A common feature request from clients is the ability to export data to Excel, so they can create their own reports and a myriad of other things. Maatwebsite, the creators of Laravel Excel, recently launched a new Nova package named Laravel Nova Excel for just this purpose.
Integrating it with your Nova is really simple. First, require the package:
composer require maatwebsite/laravel-nova-excel
Next, go to a Nova resource. As an example app/Nova/User.php. Add Maatwebsite\LaravelNovaExcel\Actions\DownloadExcel action to your actions() list.
<?php
namespace App\Nova;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Maatwebsite\LaravelNovaExcel\Actions\DownloadExcel;
class User extends Resource
{
/**
* The model the resource corresponds to.
*
* @var string
*/
public static $model = 'App\\User';
// Other default resource methods
/**
* Get the actions available for the resource.
*
* @param \Illuminate\Http\Request $request
*
* @return array
*/
public function actions(Request $request)
{
return [
new DownloadExcel(),
];
}
}
After this, you’ll get the ability to export all the Users to an Excel file. Of course, this is just the minor highlights of the package and it can do many other things. Check out their getting started guide for full details on everything you might need.
Let’s move on to the fun part: connecting to our database. This lesson will introduce a number of new concepts, so pay close attention. We’ll first review environment files. This is where we can store important keys, passwords, and configuration settings. Next, we’ll discuss Laravel migrations: what they are, and why you should use them.
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- There’s only one thing better than buying a new gun: Making your own custom firearm at home.
Stick to Alex Kincaid’s “Three Rules for Staying Out of Prison” below, and you stand a good chance of not violating one of the many gun-control laws that can affect well-intentioned, law-abiding Americans.
What are the three rules?
Be Selfish: Build firearms for your personal use
Know what you’re buying
Know what you’re making
Build for Your Personal Use
The ATF has published an opinion that “Firearms may be lawfully made by persons who do not hold a manufacturer’s license under the Gun Control Act provided they are not for sale or distribution and the maker is not prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms.”
If you start helping other people finish their firearms and, especially, if you take money from them for doing so, you can wind up accused, prosecuted, and convicted of violating the federal Gun Control Act.
On top of it, if you purchase an 80% lower, and pay someone to finish it, the ATF has now said that the person finishing the lower into a firearm must have a federal firearms license to do so.
The safest route to ensure that you are not violating federal (and sometimes, state) law is to only build firearms for your own, personal use. If a friend or family member would like your guidance as they build their own rifle, instruct and assist them as they complete the task, rather than do it for them.
Know What You’re Buying
Just because something is for sale, doesn’t mean it’s legal. Think about drugs or child porn. These items are easily found and bought, but they are not legal. The same goes for firearms parts that you might find on the internet. Some parts, by themselves, may be legal, but depending on how you install them, they may make a firearm illegal.
If you buy a foregrip, is it angled, vertical, or unknown? Our laws distinguish between these different parts, and you can easily violate the federal law known as the National Firearms Act by installing certain parts on an AR-style pistol and turning it into an “any other weapon” or “AOW.”
To make matters worse, if you lawfully purchase parts for your AR rifle and install them in certain states, you may have turned a legal rifle into an illegal “assault weapon” under your state’s laws[read New Jersey], just by adding cosmetic parts. Gun control laws don’t usually make much sense, and these “cosmetic feature” laws are an excellent example of how little sense gun control laws can make. Gun owners know that a flash suppressor, a foregrip, a collapsible stock, and other parts of a rifle don’t make the rifle more deadly, but more states continue to pass “assault weapon” bans, which make adding these parts to a rifle illegal.
So, know what you’re buying and whether the parts are legal in your state.
Know What You’re Making
Basic AR 15 Rifle Kit Gun Parts
Do you know if the gun parts and pieces you will be assembling will create a pistol, a rifle, or short-barreled rifle (SBR)?
You need to know the rules before you start your build. Buying a lower receiver is like buying a blank slate. Technically, your lower receiver is your firearm, but before you add parts to it, it is a generic firearm. If you create an SBR by registering your rifle in the NFRTR, you cannot go backwards and turn that same lower receiver into a pistol without processing additional paperwork.
If you create a firearm designed to shoot from your shoulder, you have usually created a rifle. If you create a firearm designed to shoot with one hand, you have usually built a pistol. You can easily turn a pistol into an AOW by adding a vertical foregrip, as stated above. In some states, if you add certain cosmetic features, you may turn a legal rifle into an illegal “assault weapon.”
