just4moms.netExciting News Every Mom Should Know…

Combat has long been the focal point of most MMOs’ progression systems, and in most games it’s borderline impossible to get to max level without spilling some blood. Pacifistic Guild Wars 2 fans seem to be in luck, however, as ArenaNet designer Linsey Murdock has revealed on the forums that, with some hard work and perseverance, players will be able to level all the way to level 80 by doing nothing but crafting.

According to Murdock’s post (viewable only if you have access to GW2‘s beta forums), it works something like this: Leveling a single crafting profession to level 400 will grant enough XP to gain 10 character levels. as a result, by maxing out all eight crafting professions, a player can go all the way to the level cap without ever laying hand on a weapon. A few players on the forums have expressed concern that this will lead to a “pay-to-win” style of play, since players can pay money for gems, exchange those gems for gold, and then use that gold to buy crafting materials for a (relatively) quick level boost. others point out that while this method may increase a character’s leveling speed, it offers no statistical benefit and therefore is not pay-to-win in the truest sense of the word. so what do y’all think, kind readers? Is this treading dangerous pay-to-win territory or not? Give us your tuppence in the comments.

MANY parents decided to spend the first day of the recent school holidays crafting with their children at the Craft with ParenThots event held at Tropicana City Mall in Petaling Jaya.

Although the event only started at 11am, people began queuing up an hour earlier to secure a good spot and receive the goodie bags given out at each of the three craft sessions.

Parents were eager to spend some quality time with their children amid glue, paper, felt cloth, buttons and various other crafting materials.

This year, the crafting activities were held at specific time intervals instead of simultaneously as it was at last year

Bitter dissents are diminishing the U.S. Supreme Court’s moral standing and contributing to cynicism about the judicial system, according to a retired new Hampshire Supreme Court justice.

In an opinion column for the Boston Globe, retired justice Joseph Nadeau proposes a solution: Ditch dissenting opinions.

“by eliminating dissenting opinions, which are sometimes longer than the majority opinion, the justices could focus more on crafting one clear opinion than on framing contentious responses,” Nadeau writes. “any loss of egocentric exposition or subjective satisfaction caused by ending separate opinions would be more than compensated for by the added force, weight, and dignity unified Supreme Court decisions could command. The focus would be upon the rule of law, not upon judicial personalities.”

Nadeau recognizes some “notable dissents” over the years and acknowledges the argument that dissents contribute to the development of the law. but the good is outweighed by “the price extracted by fractured opinions,” he says.

Hat tip to How Appealing.

A venerable name in freight delivery will soon be hauling more than just packages to the businesses in your neighborhood.

This week, UPS announced a new partnership with Bridgeline that will deliver an array of eCommerce expertise and service offerings to the company most recognizable for its fleet of drivers and delivery trucks adorned in brown.

Shares of Bridgeline exploded Tuesday on news that the company entered into a multi-year agreement to offer B2B and B2C eCommerce web stores with an end-to-end offering comprised of Bridgeline’s “Total eCommerce” solution and UPS logistics and fulfillment services.

“Fulfillment and delivery are critical to the customer experience in eCommerce,” says Alan Amling, Marketing Director for UPS Global Logistics and Distribution. “Through this alliance with Bridgeline and the iAPPS Product Suite, UPS is making it easier for more businesses to tap into a world class end-to-end platform engineered to support their business needs.“

Delivering More than Before

As Daily Deal Media reported last month, eCommerce, mobile technologies, and the cutting-edge demands of today’s equally cutting-edge consumers are changing the ways that companies like UPS do business.

In may, the United States Postal Service (USPS) began offering the 2012 Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion to encourage commercial mailers to use mobile marketing tools on their mail.

“Mobile technologies continue to be one of the fastest-growing marketing sectors,” says Gary Reblin, vice president of Domestic Products at the United States Postal Service. According to Reblin, during the 2011 holiday shopping season, mobile purchases were up from 5.5 percent of ecommerce sales in 2010 to 11 percent in 2011. “The integration of direct mail with mobile technologies will not only improve the long-term value of direct mail but also increase returns for merchants,” Reblin argues.

