistant to help you juggle your photo paraphernalia.Errand Runner/Personal ShopperCalling all shopaholics: Here's one business where you can truly shop till you drop . . . without spending a penny of your own! Personal shoppers-who may also perform other errands, such as picking up prescriptions or buying groceries-can never complain about a lack of things to do.Family-History VideoMoney can grow on trees . . . family trees, that is. Family-history videographers are hitting home by filming personalized accounts of weddings, births and other memorable occasions. Should a customer's other family members give the film a thumbs up, you may be looking at future generations of customers.Mobile Disc JockeyAs a mobile disc jockey, weddings, parties and other events are all music to your ears. Start jammin' with a collection of compact discs, a CD player, and a speaker system, then pass on the word about your services to wedding and event planners.Wedding-Planning ServiceGetting married isn't always as simple as saying, "I do." There's a caterer to be contracted, a location to be rented, and flowers to be ordered. So when it comes to making matrimony a more harmonious event for the new couple and their families, wedding planners take the cake.Event PlanningIf your life has been, well, uneventful until now, we have a solution: Be an event planner! Whether it's a party, wedding or convention, you're sure to be at the center of all the action when you coordinate everything from room rentals and speakers to decorations and food.Limousine ServiceWith a limo and some insurance, you could be the driving force behind a new business venture. Stretch your market by adding more drivers and cars to your fleet. Then, once you've established a reliable reputation, start-driving home your limousine-service sales.Photo Birth AnnouncementsFor birth-announcement producers, business is booming as fast as the population! Some basic desktop-publishing software, scanning equipment, and the names of new parents put you in the starting blocks; from there, create fanciful photo-cards, including those all-important details: name, birth date, time and weight.Videotaping ServiceYou may not win a producer-of-the-year award, but you'll win the appreciation of your clients when you capture their weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthdays and more on videotape. Keep the film rolling at special events, then edit a final version for clients' own special screenings.Reunion OrganizingReunite 'em 'cause it pays so good: Whether it's one big happy family or one big high school class, reunions can be a joyful-and lucrative-occasion for reunion organizers. Schedule the accommodations, coordinate the catering and entertainment, send out the invitations, then sit back and let it all "come together."Still need me handy inbox meGraciasLaeeq Peeran

D. O. A. (1950) Directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Edmond O’Brien, Pamela Britton, Luther Adler, William Ching, Beverly Garland, Laurette Luez, Lynn Baggett, and Neville Brand.Rudolph Maté had been the highly talented cinematographer on a number of noir classics including the iconic Gilda and his gift for creating atmosphere is strongly in evidence here. In a genre characterized by moral and physical darkness this film contrives to be one of the very blackest, some critics have even called it “ultra-noir.” Not even the most deluded or optimistic viewer can long entertain the slightest hope of a happy ending. The plot is grim and yet universal. It depicts a doomed man fighting back against the system which has victimized him and with the courage and determination to spend all that he has left–money, energy, and most precious of all, time, in an existential effort to answer that most eternal of questions, “Why?”Both this film and Sunset Boulevard from the same year begin with a protagonist who effectively is dead. But while William Holden in the latter movie favors us with a wry voiceover from beyond the grave, in D.O.A. Edmond O’Brien’s character lives just long enough to deliver his testament personally to the police. One of the unique aspects of this film, confirming the core metaphor of human existence, is that O’Brien’s fate doesn’t hinge on his actions or decisions. He hasn’t made any notably poor choices or allowed himself to be controlled by greed or lust. He’s literally just a poor slob who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, like all of us on this earth. Unlike the noir norm O’Brien’s protagonist Frank Bigelow is not morally ambiguous. Flawed and entirely human he is nonetheless a reasonably good person.Slightly portly but pleasant looking, Bigelow is an “everyman,” easy to identify with. His obsession stems entirely from his victimization. Not only is the film’s subject matter dark but so is the lighting with many of the nighttime shots filmed in oppressive shadow. At times the darkness is thick and almost taffy-like, providing yet one more adverse condition for the hero to struggle