If you add a shoulder stock and a barrel that is under 16” in length, you are building an SBR, and you had better pay the $200 tax, put your name on the registry, notify your chief law enforcement officer, send in photographs and fingerprints, and wait 6-9 months to get your approved tax stamp before building this firearm. If you don’t, you are violating federal law.
If you’re building an NFA firearm – make sure you download a free copy of Alex Kincaids Form 1 Guide. This guide will walk you through filling out Form 1 with your gun trust name.
Please watch our YouTube channel to hear more about how to build a rifle and stay out of prison. We also recommend a few detailed videos showing you how to insert small part into small part during your build. We like to shop at Brownell’s, where you can watch more how-to build videos on Brownell’s website.
To help you get started on your build journey, click here to check out Brownell’s build list for free. This build list will help you make sure you purchase the essential parts to a non-sporting rifle. It’s essentially a shopping list for your non-sporting rifle build. If you intend to build a firearm that will be subject to the National Firearms Act, be sure to contact us for a gun trust and also, download Alex Kincaids Form 1 Guide for free, which will walk you through the steps of using your gun trust to get your tax stamp for your new NFA firearm.
Assembling An AR-15 Rifle Parts Checklist
Feel free to post pictures of your build in the comments below! We would love to see what other good Americans are up to! If you have questions, please call us for a free consultation.
Alexandria Kincaid, Attorney
About Alexandria Kincaid:
Alexandria Kincaid is a former elected District Attorney and the founder of Alex Kincaid Law, a full-service, boutique law firm emphasizing constitutional, criminal, and asset protection (estate and business) law, and boasting the unique specialty of firearms law. Alex Kincaid is hailed the Second Amendment Guru by the American Shooting Journal. Her expertise of the gun laws is relied upon by gun owners, gun businesses, and gun rights organizations across America, and her clients also include well-known firearms and firearms accessories manufacturers. Alex is also the author of “Infringed” the ultimate gun law book, available on Amazon . Or visit www.alexkincaid.com
Recently I ran across a prominent PHP Developer who incorrectly claimed that only PDO allows binding values to variables for prepared statements. A lot of developer use prepared statements to reduce the potential of SQL Injection and it is a good first step. But there are some features that you do no kno
What is a Prepared Statement?
The MySQL Manual states The MySQL database supports prepared statements. A prepared statement or a parameterized statement is used to execute the same statement repeatedly with high efficiency.
So far, so good. Well there is also a performance issue to consider too. From the same source The prepared statement execution consists of two stages: prepare and execute. At the prepare stage a statement template is sent to the database server. The server performs a syntax check and initializes server internal resources for later use.
So it is a two step process. Set up the query as a template and then plug in the value. If you need to reuse the query, just plug in a new value into the template.
So lets look at how it is done.
PDO
On PHP.NET, there are a lot of really great examples.
/* Prepared statement, stage 1: prepare */if(!($stmt=$mysqli–>prepare("INSERT INTO test(id) VALUES (?)"))){echo"Prepare failed: (".$mysqli–>errno.") ".$mysqli–>error; } So this is our template with a ‘place holder’, designated as a question mark (?). And then it is executed. $id=1;if(!$stmt–>bind_param("i",$id)){echo"Binding parameters failed: (".$stmt–>errno.") ".$stmt–>error;}if(!$stmt–>execute()){echo"Execute failed: (".$stmt–>errno.") ".$stmt–>error;}?> So if we wanted to insert an $id with a value of 2, we would just assign that value ($id = 2) and rerun the $stmt->bind_param/$stmt_execute duo again. So that is the basics. But what do they look like with the other two extensions?
MySQLi
So what does the MySQLi version look like? Once again question marks are used as placeholders.
But what is that sssd stuff? That is where you declare the type of variable you are want to use. Use ‘s’ for string, ‘i’ for integer, ‘d’ for double, and ‘b’ for a blob (binary large object). So you get the advantage of type checking.
X DevAPI
The much newer X DevAPI is for the new X Protocol and the MySQL Document Store. Unlike the other two examples it is not Structured Query Language (SQL) based.
$res = $coll->modify(‘name like :name’)->arrayInsert(‘job[0]’, ‘Calciatore’)->bind([‘name’ => ‘ENTITY’])->execute(); $res = $table->delete()->orderby(‘age desc’)->where(‘age < 20 and age > 12 and name != :name’)->bind([‘name’ => ‘Tierney’])->limit(2)->execute();
Note that this is not an object relational mapper as it is the protocol itself and not something mapping the object to the SQL.
