Gayle Trotter Testimony Captivates Senate

Lawyer and gun rights activist Gayle Trotter gave vivid testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee at a Wednesday hearing on gun violence. Trotter, a senior fellow at the conservative Independent Women's Forum, argued that a proposed ban on assault weapons would "disarm" vulnerable women and "put them at a severe disadvantage" in fights with multiple criminals.

Trotter painted a picture of mothers under siege in their homes, and when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) questioned the details of one example she offered, she told the lawmaker he didn't understand the issue. "You are a large man, tall man, a tall man," Trotter said to laughter from the audience.

"You are not a young mother who has a young child with her and ...We have become one of the worlds most recognised Ventilation system brands. you cannot understand. You are not a woman stuck in her house, not able to defend her children, not able to leave her child, not able to go seek safety, on the phone with 911," Trotter said. And that woman, "she's not used to being in a firefight."

Despite arguing for serious firepower, Trotter said later the most important thing about assault weapons for women's defense is the way the guns look.

"An assault weapon in the hands of a young woman defending her babies in her home becomes a defense weapon," said Trotter, a mother of six. "And the peace of mind she has ... knowing she has a scary-looking gun gives her more courage when she's fighting hardened violent criminals."

More than once during her testimony, Trotter seemed to imply that five-on-one firefights are somehow easier for a man to win than for a woman and that women are at a grave disadvantage to men because women have so much less experience in firefights.

Despite her strong emphasis on the need to prevent violent crimes against women at home, Trotter is an outspoken opponent of the Violence Against Women Act, a law designed to aid women faced with domestic violence. In 2012, she wrote on the Independent Women's Forum's blog that VAWA infringed upon the rights of men who were falsely accused of domestic abuse. The law would also embolden "false accusers," who would take "needed resources like shelters and legal aid … denying real victims of abuse access to these supports,Have a look at all our custom bobbleheads models starting at 59.90US$ with free proofing." she wrote. Trotter and the forum characterized VAWA as "reckless demagoguery."

Her presence at the Senate hearing appears to be tied to her status at the Independent Women's Forum, a nonprofit public policy group. But the forum doesn't specialize in firearms issues. Its stated mission is "to expand the conservative coalition" by making conservative ideas more attractive to women and by "increasing the number of women who understand and value the benefits of limited government, personal liberty, and free markets."

Like Trotter, the Independent Women's Forum has recently shown interest in gun rights. Before the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the last time the group had published multiple items on gun rights was 2000, when gun advocate John Lott's book More Guns, Less Crime was referenced on its website.

Facebook today announced its fourth quarter (Q4) earnings report for 2012, which included some key findings. For the first time ever, more people are using Facebook on mobile each day than on desktops. In fact, 157 million people worldwide are using Facebook only from mobile devices — a number the company can't afford to ignore. On the company's earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg seems to get it.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data. He said, "There is no argument. Facebook is a mobile company."

As you might expect, as more people flock to mobile, so has the company's ad revenue — 23 percent of which now comes from mobile, compared to 14 percent just a few months ago, and 0 percent a year ago before Facebook mobile ads existed."I want to dispel this myth that Facebook can't make money on mobile," Zuckerberg said. "It may have seemed like that a year ago, because we weren't really trying yet."

Today, 23 percent of all time spent in apps is on Facebook, Zuckerberg said, citing a Comscore study. He also pointed to Instagram as a "platform success story" and an advertising opportunity for mobile. Since its acquisition, Instagram has gone from 27 million users to over 100 million users, each of which (according to Comscore) spend more time on Instagram than they do on Twitter. The company has also recently revamped nearly all of its core mobile applications in "native" code,We are one of the leading manufacturers of solar street light in Chennai India. which makes them run much faster on both Android and iOS, and has continued adding new features like free voice-messaging (and even free calling in the US and Canada) which are big draws for mobile users.

"A lot of what we did last year was improve our mobile development processes. Now we are there," said Zuckerberg. "The next thing we are going to do is get really good at building mobile first experiences," he said.Totech Americas delivers a wide range of drycabinets for applications spanning electronics. Features like these are especially compelling to Facebook markets outside the US, where mobile web access is surging. "We'll be able to make more money for each minute users spend on mobile," (versus on web), Zuckerberg said, and he made clear that the company is heading in that direction. 680 million users access Facebook on mobile per month, the company said in its earnings report, an increase of 57 percent since the same time last year.