against.The story begins at night with a disheveled Frank Bigelow (Edmond O’Brien) entering the enormous looming edifice of the Los Angeles police headquarters. With obvious determination he marches in almost military cadence down a series of labyrinthine halls.At last he reaches a frosted glass door etched with the words “Homicide Division.”Entering he states, “I want to see the man in charge,” adding, “I want to report a murder.” A detective ushers him into the shadowy office of the captain on duty who says, “Sit down. Where was the murder committed?” Bigelow spits back, “San Francisco. Last night.” The captain continues, “Who was murdered?” In a close-up for the first time we see just how filthy Bigelow’s suit is and notice that he’s breathing hard.He says, “I was,” adding that he doesn’t have much time. Recognition comes into the captain’s face and he reaches for a file asking if he is Frank Bigelow and he says that he is. The captain tells a flunky to call the SFPD and tell them that they’ve found Bigelow. With a hint of sympathy in his voice he says, “You tell it any way you like.”And so our story begins. The flashback starts in the small, desert town of Banning, California, located “on the way to Palm Springs” where Frank Bigelow has an office and a small accounting practice, and he also does duty as a notary public. The desert is bright and clean with wide vistas, in contrast to the murky, threatening, urban environment where Bigelow will innocently be heading. We see him in his office and he talks of leaving the next day on what is apparently an impulsive trip—a one week vacation in bustling San Francisco. On the surface this sounds like good clean fun but we quickly see that it may have some moral implications as well.His secretary and “Gal Friday” Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton) obviously has more than a professional interest in her boss. She’s upset that he’s not more forthcoming with her and she doesn’t at all seem to like his going away without her. In fact she wants to marry him, the sooner the better. For his part Bigelow appears to regard her as loyal, constant, and perhaps a tiny bit dull. She’ll make the perfect wife when he’s ready, but that day hasn’t come just yet.Oddly, the trip begins to take on the overtones of a “quasi-bachelor party,” a chance for Bigelow to blow off some sexual steam before settling down with Paula. All the same, we do witness some chemistry between them and they kiss before he leaves the office.The following night Bigelow arrives at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. The lobby is jammed with guests and the clerk tells him that it’s “Market Week” and the whole city is crowded with conventioning salesmen. As Frank checks in at the front desk his attention is repeatedly drawn to a number of attractive women who fill the hotel and which the soundtrack oddly and annoyingly underlines by providing an incongruous whistle noise every time his head is turned. So the big city immediately presents Bigelow with its temptations. But since the clerk also tells him that he has a message from Paula Gibson who wants him to call back immediately, we see that his responsibilities have followed him there.Up in his room Bigelow dutifully returns Paula’s call and she tells him that a Mr. Eugene Phillips from Los Angeles is urgently trying to reach him. Phillips called the office three times that day. She describes him as sounding, “deep, dark, mysterious, and agitated.” Phillips stressed the importance of reaching Bigelow “before it was too late,” so Paula had finally told him where her boss could be reached. Bigelow asks if they’ve ever done business with Phillips before and Paula tells him that there is no record of it. Annoyed at being disturbed while on vacation Frank insists that she call Phillips back and handle the matter herself.She agrees but ends the conversation on a personal note, saying, “And Frank… I don’t know quite how to say this… there’s nothing you can do that you ever have to feel guilty about.” Maybe not, but a creepy invitation to a guilt trip like that certainly makes a fellow want to try his best! There’s a big pause on the other end of the line and Bigelow’s only reply is a grunted, “Oh.” Throughout the entire conversation his attention has been focused through two open doors to a wild party in progress across the hall.One of the conventioneers wanders into Frank’s room to use his phone and invites him to the raucous party across the way. Someone pours Bigelow a bourbon and he’s soon demonstrating his talent for the rumba with one of the women. Next the gang persuades Bigelow to do some bar hopping with them. But they end up a jive club called “The Fisherman” with a “crazy” black jazz band that only the very “heppest” of cats can appreciate and Bigelow soon appears to be out of place. He breaks out of the crowd and sits down at the bar and orders a drink. For a moment the camera lingers on an oddly dressed man behind him – the only guy in the joint wearing a