Wrap Up
So now you know how to use prepared statements with all three PHP MySQL Extensions.
We’ve spoken at length about the merits and disadvantages of the super minimal interior in the Tesla Model 3, which focuses all of the car’s information and controls on a single touchscreen. It’s hard to believe the system is road legal, and it’s something one unlucky owner caught on video trying to explain to the cops.
In the video above via InsideEVs, recorded on Sept. 29, Tesla Model 3 owner Jon Hall was pulled over and questioned about the giant laptop-like touchscreen seemingly tacked onto his dashboard.
When the officer first walked up, it seemed like Hall thought the cop was joking when told he was “not allowed to have your computer mounted on there,” before quickly realizing the cop serious.
To be fair, the Model 3’s screen is strikingly large, and since it’s the only prominent feature on the dashboard, it does stick out and draw attention to itself. Describing it as a computer tacked on isn’t exactly wrong.
Photo: Kristen Lee / Jalopnik
After Hall explained that the screen came stock with the car and showed the officer how the touchscreen controlled most of the car’s functions, the officer apologized, maybe a little embarrassed at his lack of tech savviness, and let Hall go.
But it’s still an interesting interaction for a few reasons. Screens are getting bigger and bolder in cars and the Model 3 isn’t exactly a huge departure from that trend. And these things are probably only going to get a lot crazier as technology progresses, like the proposed screen on the upcoming Byton crossover that stretches from one door to the other inside.
It’s definitely going to take some adjusting to—as a society, apparently. At least this cop didn’t pull a gun over his Tesla confusion.
Grand Rapids, MI USA-(Ammoland.com)- In this fifth installment of my .450 Bushmaster series, I will be taking a look at a very interesting departure from what many think a .450 BM rifle to be: the Ruger No. 1. What makes this rifle special and different from other .450 offerings on the market today? Well, for starters it is a single-shot.
There has been a race for capacity when it comes to rifles these days. It is no surprise that this has lead to problems with many rifles, especially those in .450 Bushmaster. As I described in my previous articles, there are many significant problems associated with magazine-fed semiautomatics, mostly stemming from said magazines. Problems in reliability can shake a hunter’s confidence in his rifle, and I know a great many of frustrated .450 owners who lament that their ideal hunting cartridge won’t cycle in their ideal hunting rifle.
The simplicity of the single-shot rifle is hard to ignore in the context of hunting. Americans have a long and romanticized history with single-shots, going back to the Civil War era, which saw the widespread acceptance of the Sharps rifle and other big-bores. As we manifested our destiny and headed west, the large single-shot became a staple of the buffalo hunter and cavalryman alike. Our story has been intricately linked to the single-shot, but the technology simply marched past it and only the most famous survived.
Ruger’s No. 1 is a falling block action like the Sharps, but it is of fully modern design and constructed of modern materials.
Ruger’s No. 1 is a falling block action like the Sharps, but it is of fully modern design and constructed of modern materials. The strength of the No. 1 action is such that it can chamber some of the most powerful hunting cartridges ever made. The .450 is not among those in that upper class of powerful cartridges, but it is a contender for this year’s most relevant. As I’ve already written, the .450 is gaining popularity because it is the most powerful commonly available cartridge that fits not only our favorite rifles, but also into state hunting law in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and possibly more due to its straight case walls.
Simply open the lever and lower the block, insert a cartridge, and close it.
The choice to make a No. 1 was entirely logical on Ruger’s part. There is a group of discerning customers that demand something different, not just effective. The .450 has traditionally been an AR cartridge, but today it widely used in bolt actions as well. There are not that many single-shots out there that chamber the .450, as it is a problematic cartridge when it comes to headspace. Unlike many other single-shot cartridges out there, like the .45-70, the .450 has no exterior rim on the case head, in fact, it has a rebated rim. This means that the .450 is less than ideal for use in a single-shot.
Ruger must’ve missed that memo and instead went ahead with making the rifle not only extremely reliable, but also exceptionally easy to use. The operation is simple, with the only moving part in the action being the block. Simply open the lever and lower the block, insert a cartridge, and close it. After firing, lowering the block allows the case to eject straight back. It quite literally shoots straight out and clear of the action. Many single-shots have an extractor, but not an ejector meaning that the case stays in the action, but are just slightly moved out of the chamber.
Ruger includes a set of 1” rings that mount directly to their proprietary base attached to the rifle.
