Stuntwoman at 68, that is Sandy Gimpel for you

What is the most daring act you can imagine a 68 year old woman would do? Definitely not jumping off high rise buildings and rocky cliffs; crashing cars and getting more than a simple bruise in the process. Well, think again, all these and more are just routine for veteran Hollywood stuntwoman, Sandy Gimpel. Till I read about her on Coffee News, a local advertising news magazine, I could not even imagine that a 68-year-old woman could be so daring and adventurous. But now my opinion has changed completely. I read with awe the numerous achievements of Sandy Gimpel, a fourth-level black belt holder and instructor of karate and professional hollywood stuntwoman.

In her job she routinely rolls down long flights of stairs, jumps down high cliffs, and acts as a double for some of the most famous names in Hollywood. Recently, she was thrown by Eddie Murphy into a crowd of people in front of a building for his film Norbit. According to several fitness trainers and gurus, Gimpel has maintained her body as supple and fit like a 20-year-old. Gimpel has performed death defying stunts for nearly 100 hollywood thrillers, doubling up for numerous glam doll actresses including Jodie Foster, Sally Field and Sara Jessica Parker. Some of her most recent movies include Meet the Spartans, The Invasion, Rat Race, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot among others.

If you thought that Sandy Gimpel did nothing other stunts, think again. She has produced and released her own workout video titled Stuntblasters - Cardio Mix DVD and does some freelance interior designing too. Despite her busy shooting schedule she makes time for her grown up daughter, trains every day with a mix of martial arts, aerobics, and weight work.

How it all started
Daughter of a gymnast, Gimpel was born and bred in California and she started her career as a dancer, but couldn't sustain in the field because of her petite frame. Later in 1967 she got recruited into a stunt job to act as double for the show's 11-year-old star. Since then there has been no looking back, she just got into it and continues to do her favourite stunts for movies even today. Stunts which would send shivers down the spines of young and sprightly men, she accomplishes with finnesse and elan.

Sandy Gimpel is one of the few women who has broken into and succeeded immensely in the male-dominated stunt trade. Now she juggles time between doing stunts and directing them.


I wonder how many of us will be even half as fit as Sandy Gimpel, at 68. I am only 34 and I am pretty sure that I can't do all that Sandy Gimpel can do at 68. Working out hard and in a disciplined manner is the secret of being fit even at old age. I gotta start maintaining a routine pretty quickly, else I will become frail and weak like so many others who are in sedentary professions.

Information and pictures from: The Christian Science Monitor
TVAddicts

Where to get great deals on household fittings and gadgetry?

I spend lots of time on the internet blogging, reading, watching movies, learning, communicating with people, etc. On one such explorative adventure on cyberspace I stumbled upon this great website dealing with Discount Bathroom fittings, gadgetry, appliances, tools and everything that one would need to upgrade and improve homes. Getting curious I browsed further and spent quite a bit of time on StockBlowout.com.

The Chico (California)-based company was promoted in 2000 and since then has been very popular with users, partners and browsers alike. The online home improvement store stocks a wide array of products broadly classified into various categories such as lighting, plumbing, venting, bathroom, tools, and accessories. Each of the categories has numerous products on inventory and are very competitively priced.

One of the most popular and commonly used products in the lighting categories are their fashionable, highly utilitarian but really Cheap Lights. Fixtures and fittings in this category include chandeliers, ceiling lights, wall scones, pendants, bathroom fixtures, fountains, lamps, among others. The unique selling proposition of this online store is its large inventory and fantastic discounts.

With summer just approaching it is usually the time when most homes in America are upgraded. And this is just the right time to take care of purchasing products of this imminent home improvement. From Discount Bathroom fittings, kitchen stuff, garage tools and Cheap Lights, everything is available in this convenient online store.

Visit the store and you will not be disappointed.

Creative way to make motorists drive slow, or is it dangerous and obscene?

I was always under the impression that Indian cities were the most notorious for speeding motorists and road rage. But then after seeing this video from Denmark, I am quite convinced that their motorists far outshine road users in India. But one must give credit and award the creative way in which Denmark's road safety council has reacted to curtail speeding motorists. They have made a short film featuring beautiful, young and sexy topless models holding up speed limit signs. The Danish Road Safety Council (DRSC) revealed that incidences of speed violations have decreased since broadcasting this film, but nevertheless 7 out of 10 Danes continue to drive over the speed limit on a regular basis.

The DRSC advertising film, scripted like a news report rather features young, sexy women holding speed limit signs and standing by the road, topless. The topless women accomplished what most stringent legislations couldn't. They made speeding motorists slow down and some even stopped to take pictures.

The girls who called themselves as Speedbandits are proud of their role in reducing road rage and deaths due to speeding accidents. But there are downsides to the concept too. At several places traffic jams occured due to motorists stopping on the road to oogle, gawk, stare and photograph the topless speedbreakers.

I have embedded the video here for you all to watch and enjoy. I wonder if something similar has to be done to make Indian motorists observe traffic rules. Your thoughts would be appreciated.