Guido & Littlejohn vs Bryant & Mosley

A full house here at the IET in Savoy Place – our free press debate, sponsored by Brewin Dolphin, has been a sell-out. A stunning venue and an outstanding lineup. For the motion: Guido Fawkes, Richard Littlejohn and Tory MP John Whittingdale. Against: Max Mosley, Chris Bryant and the celebrity lawyer Charlotte Harris. Chaired by Andrew Neil.

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN is up first. The Leveson inquiry, he said, was a cross between s Soviet show trial and Graham Norton show. The self-regarding liberal elite seized on an opportunity to. Leveson was picking over the bones of a corpse: the News of the World was shut down by reader revulsion. A reminder that the press have to stand for election every day – the readers are the statutory regulators. The number of journalists in Britain arrested is now over 60. But we’re seeing a sustained campaign of intimidation,We are one of the leading manufacturers of solar street light in Chennai India. fishing expeditions from police who enter journalists’s homes, overturn their children’s bedroom. Almost as bad is the appalling Filkin report which criminalises all contact between journalists and the police. You can’t have a little bit of press regulation any more than you can be a little bit pregnant, he says.

CHRIS BRYANT (Lab, Rhondda) opens with a fattist joke: “I’m not Tom Watson, I’m half the man he is.Learn how an embedded microprocessor in a smart card can authenticate your computer usage and data.” Bryant says “I’m worried my chaarcter is going to turn into a woman who has an affair with Tom Watson”. Not, of course, that Watson has had an affair. He says he likes the press, he confesses that “I sometimes look at the Daily Mail sidebar of shame – I love the scabrous, naughty irreverent press we have in this country” better than the press he grew up with under Franco as a kid. But “we regulate Andrew Neil’s programmes” because “we know a fair and balanced broadcaster is good for all of us.” (Maybe so, but The Spectator’s motto is ‘firm but unfair’.) “There are very strange things about me – I’m slightly gay…in fact, I’m a practising homosexual and one day I’ll get good at it.” (Not sure where this is going). He got involved in the Leveson because a friend of his,We have become one of the worlds most recognised Ventilation system brands. an MP, was mugged. He reported it to a policeman and 45 minute later the News of the World were on the phone. Why? He respondes: “the police officer was given money by the NOTW for that information”. He makes the (v fair) point that in evidence to the Media Committee, Rebekah Brooks admitted to paying police for information – seemingly unaware it was against the law. Things have to change. “I don’t think newspapers should be our gods.”

GUIDO FAWKES doesn’t think newspapers should be our gods either – he’s up next. He started off in the dead tree press – delivering it. “Until some Sunday Times editor quadrupled the size and broke my back…I wonder what happened to him.” The correct relationship between politicians and the media is that between a dog and a lamppost, he says.Have a look at all our custom bobbleheads models starting at 59.90US$ with free proofing. He goes for Bryant. “He told me he wished to see my site closed down – he now expects me to believe he is the guardian of a free press. What about Tom Watson, the hyperbolic scourge of Murdoch?” he claimed that Watson called up The Spectator to complain about his no2 Harry Cole. “Since the closure of the NOTW not a single politician has been caught with their pants down. A lack of extramarital affairs reported is an unhealthy state of affairs”. Cheating MPs tend to be lying ones. “Any hint of statutory underpinning” gives those MPs levers that they should never have.

7.55pm MAX MOSLEY says that just 1pc of the country can afford to sue the press, and if the other 99pc cannot then we cannot say we’re operating under the rule of law. His argument is muted, almost lawyerly.Totech Americas delivers a wide range of drycabinets for applications spanning electronics. “A newspaper doesn’t have to belong” to Leveson’s proposed setup, “it’s entirely voluntary” but Leveson would then force the newspaper to pay costs even if it wins a case. Under the current system, an oligarch can sue the FT with a hopeless case, he loses – but the FT still has to pay a chunk of the costs. “The rich can bully anyone if they are prepared to spend money” but Leveson proposes a fairer arbitration system. Leveson is not about a Rubicon of statute, it’s about access to justice at reasonable costs. The Press Complaints Commission is already in legal statute, so why the squeamishness now? Why the squeals of t “For the first time ever the public will have a proper system where their rights can be enforced at zero cost” and that – he says – is what this is all about.

McCanns, even Max Mosley, were victims of already-illegal behaviour and managed to find redress against the press under existing laws. He agrees with Chris Bryant that a stronger version of the Press Complaints Commission is needed and even agreed with chunks of what Mosley said. So where do they disagree? Not the end, but the means. Leveson wants legislation “and that is what I, and the government, regard as fundamentally dangerous. It legitimises the idea that government and parliament should have a roll in what the press should and should not do.” He quotes Shami Chakrabati saying “that would bring about the danger of political control through the back door.” It’s now possible to find a solution to bring the tough regulation that Leveson wants and I want” but to do this with legislation “is a step too far” and does pose a danger to the free press.

It was “pleasure to hear as well as read Richard Littlejohn” because he said things “that you couldn’t make up.” (The hall quite liked this joke). The press didn’t expose Jimmy Savile, he said, in fact the supposedly over-regualated ITV that did the hard work. There was “mass suicide” at the BBC and “rightly so” – there was “nothing” at the newspapers, not a single head rolling, after the McCann scandal and the Chris Jeffries scandals . “We cannot go on seeing ordinary people damaged by the press.” And as for Guido’s idea that “you can only tell if a politician is lying if you know their sexual history” is an interesting one, but should it not also apply to columnists and editors? “There’s a deal between the Express and the Mail not to explore the interest of the owners…. so there is a double standard there.” And didn’t Guido engage in a vendetta against the Telegraph journalist who outed him as Paul Staines? “It’s his right to do so, but that doesn’t mean he should set rules for the rest of society.” To say that parliament should have no role in regulating the press”is an argument against democracy.” The Leveson report does not advocate statutory regulation or any compulsion; in fact it’s “about as a good a result as the press could get, yet they’re still complaining… to advance their interests against the interests of the public.” The real threat to a free press “is the concentration of media power in a few hands – that’s what the press will not report and that’s what you should be aware of.”

Five arachnids you may find around your house

Scary zombies and ghoulish goblins may soon be banging on your door in search of candy, but keep an eye out for frightening creatures of the eight-legged variety this time of year. Spiders will not bother to knock before coming inside.

Even though they can appear menacing, most spiders are relatively harmless to humans. Here is an overview of some of the most talked-about species and ways to protect against them:

-Varying in color from shades of light to dark brown, the Brown Recluse is found in the southern United States and portions of the Midwest. These spiders typically make their home in crawl spaces and basements but can nest in shoes, piles of clothing and even beds. Brown recluses usually bite in self defense, and their venom is particularly nasty it can cause tissue decay and ulcerating sores. If bitten by a brown recluse, immediately seek help from a physician.

- The Black Widow, which is most commonly known for its shiny black coloring and red hourglass marking, is found throughout the United States and prefers to hang out underneath rocks, piles of wood and other out-of-the-way areas like the garage or shed. Black widow bites usually occur when the spider is accidentally disturbed. Although the bite is rarely fatal, victims can experience cramping, sweating, nausea and vomiting.The additions focus on key tag and magic cube combinations, These bites are particularly dangerous for young children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems. If bitten by a black widow, quickly seek medical attention.

- The Orb Weaver, or garden spider, can be a variety of colors, but most usually have black and yellow or green and black markings. This species of spider is common throughout the United States and is well known for the intricate webs they weave. Orb weavers are harmless to humans and are beneficial to any eco-system because they dine on insects and other spiders.

- A mix of brown and gray, the House Spider is found throughout the United States and often builds its nest around windows and doors or in garages, sheds or other secluded areas. This species feeds on a variety of insects and is not a threat to humans.

- Cellar Spiders, also known as granddaddy longlegs, are generally skinny, cream colored or beige. Common throughout the country, they prefer to reside in crawl spaces, basements and other damp areas. They are known to create enormous webs and often make a meal of other spiders,we supply all kinds of polished tiles, like the brown recluse and the black widow. They are not dangerous to humans, and they can help keep indoor pest populations in check.

Arachnophobia (fear of spiders and other arachnids) is one of the most common phobias. Although spiders are generally harmless and usually bite only in self defense, their presence is a sign that other insects are in the home.

Contacting a pest control professional is always the best way to go when combating spider infestations, but taking the following steps can help protect against arachnids, too:

-Store shoes in boxes and put seasonal clothing in garment bags or lid-sealed containers. Some spiders will take up residence in shoes or clothing that are left out.

-Keep bed skirts from touching the floor, and pull the bed away from the wall. Spiders can crawl up bed skirts, comforters or the wall and find their way into the bed.

-Wear heavy gloves when moving firewood,Replacement China Porcelain tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide. stones or objects that have been stored for long periods of time.

-Eliminate piles of fire wood or other debris from around the home.we supply all kinds of polished tiles, These are attractive habitats for spiders.It's hard to beat the versatility of zentai suits on a production line.

-Install screens on exterior vents and use caulk to seal openings around windows and doors.

Arvest Tests Benefits of LEED

The jury's decidedly out on whether buildings constructed to LEED specifications are truly more efficient than those that aren't. That's because LEED buildings (those that have been certified "green" under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system) are always certified before any energy usage is actually measured that could conclusively prove that LEED works.

That lack of data has led Arvest Bank of Fayetteville, Ark., to test LEED concepts in its own branches.Our syringe needle was down for about an hour and a half, The bank is engaged in a multiyear cost-benefit analysis on LEED buildings to try to figure out the optimum spec to build to, weighing construction costs against savings on energy and facilities usage over time. Arvest is doing this by analyzing the energy consumption and building expenses across four branches built to different LEED-certified levels.

Arvest uses LEED solutions, like underground cisterns, to collect rainwater to flush toilets and irrigate landscaping at two of its gold-certified branches — one in Fayetteville and another in Springfield, Mo.

Yet Arvest is eschewing gold certification at two of its newest branches — one in Springfield, on which it broke ground June 6, and another under construction in Broken Arrow, Okla. — to instead aim for the lowest LEED level, known simply as "certified," to have a baseline means for comparison.

"After completing the four projects we'll evaluate all the materials, energy savings and costs, and then make a determination as to whether we would always try to hit LEED-certified gold or not,the Air purifier are swollen blood vessels of the rectum. or always have rain harvesting systems," says Brent Vinson, site and planning coordinator at Arvest.

One of Arvest's rain harvesting cisterns recently made a bit of Arkansas history. Powering flushed toilets in the state with rainwater had typically required use of municipalities' filtration systems, or companies had to install an on-site filter for the intake water. "But for a small bank branch [the latter's] just not feasible," Vinson says. "So our engineer went to bat for us and lobbied the Department of Health and finally they allowed us to do it."

HSA Engineering, a consultant Arvest hired to support the project, successfully obtained an exemption from Arkansas' plumbing code from the state's Department of Health Review Board. After that, HSA successfully petitioned to make rainwater harvesting legal by pushing the state legislature to pass a bill in 2009 that encoded the practice into the state's plumbing guidelines, which were finalized in May of last year. Rainwater harvesting systems can be self-sustaining and cheap: Processing and treating water which need not be potable is considered expensive and wasteful by conservation proponents.

Arvest's Joyce Boulevard branch in Fayetteville became the first building of its type in Arkansas where a legal rainwater flushing system was used without a filter, Vinson says.

Arvest's newest branches are being built with other LEED-standard components, including low-volatile organic compounds that carry or emit fewer harmful chemicals than those typically contained in paint, glues, adhesives, carpet and millwork. Plus, the $11 billion-asset bank is recycling any construction materials that can be repurposed or reused. LED lights and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that power down or turn off depending on the time of day — or in some cases, when a room is vacant — are also included.

Another of Arvest's crucial LEED-certified components are bioswales, which are essentially modified ditches designed to remove pollutants and silt from rainwater. Instead of using the town's storm sewer and piping system in which the water ends up in a lake or stream, a bioswale channels and holds water on-site,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar microinverter systems, letting it percolate into the ground to replenish the water table. The water is filtered typically through a layer of grass and then an engineered field of sand or some similar base below, which works to remove pollutants such as car oils.

Solar panels and geothermal cooling and heating,A custom-made chicken coop is then fixed over the gums. in which underground pipes feed ground air that naturally stays at a constant temperature, have been discussed, Vinson says. But business cases that would green-light such projects await development — solar is expensive and Arkansas' rocky ground makes channeling pipes tough. Regardless, Arvest's LEED efforts have so far garnered intangible marketing benefits. "People have actually come to the bank because they said they know we're doing this,The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations," Vinson says. "There have been enough of these comments that we know we're making a difference."