The rifle features a 20” barrel, but it has a short 36” overall length. The compact No.1 action allows about 4” more barrel than a typical AR while being shorter overall. Interestingly, Ruger chose to not include iron sights with the rifle. I do lament this, but most people will ultimately end up using a scope anyways. I opted for a simple, fixed 4x Bushnell to approximate what a deer hunter may use in the woods. Ruger includes a set of 1” rings that mount directly to their proprietary base attached to the rifle.
Firing the rifle was quite a bit different than when shooting with an AR. The trigger is light but crisp, allowing great precision. I was surprised at how easy and fast the gun was to reload. I am far more used to Sharps and other hammer-fired single-shots that have a multi-stage loading and cocking process and the simple speed of the No. 1 was noticeable. While not as fast as a bolt action, the rifle could be reloaded in just about a second if a spare round is handy. I would recommend a stock sleeve that has loops for spare cartridges.
Another comfort feature is the muzzle brake.
The stock is very comfortable and is made of an attractive grey laminate that nicely compliments the stainless steel of the barrel and action. The stock is fixed and does not feature butt spacers. Another comfort feature is the muzzle brake. I picked up a bit of speed over my 16” Brownell’s AR rifle due to the fact that the gun has no gas system and a longer barrel.
I tested the same four loads as my prior articles from Hornady and Buffalo Bore over my Oehler 35P chronograph. Accuracy is an average if 3, 5-shot groups at 100 yards.
I came away with the impression that this is a solid, working rifle for a serious, no-excuses hunter. The gun is exceptionally rugged, was supremely reliable, and very accurate. If you want to turn some heads at the range, this will certainly be your ticket to do so.
Josh Wayner has been writing in the gun industry for five years. He is an active competition shooter with 14 medals from Camp Perry. In addition to firearms-related work, Josh enjoys working with animals and researching conservation projects in his home state of Michigan.
About a month ago, Christopher Bartocci of Small Arms Solutions, posted on his website an AR-15 rifle that he was going to sell (already sold out). When I visited the page, I was really intrigued by the description of the rifle. Chris wrote: “It has hand selected components to make a reliable combat rifle. This build is what I consider a combat reliable, well balanced, accurate and durable battle rifle.“. I was curious, what is THE build that the renown AR-15 expert considers the best? I immediately contacted Chris to find out the details concerning this build.
Before we proceed with the examination of this rifle, let me briefly tell you who is Christopher Bartocci and why I consider his opinion so valuable. Many of you probably know him, but for those of you who haven’t heard about this man, I’ll tell you about the most significant parts of his career. Chris is a former forensic firearms examiner. He worked for Colt, Otis Technology and LMT, has traveled all around the world training military and law enforcement personnel of different countries. He is the author of “Black Rifle II: The M16 Into the 21st Century” book and a number of articles in various publications. Chris is also the founder of Small Arms Solutions LLC.
As you can see, if there are people in the industry who can be called AR-15 gurus, then Chris is definitely one of them. He kindly answered all my questions and provided all the necessary information to study the subject and write this article.
The story of this build starts back in 2015 when Chris wrote a two-part article in Small Arms Review journal titled “Boutique Black Rifles”. In these articles, Bartocci wrote about four AR-15 builds that he considered the best ones of the time. The main idea behind these builds is to use the commercially available components that have characteristics far exceeding the military specifications which eventually result in extremely reliable AR-15 builds. The rifle that we are taking a look at today is the evolution of the number two rifle from the mentioned articles. Some of the components of this updated build were changed with newly introduced and more advanced ones compared to what was available in 2015.
Now let’s go through the key components that this rifle is made of and see what unique features of these parts made them to the list of Chris Bartocci’s combat-reliable AR-15 build parts.
The San Tac Tactical SST-15 receivers are machined out of billet 7075 aluminum. The lower receiver features ambidextrous magazine release and bolt catch. It also has a couple of built-in QD sling swivel sockets located on either side, behind the takedown pin area. The magazine well is beveled to aid the magazine insertion process.
If you read the mentioned Small Arms Review articles, you’ll see that the first version of #2 Boutique Black Rifle was built with an Aero Precision upper receiver. Back in 2015 when Chris was building this rifle, San Tan Tactical didn’t have an upper receiver yet. So the upper is one of the parts that was changed compared to the first iteration of this build.
The bolt of this BCG is machined out 9310 steel and it’s magnetic particle inspected (MPI). The latter is a feature that Bartocci recommends to look for. The bolt, bolt carrier, extractor, gas key, and cam pin are chrome plated.