Above and Beyond the General Consumer

“eCommerce solutions are becoming exponentially most important to business customers,” independent business analyst Mike Randazzo tells Daily Deal Media. “the promise of world class logistics and fulfillment from UPS through the new Bridgeline partnership really underscores the pace of growth this industry is experiencing.“

According to Randazzo, the masses will be more inclined to use traditional mailing services as integration with mobile technologies increases. Enterprise users, on the other hand, want practical and affordable eCommerce solutions just the same. so while UPS and the USPS might be touting ostensibly different services and offerings, they are certainly more closely related than most observers would initially recognize.

“the world is becoming a more efficient place through technology,” Randazzo says. “the companies that will dominate logistics and freight services in the coming years will be those that most skillfully adapt to changing technologies today. And from the looks of it, the brands and organizations that we already know and trust the most are those taking the most aggressive steps to remain on the forefront of new technologies and the services born from them.“

 Bridgeline

You already know about Todd Frazier’s mythical ability to hit home runs without the use of his hands, as well as his unmatched heroism in the face of murderous chunks of steak, but did you know that Todd Frazier has been making a legend of himself since he was a child?

A tipster, Gordon, alerted us to the fact that Todd Frazier played for the little League World Series champion team from Toms River, NJ in 1998. according to Gordon, Todd Frazier was the star of the tournament:

did you know that Todd Frazier was also a little league hero? my pops took me to the little league world series when i was 10 yrs old and i saw frazier jack 4 dings and throw a perfect game i think. people were holding up Frazier 3:16 signs. shit was serious. I think they won the title or something. if you could get footage of that shit it would be dope.

Unfortunately, we did not get any footage of that shit, but we did find this lovely tribute video that was made in honor of the Toms River championship team. it would seem that the muses have been singing of Frazier’s praises for years.

That’s Frazier getting mobbed by his teammates after hitting a home run (presumably with two hands) in the slide at the 30-second mark.

Yesterday I talked to Ron, the owner of a trading card store in Toms River, who helped produce the tribute video. Ron was able to confirm that Frazier was the star of the team. according to Ron, Frazier went 4-4 with a home run in the championship game, and also came on to pitch the last two innings of the game. he also told me that it was apparent, even at a young age, that Frazier would be a successful professional athlete, as he was also a standout high school basketball player. “Every so often you come along a talent, that when you see them as kids, you know that in the future, they’re going to become something,” Ron said.

Frazier certainly has become something, and that something is America’s new favorite baseball player.

UPDATE:

The legend continues to grow.

Crafting a solar bylaw that pleases everyone in Carver may seem like an impossible task. The Solar Bylaw Committee is hoping that by combining input from the public and information from experts, it can come to a better understanding of the needs of the community as a whole.

 The committee held its fist solar panel discussion Wenesday, May 23, and invited experts in many facets of renewable energy, including a land-use attorney, representatives from the state Department of Energy Resources and developers to speak and answer residents’ questions.

“Tonight is the first step in designing a bylaw for this community,” Solar Bylaw Committee Chairman will Sinclair said as he opened the forum. “we need input from you. we really need your help.”

“we are here to get the view of the people to craft a bylaw,” resident Andy Cardarelli said. “these are pitting people against each other.”

Though the forum often strayed off topic, the panel answered questions from residents regarding creating a bylaw, what other communities have done, and what is a resonable regulation in the eyes of the state.

Attorney John Goldrosen of Kopelman and Paige, the town’s legal counsel, said there are no cases debating the statute on solar in the state right now. currently Massachusetts allows solar by-right, meaning each individual municipality would have to create its own regulation if they wish, although a city or town cannot “unreasonably regulate” renewable energy projects.

“Our view is when it says you can’t prohibit it, that doesn’t mean you can’t pass a zoning bylaw that limits it to certain areas,” he said. “It does mean if you have no mention of this particular use in the zoning bylaw at all, then the argment can be made that it could go anywhere.”

several residents spoke out and questioned whether solar is an industrial usage of land. DOER representative Kurt Gaertner said solar is not defined as industrial in the state code and that each individual municipality must make that distinction itself. he added that towns all over the state have been having to make decisions on how they want to approach solar in the last two to three years as developers look for space for new projects.

“we do encourage municipalities such as Carver to get some regulations in place,” he said. “we do think you need to have something, because having nothing means there is all kinds of uncertanity around what conditions apply and don’t apply.”

Crafting a solar bylaw that pleases everyone in Carver may seem like an impossible task. The Solar Bylaw Committee is hoping that by combining input from the public and information from experts, it can come to a better understanding of the needs of the community as a whole.

 The committee held its fist solar panel discussion Wenesday, May 23, and invited experts in many facets of renewable energy, including a land-use attorney, representatives from the state Department of Energy Resources and developers to speak and answer residents’ questions.

“Tonight is the first step in designing a bylaw for this community,” Solar Bylaw Committee Chairman will Sinclair said as he opened the forum. “we need input from you. we really need your help.”

“we are here to get the view of the people to craft a bylaw,” resident Andy Cardarelli said. “these are pitting people against each other.”

Though the forum often strayed off topic, the panel answered questions from residents regarding creating a bylaw, what other communities have done, and what is a resonable regulation in the eyes of the state.

Attorney John Goldrosen of Kopelman and Paige, the town’s legal counsel, said there are no cases debating the statute on solar in the state right now. currently Massachusetts allows solar by-right, meaning each individual municipality would have to create its own regulation if they wish, although a city or town cannot “unreasonably regulate” renewable energy projects.

“Our view is when it says you can’t prohibit it, that doesn’t mean you can’t pass a zoning bylaw that limits it to certain areas,” he said. “It does mean if you have no mention of this particular use in the zoning bylaw at all, then the argment can be made that it could go anywhere.”

several residents spoke out and questioned whether solar is an industrial usage of land. DOER representative Kurt Gaertner said solar is not defined as industrial in the state code and that each individual municipality must make that distinction itself. he added that towns all over the state have been having to make decisions on how they want to approach solar in the last two to three years as developers look for space for new projects.

“we do encourage municipalities such as Carver to get some regulations in place,” he said. “we do think you need to have something, because having nothing means there is all kinds of uncertanity around what conditions apply and don’t apply.”

Frank MacMahon, of Southern Sky Renewables, the developer working with the town on the Ravenbrook landfill project, said the developers the town would want to work should be respectful of the town’s decision on solar regulation. he said that it is the town’s responsibility to create those regulations for developers to follow.

“Developers who are responsible are not going to be afraid of regulation as long as that regulation is reasonable based on good, proven standards,” he said. “we are not interested in getting in fights with neighbors. we are interested in developing good, sound and sustainable renewable energy projects.”

The big discussion continued to be whether solar projects should be allowed on land designated for residential and/or agricultural use. The panel agreed the decision is up to the town, and many residents spoke out both in favor and against allowing solar in residential and agricultural areas.

Cranberry grower Mark Weston said solar should not be entirely banned from agricultural land, as many farmers could use it as an opportunity to keep their farms running and not have to sell off their land to housing developments.

“The only way you can hold on to your farm is to use it for alternative things,” he said. “if solar was an option, I would like that option. if the price of berries drops, you are going to have a lot of houses in this town.”

Cardarelli said the he, along with many other residents, moved to Carver because of the rural characteristics of the town. by allowing renewable energy projects in land designated for agriculture, he said that would be ruining the character of the town.

“these do not promote rural character,” he said. “these promote as much rural character as a bunch of junk cars.”

Discussion also included what kind and size of buffer should be included in the bylaw. Both MacMahon and Goldrosen agreed that some flexibility in buffer regulations would be beneficial, as projects differ depending on the area in which they are being developed.

“try to focus on what the problem is and how to solve the problem instead of being too locked in,” Goldrosen advised.

what all the experts could agree on is that Carver is delving into solar zoning in a much more meaningful way than communities before it.

“this is a messy process; this is new,” Mike Lehan, of Berkshire Management, said. “It’s not, ‘I don’t know’; it is more like you’re at the bleeding edge, not the leading edge. You are ahead of everybody else.”

Goldrosen said he has gone over the bylaws of several towns in Massachusetts and that they all differ depending on the location. he did say that, for the most part, towns stuck with the general bylaw crafted by the state, making slight alterations to suit their needs.

“You are probably giving this a whole lot more thought than other communities have, and that is a credit to you,” he said. “I encourage you to think about what the purpose is, what the problem is you are trying to solve.”

Sinclair said the Solar Bylaw Committee would take what it learned at the forum and continue work on crafting a bylaw. he said the committee would hold another forum in the future before presenting the town a completed bylaw at Town Meeting in the fall.

25-May-12, 2:42 PM | Chichi Conde, InterAksyon.com

InterAksyon.comThe online news portal of TV5

MANILA – The Aquino administration is looking to provide incentives to banana growers who find new markets for Philippine Cavendish bananas as a long-term solution to the stringent quarantine requirements imposed by China.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said an assistance package will be finalized by Monday.

Lacierda said China accounts for 30 percent of Philippine banana exports, adding that the government must boost the remaining 70 percent. China is the second biggest export market for Philippine bananas, next to Japan.

Presidential Communications Development Secretary Ramon Carandang said the assistance package could be in the form of cash subsidy or fertilizer support.

“We believe in providing them assistance,” he said, adding that the government can help banana packaging houses to “upgrade their facilities” as a short-term solution.

He said the incentive for those who will diversify their market for banana exports would encourage local companies to take risks in other markets.

President Benigno Aquino III had said it was important to diversify “to ensure our hands are not tied to the decision of just one country.”

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala earlier said bananas could be exported to the Middle East, but growers doubted the feasibility of the plan.

Stroll along Redcliffe Wharf – past the headquarters of the Bristol Classic Boat Company – any time over the next fortnight and you will see what looks a typical enough sight in these surroundings: a team of men building a flat-bottomed wooden boat. what you might not have realised, however, is that this construction process forms one of the key events of Bristol’s first large-scale, citywide arts festival.

‘The Art Boat’, to give it its official title, is a two-week-long process during which sailor/engineer Petter Lofstrand and a team of collaborators will construct a vessel from scratch. Anyone is free to come and watch, and even chip in with suggestions for the design of the boat. The process begins today (Friday 1 June) and ends Saturday 16 June, when the finished boat is launched into the harbour, and so the build runs throughout the brilliant-looking Bristol Biennial arts fortnight.

1. ​

The inaugural Biennial features over 50 exhibitions and events at venues around the city. Some of its events and shows conform clearly to anyone’s notion of ‘art’, others, like the Art Boat – to which we’ll return in a minute – might stretch your definition of the A-word a little further.

But, as the Biennial’s technical director Darn Thorn explains, all events are linked by a common theme – storytelling – and a common mission to bring good quality, thought-provoking art to the masses.

“We have set out to provide something rather new and different,” explains Darn, a photographic artist born and raised in Ireland, educated in Australia and now happily settled among Bristol’s busy art community.

“We wanted to programme artwork of a high quality, but that also involves participation from the community.

“All too often there tends to be a split between fine art in institutional galleries, and community art that is often seen as being rather folky and not serious. across our programme the quality is high, without it being in any way exclusive or aimed at art-savvy audiences.”

The festival came about through discussions between artists (and co-directors) Catherine Bourne and Lina Lofstrand. Lina is a Stockholm-born artist studying at the University of the West of England, while UK-based Australian artist Catherine has exhibited in galleries and festivals around the world.

“Coming from elsewhere, both artists had a different perspective on things here,” Darn explains. “They saw the incredible amount of artistic talent that flourishes in this city, and how the council’s Empty Shops Initiative (freeing up vacant business units for use by artists and performers) was opening up so many opportunities. but, although there is an awful lot of talent and energy here, there didn’t seem to be a unifying festival that brought it all together.”

Enter, then, the Biennial – an umbrella for all manner of creative exploration, from video art and photography to performances and installations, in venues ranging from a bridge control room in Redcliffe to Bristol Cathedral. Eclecticism may be the watchword here, but that storytelling theme holds everything together. and the aforementioned Art Boat encapsulates this theme, as Darn explains.

“Like folk tales, there is a crafted element to the Art Boat project: something is made with traditional crafts and techniques. but the process itself – the two weeks during which the boat is built, and in which Bristolians can participate – will also develop like a story. The two-week process is itself part of the finished artwork. and I hope that visitors will also see, from this project, how artists work in a variety of different ways, how they interact with communities rather than sitting in some ivory tower.”

“We want to create real crossover between Bristol’s artists, arts institutions and artist-run spaces,” Darn concludes, “and to raise the profile of this city’s art scene, to get the word out that this is a place where things happen.”

Bristol Biennial runs at venues across the city from Fri 1-Sat 16 June. See listings for details or visit www.bristolbiennial.com.

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Over 1,000 new jewels created in 2012 by master jeweller

Questions like “where do we stand today?” or “what is the future of the jewellery industry, considering the hard worldwide situation?” are today, more than ever, finding answers in our continuous research and investment in new collections, new designs and new creative inputs.

To date in 2012, we have produced over 1000 new jewels, among those are the 300 Roberto Coin unique pieces of which 290 have already been sold, and some successful limited editions like the Dragons, which have been completely sold out pushing us to design new versions of them to satisfy the still increasing international demand.

the current peculiar research of something different, special and precious in the meaning beyond materials and price agrees with me that the jewellery industry surely will have a new future. regardless the financial international problems, the passionate and persevering care of quality and innovation, together with a mindful perception and listening to the different people's styles and moods, have always opened us the way towards a winning,

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Dragons Collection – Limited Edition

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Eagle Collection – Limited Edition

White and yellow gold ring with colourless, black, brown diamonds and yellow sapphires.

Pesce – Animalier Collection

Ring in black, white and rose gold with colourless and brown diamonds, black sapphires and natural green garnet.

Iguana – Animalier Collection

Black gold ring with brown diamonds, orange sapphires and natural green garnet.

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White gold ring and earrings in with crystal rock and blue sapphires.

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Durham, NC – After attending a “Fundamentals of Feedback” workshop, Megh Freeland returned to her department with a proposal of her own.

She suggested that members of the five person staff meet with each other to practice delivering and receiving effective feedback. All agreed, and they’ll start in July.

“I learned in the class that feedback can happen in every direction,” said Freeland, senior program coordinator for the undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs in the economics department. “Everyone has their little quirks and talking about them is a way to build better working relationships.”

Learning to describe specific behavior so an individual can learn and develop by repeating or avoiding that behavior is a vital skill for professional development, said Wendy Hamilton Hoeschler, who taught the “Fundamentals of Feedback” class as practice leader with Duke’s Learning and Organization Development.

“We are hardwired to learn from successes and failures,” Hamilton Hoeschler said. “If nobody ever points them out, we miss huge opportunities for growth.”

John Joseph, assistant professor at the Fuqua School of Business who teaches about performance evaluations, said it is also important to learn how to respond to feedback. “Constructive criticism is often hard to listen to,” he said. “But it is what we learn the most from.”

Here are tips from both Joseph and  Hamilton Hoeschler for crafting and responding to effective feedback.

When Giving Feedback:

1.    Practice Precision. Feedback needs to be clear and unambiguous. The “Fundamentals of Feedback” teaches the “SBI” method: describe the situation, describe the behavior and explain the impact. “It is more effective to say, ‘When you come into class with a smile and questions, I sense your eagerness to learn, and it makes teaching fun,’ rather than just saying ‘You have a great attitude,’ ” Hamilton Hoeschler said. “That specificity is very important.”

2.    Consider credibility. before giving feedback, take stock of your relationship to the recipient. “If the person receiving the feedback doesn’t like you or trust you, they may discount what you say without really processing it,” Joseph said. To increase credibility, Joseph suggests limiting feedback to behavior you have personally observed and including objective performance measures if they are available.

3.    Turn the tables. Don’t just give feedback, ask for it as well. “It is easier for someone to receive feedback if they are also empowered to give it,” Hamilton Hoeschler said.

4.    Balance but don’t blend. Offering positive feedback while giving constructive criticism is important, but Joseph is cautious about sandwiching the two together.  “It is so important to make sure the constructive criticism is clearly heard by the recipient,” he said. “It could get lost in the sandwich.”

When Receiving Feedback

1.    Check the message. Take time to repeat the feedback in your own words to be sure you understand the message. if you can’t summarize, probe for specifics and more clarification.

2.    Respond responsibly. The receiver of feedback has several choices: dismiss the feedback, accept the feedback and act on it or seek out additional information before taking action. “It is often hard to know how to respond to feedback at the time it is given,” Hamilton Hoeschler said. “Sometimes, just saying, ‘thank you for your honesty,’ is sufficient.”

3.    Seek out solutions. if someone offers constructive feedback, ask for suggestions on how to improve. That’s the purpose of feedback.

4.    When doing well, welcome more feedback. if things are going fine at work, keep requesting feedback. “Individuals who are doing well should pay extra attention to feedback because they tend to think they don’t need it,” Joseph said. “But no one is perfect. There is always room for improvement.”