long, checked overcoat, scarf, hat, and with his collar pulled up high. The bartender describes some of the patrons to Frank as being “jive crazy,” and some actually appear to be drugged by the wild, staccato rhythms. Spotting an attractive blonde on the other side of the bar Bigelow gets up and sits next to her, asking if he can buy her a drink.She agrees to have a “blast” and Frank reminds the bartender that he left his own “blast” back at his original seat. Just then we see the mysterious figure in the checked coat sneakily replacing Bigelow’s drink with another half-full glass. Not noticing this, the bartender serves Bigelow the new one.Frank takes a sip of the drink and makes a sour face. He tells the bartender that this isn’t his drink—his was bourbon. Innocently the bartender insists that it is Bigelow’s drink. Frank gamely tries it again and then asks for a fresh one. Meanwhile, Bigelow hits it off with the attractive blonde and she obligingly gives him the phone number of another jazz club so that he can meet her later. Bigelow splits to avoid the drunken conventioneers who he’d come in with and takes a cab back to the St. Francis. Up in his room he picks up the phone to call his new blonde friend when he spots a bouquet of flowers delivered with a small card. Frank opens the card to read, “I’ll keep a light burning in the window. Sweet dreams. Paula.” So this is what it’s like to have a stalker. Or a Jewish mother. Bigelow shakes his head and makes a wry face, but Paula knows her man and the ploy works. He next rips up the card with the phone number into little pieces and watches them flutter down into the wastebasket.The next morning Bigelow is woken by loud music coming from another room. He has room service bring him a “Bloody Mary,” a common hangover “cure” of the time, but looking at it he suffers a twinge of stomach pain and he decides against it.He dresses and goes out to get some fresh air and explore the city, but continuing to not feel well he stops into a doctor’s office for a quick checkup. In those simpler times one could just walk in off the street and the conscientious doctor not only examines him but also conducts a small battery of tests. The initial results are encouraging and the doctor suggests that too many patients like him would put him out of business. The doctor kindly offers, “Don’t let a little bellyache worry you, it could be just the change in climate.” The doctor exits the room to get some other test results. Meanwhile, behind Bigelow’s back a nurse comes in with a patient folder and she keeps staring at him strangely. A moment later the doctor returns and his manner has changed and he has a consulting physician in a lab coat in tow.One of the doctors now asks if Bigelow has any family or friends in San Francisco. He answers in the negative and together they now tell him that he’s seriously ill and one ominously says, “You must steel yourself for a shock.” They say that their tests show the presence of “a luminous, toxic matter; a poison which attacks the vital organs.” There’s nothing that can be done and no antidote – his body has already absorbed a fatal dosage. Bigelow is disbelieving, but one of the doctors tells him that he doesn’t have time for that. He may only have a day, or a week or two at most, it’s hard for them to be sure. Frank says, “Do you realize what you’re saying? Why you’re telling me that I’m dead. You think you can explain my life away in just a few words. Why I don’t even know who you are! Why should I believe you?” He declares both doctors to be crazy and rushes out of the office.Outside Bigelow heads to a nearby hospital for a second opinion. There a toxicologist immediately tests him for “luminous poisoning.” Holding a test tube with a sample in his hand he confirms the original fatal diagnosis. Frank asks if there could be any mistake and in answer the doctor flicks off the light switch and holds up a now glowing test tube. The toxin is literally luminous!Bigelow begs, “Give it to me straight, doctor!” Grimly the physician replies, “You won’t feel too badly for a while. Then it will happen suddenly… a day, two days, a week at the most.” The doctor tells him that if they’d caught it earlier they could have saved him by washing it out of his system. He asks Bigelow how it happened and when Frank tells him that he doesn’t know the doctor says that it was no accident. He explains that whoever poisoned Bigelow had to know exactly how to handle the stuff and that they likely slipped it to him mixed with alcohol. The doctor adds that he’ll now have to notify the police. When Frank incredulous he says, “I don’t think you understand, Bigelow, you’ve been murdered!” Reeling from the shock, Bigelow runs out of the hospital and through the oblivious crowds in San Francisco’s streets.Frank runs until he’s exhausted. Looking around he sees signs of normal life all around him—a young girl with a ball walking with her mother, a pair of young lovers meeting and embracing.But then we see a decision come over him. He becomes a man with a mission determined to find out who has done this awful thing to him and why? The cadence of the soundtrack beats out a confirmation of his new resolve. Like a soldier marching into his final battle, Frank Bigelow will now spend whatever time he has left demanding answers from a world gone crazy, a world that has betrayed him.He first goes back to “The Fisherman,” the jazz club where his drink was spiked but he finds it closed. Returning to his hotel he looks for the salesmen he had been partying with but he finds that they all checked out early in the morning. Back in his own room he gets a call from Paula, demanding to know what’s exciting and different in San Francisco. He’s wearied by her enthusiastic manner. When she makes a coy offer to join him he vehemently shouts, “No!” With an effort he calms himself and says that he misses her and he’ll call her back later. Her feelings are hurt though, and she’s about to hang up when she has an afterthought. Paula tells him that now he’ll never know why that mysterious Mr. Phillips had been trying so badly to reach him. When she called him back late the previous day she’d been told that Mr. Phillips was dead! He makes her give him more information and Paula tells him that Phillips headed a business called the Phillips Import-Export Company located in the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles. Bigelow ends the conversation by telling her that if she needs him he’ll be at the Allison Hotel in L. A.Bigelow flies to Los Angeles and we next see him in the dark, massive lobby of the Bradbury Building where he looks up the Phillips company in the directory.When he reaches the office the secretary Miss Foster (Beverly Garland) clearly recognizes his name when he gives it and she sends him in to see Mr. Halliday, the comptroller (William Ching). Halliday is cordial but he tells Bigelow that he knows nothing about why Mr. Phillips was so anxious to contact him. Bigelow asks if Phillips was married.At first Halliday attempts to discourage him but when Bigelow stresses that the matter can’t wait, Halliday tells him that Mrs. Phillips resides at the Sunset Arms Apartments. On his way out Bigelow asks the cause of Phillips’ sudden death and Halliday tells him it was suicide—Phillips jumped from the balcony of his apartment.At the Phillips apartment Bigelow is met by Stanley Phillips, Eugene’s brother, and he explains that Halliday had phoned ahead to say that he was coming. Bigelow is introduced to Mrs. Phillips (Lynn Baggett) who immediately tells him that she has no idea why her husband wanted to speak to him. It appears to be a dead end and she says that her husband had never so much as mentioned Bigelow’s name to her. Apologetically, Frank asks if she knows why her husband had committed suicide and Mrs. Phillips runs crying from the room. At that point Stanley Phillips comes clean. He admits that his brother “was in a very bad jam”—he’d been arrested two days before for illegally selling some iridium, a rare metal, to a dealer named Majak. The iridium had turned out to be stolen. “He faced a pretty stiff prison term,” Stanley explains. But then he goes on to add that it’s puzzling since his brother wasn’t the type to get mixed up in a deal like that.The pattern begins to get clearer when Bigelow checks into the Allison Hotel. A message is waiting for him from Paula and he calls her back right away. She wants to know why he left San Francisco in such a hurry and comments that he doesn’t sound like himself. Meanwhile we see Bigelow clutch himself as his stomach cramps grow worse. He says that he can’t explain things now and adds, “I’m just a little tired, Paula, but I miss you.” She’s thrilled; this is what she’s been waiting to hear! Collecting herself, she says that it turns out that they had once done business with Phillips, but only indirectly. About six months ago Bigelow had notified a bill of sale for a Mr. George Reynolds—Reynolds had sold an iridium shipment to Eugene Phillips. Frank says goodbye and slams down the phone.Renting a convertible Bigelow now drives back to the Sunset Arms. He tells Mrs. Phillips that he now knows that her husband wanted to speak to him regarding a bill of sale. He asks what she knows about a man named George Reynolds and she says that he has “disappeared.” About two months earlier her husband had grown suspicious about the iridium deal but was unable to find Reynolds. Bigelow says that Phillips should have been protected by the bill of sale which would have proved it to be a legitimate business sale.But Mrs. Phillips says that this crucial document had gone missing; if her husband had been able to produce it, it would have meant that Reynolds and not he had faced a heavy term in prison. Mrs. Phillips says that her husband was convinced that Reynolds had somehow contrived to steal the bill of sale, which had the effect of making Eugene Phillips the “fall guy” for the illegal iridium deal. Bigelow thanks her and heads for the door, but there he hesitates. He says that the only thing that puzzles him is why she hasn’t asked him how he knew about the crucial bill of sale. She makes no answer and he leaves.Now Bigelow heads back to the offices of the Phillips Company to speak to the secretary, Miss Foster. He suggests that the day before that Phillips had called someone else before attempting to get in touch with Bigelow. He assumes that this person would have been the now missing Reynolds. But when he pressures the secretary she reveals that Phillips had phoned one Marla Rakoubian, a model with whom in the past he had been quite “friendly.” She adds that Phillips had gone to see Marla and that he had been very upset when he returned to the office. Bigelow makes Miss Foster give him Rakoubian’s address and then comments that Foster must be very friendly with Stanley Phillips since he knew all about how hard his brother had been trying to reach him.Next Bigelow arrives at the apartment of Marla Rakoubian (Laurette Luez) and he pushes his way in when she answers the door. She’s dark, attractive and angry and threatens to phone the police which he encourages her to do. He sees that she’s packing for a trip and finds an envelope with tickets to Buenos Aires. He asks if she knows George Reynolds but she sullenly declines to answer. He tells that he now knows that Eugene Phillips didn’t jump off his balcony after visiting her the day before, he was pushed! She denies it but pulls a gun on him.While she’s checking his identification he manages to disarm her. Then he recognizes a framed photograph of Reynolds in her luggage—he’d met Reynolds once when he’d notarized the bill of sale. But oddly the picture is signed, “Ray.” He asks her about that and she says it was a “pet” name. He speculates that she’s really Reynolds’ girlfriend and that she had used her influence with Phillips to get him to go along with the shady iridium deal. She denies this, too. Then he takes the photo of Reynolds and with venom she says, “If I were a man I’d punch your dirty face in.” He returns her plane tickets and leaves.A shabby photographic studio in an industrial area that printed Reynolds’ portrait is Bigelow’s next port of call. For some cash they’re happy to look up the information and tell him that the man he thinks is George Reynolds is actually named Raymond Rakoubian, hence the signature, “Ray.” When Bigelow comes out of the studio he’s met with gunshots. With a new bravery forged from the certainty of impending death, Bigelow fights back. He draws the revolver he had taken from Marla and dodging bullets he heads into a cavernous, abandoned factory to confront his assailant. He can hear someone on the catwalks above him. He climbs up and finds the window from which he’d been shot at. He also finds a matchbook from “The Fisherman,” the jive club where he’d been poisoned. Just then the corrugated steel door of the factory slams and Bigelow races down in pursuit, but as he runs outside he hears a car driving off at high speed. Now disheveled and with his suit filthy—the outward signs of his physical deterioration, Bigelow takes his own car and heads back to the Bradbury Building.There in the Phillips office he confronts Halliday, again. He shows him the photograph but Halliday says that he doesn’t recognize the man and also claims not to know the name “Raymond Rakoubian.” Now Bigelow asks Halliday why as comptroller of the company he was ignorant about the crucial bill of sale and Halliday responds that the transaction had occurred before he had been hired and that Phillips had kept the records in a personal file. Now Halliday turns hostile and threatens to throw him out. Bigelow stares at him measuringly and says, “You know, you really frighten me.” Increasingly, for the rest of the story Bigelow will meet threats and violence with threats and violence. He leaves.Bigelow drives back to the Allison Hotel. Despite the many streetlights an oppressive blanket of darkness makes downtown Los Angeles seem oppressive and menacing. Bigelow leaves his gun in the car’s glove compartment and heads up to his room. There he finds three toughs waiting for him and one of them named Chester (Neville Brand) turns out to be a sadistic psychotic.Chester holds a gun to his back while the others search him. Chester takes the photo of Rakoubian and gleefully smashes Bigelow in the midsection with his .45 caliber automatic. When the poisoned Frank doubles over in distress, Chester viciously comments, “Look at him. He can’t take it! He’s soft in the belly.” Bigelow, with increasingly less to lose tells him, “You do that again and I’ll kick your face in.” Another of the thugs intervenes before things get out of hand and the phone rings. It’s Paula calling with some routine office business that seems quite trivial under the circumstances.Bigelow tells her to close out the modest company bank account and to buy herself that coat she’s always wanted. She thinks he must be drunk. Knowing their time is short, Frank says, “Paula, I’m… I’m sorry I left you. I never realized how much I love you, but I know it now.” This is everything she’s been hoping to hear. She tells him that she loves him too and begs him to come home. Chester interrupts and hangs up the phone and they kidnap Bigelow at gunpoint.They take him to a large but dimly lit apartment where we find Marla Rakoubian in the company of a sinister Panama-suited gang leader named Majak (Luther Adler). Chester reports, “Mr. Bigelow is real cute. He wanted to get tough with Chester. He don’t know Chester.” A tenet of noir movies is that one learns to keep your guard up around sickos who refer to themselves in the third person, no matter what their sex. Marla asks Chester if he got the photo and he pulls it out grinning and says, “Don’t I always get what Mr. Majak sends me after?”Majak announces that it was he who had finally bought the iridium from Phillips. He asks Bigelow what he’s after and Frank responds that he’s looking for Raymond Rakoubian. Majak wants to know more and Chester interposes, “Don’t get cute, I’m just itching to work you over.” To Majak he adds, “He’s soft in belly, can’t take it,” and to demonstrate he whacks Frank in the midsection with his fist. When Bigelow grimaces he says, “See, what did I tell ya?” But this time Frank responds with a right cross to Chester’s chin. Recovering, Chester draws his .45 and with his other hand clutching Bigelow’s tie he slams the gun barrel deeply into his tender stomach saying, “Can’t do that to Chester, I’m going to blow your guts out!” When another gangster tries to intervene, Chester reflexively pistol whips him in the face.Of Bigelow Chester now says, “He’s so scared he’ll talk now.” But looking into Frank’s eyes the cannier Majak pronounces, “He’s not afraid, Chester.” Frustrated, Chester clips him again in the belly and Bigelow crumples to his knees. Clutching his abdomen Frank now grunts out, “I’m telling you, Majak, you better keep him away from me or he’s really going to have to use that gun!” Chester actually licks his lips in anticipation, but Majak intervenes and soothes the deranged brute, brushing his hair from his forehead. He sends Chester and the other gunmen from the room. Majak then solicitously helps Bigelow to his feet crooning, “Ah, you’re in pain. He’s an unfortunate boy. He’s psychopathic. He’s unhappy unless he gives pain. He likes to see blood.” Next he takes Bigelow into a curtained off alcove and announces that Raymond Rakoubian was his nephew and that he couldn’t be plotting against Bigelow—he’s been dead for five months! He points to an urn on the mantel containing Raymond’s ashes. Majak says that Bigelow has been sidetracked and that up until now he’s had no reason to hurt him. But unfortunately Bigelow has learned too much now to be allowed to go free. Majak says that under no circumstances will he risk a prison term, no matter what assurances Bigelow may offer. He calls Chester back, who again draws the .45. Majak offers, “Goodbye, Mr. Bigelow, and forgive me.” Chester takes him out at gunpoint.We next see Chester driving a convertible in downtown Los Angeles with Bigelow in the passenger seat. Chester is taunting him. “You tried to make a fool out of me in front of Majak. You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t like that.” Chester’s eyes brighten. “I’m gonna enjoy this. I done jobs like this before, Bigelow. I’ve knocked off guys I could like and I don’t like you, Bigelow. I never liked that puss of yours from the minute I seen it. Yeah, I’m gonna enjoy this!” Chester’s eyes begin to dart back and forth with excitement, “Ain’t scared yet are you, Bigelow? But you’ll be scared, good and scared! I think I’ll give it to ya in the belly. Ya don’t like it in the belly.”Frank grows increasingly desperate. Chester continues to rhapsodize, “Takes longer when ya get it in the belly. It’s nice and slow! That’s the way I wanna see you go, Bigelow, nice and slow.” Finally Bigelow slams his foot down on the break, slamming Chester against the steering wheel and stopping the car. Bigelow jumps out and sprints down the street, running into an all-night drug store, with Chester close behind him. Chester draws his gun and Bigelow overturns a display of boxes on him. Women begin to scream when they too see the gun.Chester begins to shoot wildly but he’s unready when a uniformed policeman enters the store with his weapon drawn. They exchange gunfire and the policeman shoots him down while Bigelow, hunched now with pain, slips into the night.When Bigelow pulls up in a cab back at the Allison Hotel, Paula is pacing in front of the entrance. She calls to him and runs over. Tension has been building over the whole movie and their reunion is filled with emotion for both of them. Seeing his filthy suit and his pallor she asks what trouble he might be in. Is he sick? She feels his brow and pronounces him feverish. He lies and says everything is fine but she tells him that the San Francisco police have been calling for him—a homicide detective. He tells her he’s not in any trouble… with the police. He says that Phillips was murdered but she can’t understand what that might have to do with him—all he did was to notarize a piece of paper.She tells him that she’s terrified of losing him and with pain in his voice he says that he doesn’t want her to ever be afraid of anything again.Now Frank’s feelings come spilling out in a rush, “Oh yes, Paula, I love you! I never was more certain of anything in my life! I wasn’t sure before, I was a little blind I guess, but believe me I’m sure now. Can you understand that, Paula? A man can be like that, Paula. Something has to happen. It can be a big thing or a little thing, but it can make him see how much someone means to him—how much he really loves her!”He tells her that she can’t help him, but knowing that he’s in trouble she refuses to leave. So he asks her to wait in the hotel lobby and promises that he’ll be back soon. They share a passionate kiss and then with great effort he pulls himself away and gets in his rental car and drives off as she watches with hopeful eyes. But after he leaves we watch as she buries her face in her hands.Next we see Bigelow at the apartment of the secretary, Miss Foster. By know he thinks he’s been the victim of her and Stanley Phillips. When she answers the door he draws his gun and forces his way in. He demands that she call Phillips and get him there, but at just that point Stanley staggers out of the bedroom, doubled over in pain. He gives Bigelow an old letter proving that his sister-in-law and Halliday have been having an affair for years! Miss Foster only found the letter earlier that days among her boss’ papers. Bigelow asks about Stanley’s illness and learns that he had dinner with his sister-in-law and Halliday, where he’d confronted them with the letter. Bigelow tells Miss Foster to call the hospital and have them send an ambulance for Stanley and to tell them to prepare a “stomach wash” for luminous poisoning.Bigelow goes back to the Sunset Arms to confront Mrs. Phillips. He pushes her out on the balcony and threatens to kill her if she won’t tell him everything. She blames it all on Halliday and the plot becomes clear. The iridium deal was just a cover used by Halliday and Mrs. Phillips to hide the fact that they’d murdered Eugene when he’d found out about their real relationship. As long as everyone thought the deal was illegal, then they’d believe that Phillips had killed himself to avoid prison. When Halliday found out through Miss Foster that Frank Bigelow could prove that Phillips had made the iridium purchase legally, then Bigelow had to go. It was Halliday who had poisoned Bigelow and who had also taken shots at him when the poison failed to kill him quickly enough. Looking over the railing Bigelow sees Majak and his stooges pull up. He demands to know where Halliday is now and Mrs. Phillips tells him he’s at the office. Bigelow stuffs her into a closet and locks it so that she won’t be able to warn her lover.Bigelow gets past Majak and his men, but they see him and follow in a convertible when he jumps onto a bus. By now Bigelow is exhausted and in considerable pain. Spotting a policeman at a bus stop, he exits the bus and the cop makes Majak drive away. Now Bigelow heads back to the Bradbury Building for a final showdown with the treacherous Halliday.Looking up he sees just one office light on in an otherwise darkened building. Again he enters the long, dark lobby and takes the old-fashioned cage elevator to his final rendezvous. As if we needed the confirmation, from down a long hall we actually see Halliday leaving the office in the strange checked overcoat, scarf, and hat that he wore at “The Fisherman.”In a wordless confrontation the two men stare at each other and then Halliday runs down a flight of stairs to get away. When Bigelow follows Halliday takes a shot at him but misses. Bigelow shoots and doesn’t miss, emptying five shots into his tormentor.The flashback ends and we’re back in the captain’s office of the LAPD Homicide Division. Bigelow finishes his story and leans over the desk with a final word on his lips. Softly he says, “Paula” and then crumples to the floor. The detectives crowd around the body but it’s obvious that he’s gone. The captain says, “Call the morgue,” and he sends one of his men to the hotel to bring back Paula Gibson so that he can break the news to her. “How shall I fill out the report on him, captain?” asks a detective. The captain responds, “Better make it ‘Dead on Arrival.’” The last thing we see is a Missing Person Report being stamped with the letters “D.O.A.”Ironically, fighting back against his fate and solving his own murder arguably constitutes the greatest triumph of accountant Frank Bigelow’s short and mundane life. He didn’t even have time to marry and have children. But looked at existentially, making some sense of our own lives and coming to terms with our inevitable mortality is probably the greatest challenge that any of us will ever face.