The design of this ambidextrous charging handle removes the stresses from the latch pin preventing it from breaking. Some other critical areas are beefed up compared to the mil-spec charging handle.
Chris Bartocci recommends this stock and receiver extension combination for several reasons. First of all, he considers the materials of the stock to be some of the most robust ones in the market. There are markings of stock positions on top of the buffer tube and the stock itself has a corresponding hole that shows the selected position of the stock. There are also battery compartments on either side of this stock.
Although the Vltor stock assembly comes with a buffer and recoil spring, Bartocci recommends using the JP Enterprises Silent Captured recoil spring assembly which proved to perform flawlessly removing the noise of the original spring and making the cycling of the action smoother.
This ambidextrous safety selector has a configurable design allowing to choose the size of the selector lever on each side of the gun. Bartocci prefers using the full sized lever on the left side of the gun and smaller size lever on the right side. The opposite layout would be correct for left-handed shooters. Such configuration will allow you to have safety selector levers on both sides of the gun with the secondary lever being small enough not to dig into your trigger finger.
This part is made of heat treated steel. The levers are textured to provide better purchase. They also have larger surface areas which make it easier to manipulate the safety with gloved hands.
Chris points out several important features of these takedown/pivot pins. Despite having virtually the same pinhead dimensions as the standard ones, the BAD EPS pins have an improved head design which makes pulling them out a much easier process. The pin tips also have a concave profile and slightly protrude from the left side of the receiver making pushing them out from left side easier both when pushing by hand or using a punch or a bullet tip.
Probably there is no need to introduce this pistol grip because it is well known among the firearm enthusiasts. Two main features of this grip are the interchangeable back and front straps and the compartment inside the grip where you can store an oil bottle, spare bolt and firing pin or batteries.
These triggers utilize a pair of coil springs which along with other design solutions provide a light trigger pull without compromising the sear engagement surface or the hammer strike energy. In fact, the hammers of these trigger assemblies strike with an increased energy compared to the mil-spec ones.
This free-floated quad rail is machined out of 6061 T6 aluminum and has a Type 3 hard coat anodized finish. It is installed onto the AR-15 pattern rifles by being clamped to standard barrel nuts. The installation does not require a removal of the front sight post.
In this build, Chris uses the FN cold hammer forged barrels. In general, he considers the cold hammer forging to be the best way of manufacturing barrels for combat firearms. Another feature that Bartoccci points out is the mid-length gas system which he considers an optimal one for the 16″ barrel. Last but not least, these barrels feature chrome lined bores and chambers.
The front sight of this A.R.M.S. product comes as a combination with the gas block. The front sight itself is a folding one and when deployed it forms the same shape as the standard M16/M4 gas block/FSB. According to Chris, the pinned gas block is an absolute must for a combat-reliable build ensuring that the gas block won’t come loose, rotate or slide forward.
The folding backup rear sight of this build is also made by A.R.M.S. Inc. It has several options of the aperture size and also a version with a notch on top of the aperture The windage is click-adjustable in .75 MOA increments.
According to Chris, this flash hider has proved to work perfectly. It reliably mitigates the signature of the rifle and does not compromise the shooter’s position.
And that’s the list of the key components used in the combat-reliable AR-15 build recommended by Christopher Bartocci. Let us know in the comments section what do you think about this build? What would you add or remove and why?
Left to right: Razor-Back 2593600; Corona SS 60020; Wolverine SL600; Wolverine FL500; Fiskars 96685935J; Razor-Back 45020; Nupla SSR2L-E; W. W. Manufacturing’s LHV-PT-R; Corona AS 90300; and Bully Tools 82515.
In 2018, we took a fresh look at the shovels available from Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and more, but none of them stood out enough to test against our current picks. We were most intrigued by the Root Assassin OS-002 One Shot Shovel, which has a special “winged” head with a larger step that extends around the sides and sets it apart from other round point #2 shovels. While we don’t think this new design can stand-up to the tried-and-true function of the standard round point shovel head, there are some people who might enjoy it, and the reviews so far are great. The fiberglass handle is also a dealbreaker for us.
The Razor-Back 2593600 is the company’s flagship heavy-duty shovel. It’s extremely robust, with its trademarked extended SuperSocket, and the traditional wood handle is comfortable and shock-absorbing. But the seam at the back of the socket (at least on our test unit) was splayed open and not flush to the handle, resulting in a pair of sharp-edged ridges that dug into my hand. And the two rivets that attach the socket to the handle are large and exposed—as with the Bully Tools 82515, not really a problem for righties, but potentially uncomfortable for lefties. The socket, where your lower hand grips the shovel, is also notably thick—a sensible design decision given that the shovel is aimed at the male-dominated construction trade, but a liability for most women and for smaller men.
The Corona SS 60020 gets high marks for build quality: The seam of its socket is neatly welded shut and ground smooth (making it very strong and also comfortable to hold), and its twin rivets are low-profile—comfortable whichever hand you use. It has a robust coating to deter rust, and its steps are crisply formed. But they are narrower than the Bully 82515’s, and the solid fiberglass handle, while ergonomically shaped and confidence-inspiring in its strength, also suffers from fiberglass’s tendency to transmit shock to the user’s hands.
The Wolverine SL600, an ultra-heavy-duty model, is almost comically burly and is also beautifully made. It lost out to the ultra-heavy-duty Corona for the minor reasons given above—no padded grip or rubber step—and because its 6-inch lift, compared with the Corona’s 4 inches, makes vertical digging a bit more cumbersome.
The Wolverine FL500 is another terrifically constructed shovel; its closed back is the most neatly formed of all the models tested, its rivets are unobtrusive, and the socket seam, though not welded shut, is flush to the handle. Its shortcomings match the Corona SS 60020’s: a crisp but relatively small step and a shuddering fiberglass handle.
The Fiskars 96685935J is certainly a very well-built tool. It’s made entirely of steel, and the welds and painted finish are flawless. And Fiskars stands behind it unconditionally: They’ll replace it for free if it ever breaks. But the all-steel construction is heavy for a general-purpose shovel: Mine weighed 94 ounces—almost 6 pounds. It’s very strong, but Fiskars creates that strength bizarrely, by running the handle-blade connection almost halfway down the blade. That means the handle gets in the way when shoving the blade into the ground and takes up valuable real estate when transferring loose material. The handle is ergonomically shaped: In cross-section it resembles an egg, with the narrow end facing the ground. It felt very comfortable at first, but under repeated loads the relatively narrow underside created a pressure point on the first joint of my fingers. And the extremely generous step—full-width and more than an inch across at its widest—meant that my foot could be placed at only a perfect perpendicular to the handle. It’s a subtle thing, but when digging you often want to be able to tilt your foot fore or aft to direct the blade in a certain way, and the Fiskars design makes doing so awkward or even impossible.
The Razor-Back 45020 is one of two solid-shank shovels tested. A solid shank is exactly what it sounds like: a solid-steel bar instead of the more common hollow socket. It’s exceedingly strong. It’s also very heavy, and tilts the balance of a shovel toward the blade end. Unless your digging requires an inordinate amount of prying (as it might if your soil is full of rocks or roots), you don’t need the added strength, and the added weight becomes a liability when you’re transferring material. Additionally, the 45020’s rivets are mounted with the heads to the left, the opposite of most shovel designs. They pressed against my palm—not hard enough to cause pain, but enough that I noticed. (Of course, lefties might appreciate this quirk.)
Finally, there’s W. W. Manufacturing’s LHV-PT-R ($80), “the King of Spades.” Refined over the course of decades, it enjoys an enviable reputation among professional gardeners, orchardists, and nursery workers, and understandably so. It’s light for an all-steel shovel at 5.75 pounds, its keenly sharpened edge slices through soil and roots, and it has a five-year guarantee even under the abusive working conditions it generally faces. The materials and construction are top-notch. But it’s a specialist tool. That keen edge is more easily dulled by rocks than the other ultra-heavy-duty models. And though lightweight for its type, it’s still too heavy for general use, and its 4-inch lift is designed chiefly for digging, not transferring loose material. Highly recommended for specialists; not the best choice for backyard generalists.
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, one of the women who accuses Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, will both testify in front of a Senate committee today. You can watch the livestreams below even if you’re not near a TV.
The hearing is scheduled to start at 10:00am ET, 7:00am PT. And depending on how you count it, there are either four or five women who have now come forward to accuse Kavanaugh of misconduct. But the spotlight will be on Ford today who has four sworn affidavits from people who know about the incident back in the early 1980s when Ford alleges that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. You can read Ford’s prepared statement here, and Kavanaugh’s prepared statement here.
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You can watch the testimony live on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and CNN’s digital outlets (no login required) below.
YouTube
There are a number of different media outlets that will be streaming today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on YouTube for free:
