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Perspectives on Earth and Space Science Education Blog
Many times, I have found myself thinking about issues in Earth and space science education, and occasionally have thought that it might be good to share these thoughts more widely. Recent experiences involving This American Life have given me the incentive I needed to get started with a blog on Windows to the Universe entitled "Perspectives on Earth and Space Science Education". I thought I'd let you know, in case you are interested in joining the discussion!
Celebrate Earth Day!
Earth Day is coming! Are you ready to celebrate? On April 22, more than a billion people will participate in Earth Day activities centered on the theme "Mobilize the Earth".
One major 2012 Earth Day event will occur on the National Mall in Washington DC. It's a daylong event to rally to "Mobilize The Earth and demand a sustainable future." The event on April 22 from 11am-7pm, sponsored by Earth Day Network, will feature music, entertainment, celebrity speakers and environmental activities. Its free and open to the public.
Project Earth is hosting a national Earth Day Contest for grades K-12 featuring environmental projects, activities and actions being taken to conserve resources and protect our environment. The deadline is April 15, 2012.
Find a local event or register your own Earth Day activity on the Earth Day Network.
April Meteor Showers
I'm not sure what kind of flowers they might bring in May, but April does usher in one of the major meteor showers of the year - the Lyrids. If you manage to spot any meteors around the night of April 21st, you will be carrying on a long tradition...for Chinese astronomers first observed Lyrid meteors more than 26 centuries ago! And this year's viewing will be virtually moon-free! Typically the Lyrids produce a meager 10-20 meteors per hour, though they sporadically generate large outbursts of 100 or more meteors per hour (as happened in 1803, 1922, 1945, and most recently in 1982). Look toward the shower's namesake, constellation Lyra, on the night of the 21st to catch a glimpse of a "falling star".
NASA Releases New WISE Mission Catalog of Entire Infrared Sky
NASA unveiled a new atlas and catalog of the entire infrared sky showing more than a half billion stars, galaxies and other objects captured by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.
WISE launched Dec. 14, 2009, and mapped the entire sky in 2010 with vastly better sensitivity than its predecessors. It collected more than 2.7 million images taken at four infrared wavelengths of light, capturing everything from nearby asteroids to distant galaxies. These images have been combined into an atlas of more than 18,000 images that cover the sky and a catalog listing the infrared properties of more than 560 million objects, mostly stars and galaxies, found in the images. Many of these objects have never been seen before.
WISE observations have led to numerous findings, including the discovery of the elusive, coolest class of stars. Astronomers hunted for these failed stars, called "Y-dwarfs," for more than a decade. Because they have been cooling since their formation, they don't shine in visible light and could not be spotted until WISE mapped the sky with its infrared vision. WISE also took a poll of near-Earth asteroids, finding there are significantly fewer mid-size objects than previously thought.
WISE also found the first known "Trojan" asteroid to share the same orbital path around the sun as Earth. Another image shows a surprising view of an "echo" of infrared light surrounding an exploded star. The echo was etched in the clouds of gas and dust when the flash of light from the supernova explosion heated surrounding clouds. Even more discoveries are expected now that astronomers have access to the whole sky as seen by the spacecraft.
For a collection of WISE images released to date, visit: http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_images.html. For more information about WISE, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/wise
Biodiversity Hotspot - Costa Rica
In March, I had the chance to visit Costa Rica. What a wonderful experience! The people were welcoming, the food was rich and diverse, the weather was wonderful and of course, the wildlife was amazing!
Costa Rica is listed as a Biodiversity Hotspot (the Mesoamerican forests overall). What is a Hotspot exactly? To qualify as a Hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5 percent of the worlds total) as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat. There are around 30 Biodiversity Hotspots in the world. All of the Hotspots are in peril and are affected by habitat loss, invasive species, and overexploitation of native species for food, medicine and pet trade.
Amphibians in the Mesoamerican forests have been especially hard hit and have experienced dramatic decline due to habitat loss, fungal disease and climate change. Here's a plug for one of the most wonderful animals we saw in Costa Rica - frogs! Participate in Save the Frogs Day April 28, 2012!
Thunderstorms and Tornadoes
It has obviously been a very rough year in the U.S. for thunderstorms and tornadoes, and many, many states and communities have been hit by these devastating storms.
It is very timely to explore the atmospheric conditions that create persistent squall lines that form over the U.S. central plains where cool, dry Canadian air masses collide with warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Near the ocean, the Great Lakes, and mountains, uneven heating of land surfaces can produce spectacular afternoon thunderstorms announced by crackling thunder, life-threatening lightning, hail, tornadoes, and flash flooding. Knowing and sharing information about thunderstorm and tornado safety is very important! It could save lives!
The weather section of Windows to the Universe provides information about these weather conditions, including information about thunderstorms and tornadoes, how tornadoes form, and how meteorologists forecast when and where tornadoes will occur. In addition, our Tornado in a Bottle activity provides a great way to illustrate tornadoes for your students.
Black Carbon - Background and a Classroom Activity
Little particles in the atmosphere called aerosols may be small, but they have the ability to change climate. These tiny particles are a natural part of the atmosphere, coming from erupting volcanoes, sea salt, and wildfires. However, since the start of the Industrial Revolution, additional aerosols have been added to the atmosphere as fossil fuels are burned. Black carbon is the term that has been given to the product of the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass. It is commonly known as soot.
Try out the new Changing Planet Activity called Black Carbon - A Dusty Situation to teach about black carbon in your classroom.
The Lorax Returns!
The Lorax movie released on March 2nd. Have you seen it? Chances are, many of your students will! The Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax, has sold more than 1.6 million copies and is ranked by educators as one of the top 20 books for children. The cleverly rhymed book shows how important it is to protect our natural resources, and is of course, illustrated in the classic Seuss style.
Seussville.com has created a special area for Lorax resources at The Lorax project. There's even a page on how to host a Lorax project Earth Day Event. Project Learning Tree also has some great Lorax classroom activities posted. Finally, to get in a truly green (or orange!) mood, you can send a Lorax e-card to your friends.
Of course, the Lorax isn't the first children's movie with an environmental theme. Have you seen Ferngully, Happy Feet One and Two, Dolphin Tale or Big Miracle? These movies might just be the inspiration your students need to be more engaged and active in caring for the environment.
2011 AGU-NESTA GIFT Workshop Presentations, Resources, and Videos Available Online!
We're happy to release the presentations, classroom activities, and videos taken during the AGU-NESTA GIFT workshop for K-12 classroom teachers held during the Fall 2011 AGU Meeting in San Francisco, California, on December 5-6. Please click on this Windows to the Universe page to view the workshop listings complete with presentation descriptions, and links to PowerPoint presentations, activities, supplementary materials, and videos. The workshop included presentations and activities on tsunamis, clouds, climate science field campaigns, the Pine Island glacier in Antarctic, and the dangers of airborne volcanic ash. Enjoy these valuable resources, and the accompanying videos!
Earth and Space Science DVDs, Classroom Activities, Kits, and Books on Windows to the Universe Online Store
We have recently added several new educational DVDs to the Windows to the Universe online store. Available DVDs include:
and the following resources from TASA graphics:
In the Windows to the Universe Teacher Resources section, we have many K-12 science activities on a variety of subjects including geology, water, atmospheric science, climate change, life, space weather and magnetism, and science literacy. Most of these activities are now available in PDF format.
Windows to the Universe Educator Members have free access to all downloadable PDF and PowerPoint materials in our Teacher Resources Activities section (a $230 value!), in addition to other benefits and services for Earth and space science teachers. If you are not a Windows to the Universe Educator Member, you can purchase individual PDF-formatted student worksheets, classroom activity descriptions, and supplementary materials (including downloadable PowerPoints) in our online store.
Want to save time collecting and prepping classroom materials? We have several classroom activity kits available in our online store for the following popular activities: Glaciers: Then and Now, Traveling Nitrogen Game, CO2: How Much Do You Spew?, and Feeling the Heat - Part 2. Most activity kits are available in a variety of sizes to fit your classroom needs.
Finally, we recently added several new titles to our collection of Earth and space science related books. New titles include:
As always, Windows to the Universe Educator Members get a 10% discount on all purchases from the online store - and this is on top of publisher discounts.
Table of Contents
Earth Day!
April Meteor Showers
WISE Mission
Biodiversity Hotspot
Tornadoes and Storms
Black Carbon Lesson
Lorax Returns!
GIFT Workshops
DVDs, Kits, Books
GeoSpectrum Free
Natl Week of Ocean
EE Week in April
April Gardens/Trees
Natl Park Week
Bowling Supply Grant
Thacher Env Contest
Space Apps
Hurricane Webinars
Estuary Workshops
Science/Engin Expo
Cherry Blossom Blitz
Deep Space Habitats
Water Contest
Summer Rocket Work
Tsunami Debris!
Facebook Science
Climate Change DVD
WWC New Reports
Energy Lab Program
AGU Blogosphere
Free Resources
USGS ES Education
STEM Careers
DOE Education
Climate Change Tool
Teacher SubmissionsClick here to submit your ideas to the newsletter
Announcements from PartnersClick here to submit information about your program to the newsletter
Get Geoscience Community News in GeoSpectrum
The winter issue of AGIs GeoSpectrum, the geosciences newsletter, is now available online. This issues highlights include a full range of news and information from AGIs 50 member societies, as well as several opinion pieces, public policy news, meeting announcements, and educational, scholarship and career opportunities in the geosciences. GeoSpectrum is available as a free PDF at http://www.agiweb.org/geospectrum/.
National Week of the Ocean, April 1-7
National Week of the Ocean will be celebrated April 1-7, 2012. Week of the Ocean is a marine education program credited with more than three decades of learning about and caring for the ocean. It is a grassroots program that appreciates, protects and uses the ocean wisely.
Week of the Ocean offers four ocean awareness concepts: the Campus Event, the School Marine Fair, the Community Festival and the Local Chapter. Check out the schedule page for more information and to get involved.
National Environmental Education Week is April 15-21, 2012
National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is only two weeks away! Celebrate the environment April 15-21 as an engaging context for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts and skills. This year's theme is Greening STEM: The Environment as Inspiration for 21st Century Learning.
The environment is a compelling context for teaching STEM topics as it provides teachers with a diverse range of real-world challenges that engage students in meaningful hands-on opportunities to apply and reinforce STEM concepts across multiple subject areas, according to the event organizer, the National Environmental Education Foundation.
Arbor Day and National Gardening Month
Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it's celebrated on the last Friday in April -- this year that is April 27th.
An Arbor Day celebration can be as large or as small as you want to make it. Your Arbor Day can be a few neighbors gathering to plant trees in a park behind your homes or at a nearby school. It can be a weeklong regional festival with activities for thousands of kids and adults. Arbor Day can be a single class project or an event for the whole school, an inner city neighborhood planting trees in a vacant lot, or a huge citywide or statewide celebration. Learn how you can incorporate Arbor Day throughout your school curricula as well.
Also in April, communities, organizations, and individuals nationwide celebrate gardening during National Garden Month. Gardeners know, and research confirms, that nurturing plants is good for us; attitudes toward health and nutrition improve, kids perform better at school, and community spirit grows.
Join in both celebrations and help to make America a greener, healthier, more livable place!
National Park Week (April 21-29)
The National Park Service is proud to once again join with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, to present National Park Week.
Looking for something fun, free, and fantastic to do with family and friends? Head out to America's national parks where millions of stars light up the dark night sky, deer and antelope (and a few other critters!) play on the wide-open range, and history is an unbelievable experience, not an exam.
And the best news? During National Park Week, April 21-29, ALL 397 of your national parks offer free admission, all week long! Enjoy!
$100,000 Bowling To Teachers Classroom Supply Grant Program
Applications are now being accepted for the $100,000 Bowling To Teachers Classroom Supply Grant Program. If you are a teacher, have a teacher in your family or if you LOVE your child's teacher, please take advantage of this great opportunity.
400 ($250) classroom grants will be given to teachers in an effort to help them offset their out-of-pocket school expenses. 80 grants will be awarded monthly and awarding has begun! Apply soon!
America's WILD Read - Wild in the City
Whether you are a nature enthusiast, book lover, young conservationist, student, teacher, or writer, you are invited to participate in America's WILD READ community discussion. This blog is provided to you by the Friends of the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in partnership with the NCTC Conservation Library. All are welcome!
A new discussion about the highly acclaimed Wild in the City book begins April 15 (through May 6) with moderators and editors Mike Houck, M.J. Cody and Bob Sallinger. Join in the discussion today!
2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest
From the massive Gulf oil spill to the continued decline of Arctic sea ice, satellites and other observing instruments have proved crucial this year in monitoring the many environmental changes -- both natural and human-induced -- occurring on global, regional and local scales.
The 2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, sponsored by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, challenges high school students (grades 9-12) to conduct innovative research on our changing planet using the latest geospatial tools and data, which in recent years have become increasingly accessible to the public. $3,500 in cash awards are available.
Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS). The main focus of the project must be on the application of the geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth's environment.
Entries are due April 16, 2012.
International Competition to Develop Space Apps
NASA, governments around the world and civil society organizations will co-host the International Space Apps Challenge on April 21-22 with events across seven continents and in space.
Hurricanes: Science and Society Webinars
Hurricanes: Science and Society (www.hurricanescience.org) will be hosting a webinar series in the spring of 2012. The webinar series will provide participants with an opportunity to "meet" some of the countrys top hurricane scientists and introduce a range of hurricane topics from the basics of hurricane science to advances in forecasting hurricanes to preparing for an approaching hurricane. Each of the one hour webinars will have leading members of the hurricane research and forecasting fields discussing their research and answering questions from the "audience."
The next webinar is April 24, 2012. Webinar attendees must register in order to participate. Registration information, a full list of webinar topics, speakers, and additional information can be found at: www.hurricanescience.org/resources/webinar2012/ Questions? Please contact Holly Morin at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The 2012 Hurricanes: Science and Society Webinar Series is presented by the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography in partnership with the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE), and the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Teachers on the Estuary Workshops
Three National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) are offering Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE), a free four-day research and field-based workshop geared towards middle and high school teachers.
The workshops provide resources and hands-on experiences to support the incorporation of estuary and watershed topics into classroom teaching. Participants will work with local scientists and coastal educators to explore estuary habitats, practice scientific field activities, and bring data into the classroom.
The deadline for application is April 29, 2012. For more information or to apply please visit: estuaries.noaa.gov/GetInvolved
USA Science & Engineering Expo to Include Career Focus
Do you know a young person who is uncertain about their career choices? Inspiration and information will be in great supply at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo hosted by Lockheed Martin on April 28-29, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The event supports the Earth Science Week (October 14-20, 2012) theme of Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences.
Cherry Blossom Blitz through April 30, 2012
Celebrate spring with Project BudBursts new field campaign - Cherry Blossom Blitz! In many parts of the country, the arrival of cherry blossoms is a sure sign that spring is here. These beautiful and showy trees captivate the senses with their magnificent blooms and soft scents.
Last November, scientists studying cherry blossom phenology used data from Project BudBurst to test their models about changing blossom times. The Cherry Blossom Blitz will provide scientists and the public with even more data to track changes in cherry tree blossoms. What are the cherry trees doing where you live? Share their stories with others from around the country! Be part of this inaugural campaign!
Use our Quick Reference Guide to Cherry Trees (http://budburst.org/cherry/pdfs/quickreferencesheet.pdf) to find a tree to observe. Help us reach our goal of 500 reported observations during this campaign. Thats an average of only 10 observations per state. Together, we can learn more about how plants respond to changes in their environment. Visit http://budburst.org/cherry to learn more. Here is a downloadble handout to help encourage phenological observations of cherry trees - http://neoninc.org/budburst/pdfs/CBB_Flyer.pdf.
NASA Calls for Student-Designed Deep Space Habitat Proposals
NASA is offering college and university students a chance to help design a deep space habitat. The Exploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge is accepting applications for the 2013 challenge, inviting students to design, manufacture, assemble and test systems for use on NASA's deep space habitat prototype.
This year, students in multiple disciplines can choose projects from a variety of possibilities, including photovoltaic solar arrays, a workstation to support human-robotic collaboration or a telepresence and holodeck conceptual system. Students will work together on potential solutions to needs future astronauts might have living and working outside Earth.
The goal for the X-Hab Challenge is to help NASA inspire the STEM workforce of the future and the next generation of explorers. Winners will receive between $10,000 and $49,000 to produce functional products based on their designs. Proposals are due May 2, 2012, and awardees should expect to deliver their product to Johnson in May or June 2013.
BatsLIVE - A Distance Learning Adventure! Live Webcast on May 17th
Bats are vital to healthy ecosystems and human economies worldwide. As primary predators of night-flying insects, bats consume enormous quantities of agricultural pests and reduce the need for chemical pesticides.
2012 is the 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and this year's Sense of Wonder contest will focus on water. To honor this anniversary, the contest has been renamed the Sense of Water Contest for 2012. Entries must be from a team of two or more persons - a young person and an older person - and can be poetry, essay writing, photography or dance. The deadline for entries is June 1, 2012.
NASA Seeking University Participants for Summer Rocket Workshop
University faculty and students are invited to join a weeklong workshop June 16-21 to learn how to build and launch a scientific experiment to space. Registration is open through May 1. For more information and to register online, visit: http://spacegrant.colorado.edu/rockon
Nowhereisland Public Art Project
Nowhereisland is a public art project conceived by artist Alex Hartley, who is known for his photographic and sculptural depictions of remote landscapes. It is one of 12 arts projects across the UK, funded by the Arts Council of England, which will form part of the Cultural Olympiad in summer 2012.
Imagine an Arctic island travelling south - a landscape on the move. After leaving the Kingdom of Norway, the island enters international waters and is declared a new island nation - Nowhereisland. This new nation continues its journey to the southwest coast of England, where it opens its embassy and participates in the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Will you become part of the story of this new nation? Sign up today!
Be on the Lookout for Debris from the Japanese Tsunami!
According to predictions by NOAA scientists, debris from the tsunami that devastated Japan could reach the United States throughout this spring. However, there is still a large amount of uncertainty over exactly what is still floating, where it is located, where it will go, and when it will arrive.
Information on significant marine debris sightings in the North Pacific Ocean and on the United States western coast is greatly needed and can be reported to the NOAA Marine Debris Program at firstname.lastname@example.com. Educators who might be interested in taking students into the field to conduct surveys should send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com to receive a shoreline monitoring field guide. Additional FAQs are available at http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/japanfaqs.html.
MissionExplore.Net is Now Live!
Created in partnership with The Workshop, MissionExplore.Net is now live! Discover a world of slightly warped adventure by finding, doing and reporting on missions created by a range of Challengers including National Geographic Education and OPAL.
Designed to inspire and reward explorers, the site is an innovative way to engage people in exploring and seeing the world in new ways. Start today at http://www.missionexplore.net/aboutus.
Windows to the Universe on Facebook + Space Race Blastoff
Did you know that Windows to the Universe is on Facebook? "Like" the group's page to follow the latest Windows to the Universe happenings and to participate in a wonderful science education community.
NASA has also launched a new endeavor on Facebook - its first multi-player online game to test players' knowledge of the space program. Who was the first American to walk in space? Who launched the first liquid-fueled rocket? These are only a few of the questions players can answer in Space Race Blastoff. Enjoy!
URBAN EARTH is a project to (re)present some of the largest urban areas on our planet by exploring, experiencing and expressing thoughts about them. Discover more about the project, join a planned walk or organize your own.
Understanding Global Climate Change DVD from the Byrd Polar Research Center
The Understanding Global Climate Change DVD that covers the basics of climate change (developed by teachers and used in online professional development for those in careers outside of education) is downloadable (and free) in both English and Spanish from Byrd Polar's website (direct links below).
Understanding Global Climate Change DVD 2011 (English Version - 3.5GB)
Understanding Global Climate Change DVD 2011 (Spanish Version - 3.5GB)
The instructions to burn a DVD (if you'd like to make a physical copy of the DVD for distribution) are available. It's recommended that users work from a downloaded version (resident on each computer) where possible. This is especially important for groups - to avoid server slowdowns.
New Reports from the What Works Clearinghouse on Interventions for Science Education
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) released two reports recently on interventions for science education. The reports are available through the following links and there is a reference fact sheet for further information.
Chemistry That Applies: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/interventionreport.aspx?sid=595
ThinkerTools: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/interventionreport.aspx?sid=594
Energy Lab Program Open to Secondary Schools
American middle schools and high schools are now eligible to participate in the U.S. Department of Energys Laboratory Equipment Donation Program (LEDP). For over 30 years, this program has enabled colleges and universities to acquire hundreds of millions of dollars in high-quality surplus laboratory equipment from the departments National Laboratories.
Did you know that the American Geophysical Union hosts a collection of Earth and space science blogs? Explore topics like extreme weather, landslides, volcanoes, astronomy, earthquakes and climate change. And, of course, you and your students can join in discussions about these topics!
NSTA Provides Links to Free Science Resources
Looking for teaching resources? Check out a page called "Freebies for Science Teachers" on the National Science Teachers Association web site.
Dig Into Earth Science Education With USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers a wealth of information on virtually every Earth science topic, from natural resources and hazards to geospatial data.
The Funworks...for Careers You Never Knew Existed
The Funworks web site, developed by the Educational Development Center, features a collection of STEM career exploration resources. The site helps middle and high school aged students think about what they enjoy and how to connect those interests to STEM jobs they never knew existed!
The Teachers' area has lesson plans and activities, career counseling links and other resources.
Energy Department Programs Empowering Teachers
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides learning opportunities for teachers and students at all levels. For example, DOEs Energy Education & Workforce Development web site offers hundreds of K-12 lesson plans. For standards-based activities covering topics from energy basics to biofuels, hydropower, and wind energy, see http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans. The annual National Science Bowl (http://science.energy.gov/nsb/) tests middle and high school students science knowledge.
EPA Offers Climate Change Toolkit for Middle School Students
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a free collection of resources to enhance middle school students understanding of climate change impacts on the United States wildlife and ecosystems.
Teacher Submissions
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The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://windows2universe.org/ from the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA). The Website was developed in part with the support of UCAR and NCAR, where it resided from 2000 - 2010. © 2010 National Earth Science Teachers Association. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of NESTA. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer.


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Looks like we are indeed letting go of the entire staff and our starters, looks like the team gets what you clearly don't, that Rex Ryan is awful, going to ride his contract down to a 4-12 season.
There's a 30% chance Mark Sanchez can bounce back. Let's see what happens.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's Halloween! That can only mean two things: 1) Scary things that go bump in the night, and 2) girls wearing senselessly provocative outfits. Oh yes, girls in so-called sexy costumes have become as much a Halloween tradition as pumpkin carving.
Now, we're not complaining that there are scantily clad women during the Halloween season. Not at all. The thing is, some of the costumes are trying just a little too hard. You know, when you look at the costume and think to yourself, "I didn't think it was possible to sexy up Optimus Prime." Well, you can! Here are 10 that really do exist:


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Former Village Ambulance worker gets 3 months in jail, probation for theft of $240K
PITTSFIELD -- The former office manager of a local ambulance service was sentenced to three months in jail on Tuesday after admitting to stealing $240,000 from the nonprofit.
Cara Miller, 59, of Pownal, Vt., also will have nine months of further jail time hanging over her head during a three-year probation period after Superior Court Judge Mary-Lou Rup sentenced her on Tuesday.
Appearing with her attorney, William A. Rota, in Berkshire Superior Court on Tuesday, Miller admitted her guilt and apologized to Village Ambulance Service, her family and friends and to the court.
"It was very wrong," the defendant said of her actions and asked for a chance "to set things right."
Miller and her husband, Albert Miller, 59, stole the nearly quarter of a million dollars between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2011, according to Second Assistant Berkshire District Attorney Robert W. Kinzer III. During that time, Cara Miller was the ambulance service's office manager and her husband was the general manager.
Kinzer said the couple was involved in a scheme in which they paid themselves more than what they were due, sometimes paying themselves double or giving themselves pay checks three weeks in a row, over the course of several years. Additionally, Cara Miller used the company credit card to buy personal items and to pay cellphone and cable bills.
Many of the items she purchased at Staples went to her online scrapbooking business, the prosecutor said.
Kinzer said an audit in 2011 first turned up irregularities and an internal investigation by the ambulance service led to the state Attorney General's Office becoming involved and the FBI being contacted. It was eventually turned over to the Williamstown Police before coming to the state police detectives attached to the DA's Office.
The Millers were dismissed in late 2011, he said.
On Tuesday, Cara Miller pleaded guilty to single counts of felony embezzlement and larceny over $250 as an ongoing and continuing offense.
Her husband pleaded guilty to a single felony in April and was given three years' probation.
The money has been paid back, according to Kinzer.
The prosecutor asked for a two-year jail sentence followed by two years of probation, telling the court that although the company has been paid back, its reputation suffered and its donations, which it relies upon to keep going, "dried up" after the revelations of the Millers' crimes. He said the crime was larger than just the theft since it was from an organization that provided a vital service to the community.
Kinzer said there is now a new board of directors in place, the company's services were never compromised, and the company is moving forward.
Erwin Stuebner, president of the company's current board of directors, told the court that because Cara Miller was the "primary perpetrator," she should serve time in jail for jeopardizing the service that provides emergency care to several communities and to "send a message to others."
Rota said that the financial problems of the company were not solely due to the Miller's actions but had to do with changes in the medical industry.
He said his client was very involved in the community, had fully cooperated with police in the investigation and has already suffered greatly -- losing their incomes and house and becoming "pariahs" in Williamstown.
The Miller's eldest daughter, Kate Miller, spoke on behalf of her mother as did a family friend, Chris Jones.
Kate Miller said her mother was a teacher, caregiver and mentor who has lived a life of service.
Jones said he has known the Millers for about a decade and that Cara Miller is a "selfless, dedicated" woman.
There were more than a dozen family and friends in court to support Miller on Tuesday.
Cara Miller told the court that she has reflected on her actions and believes that because it had been run like a family business for so long -- it was founded by the Miller family in 1927 and became a nonprofit in 1982 -- that there were "no clear lines" between work and home. She apologized for her actions.
Rota asked that his client be sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence for three years, during which time Cara Miller would have been on probation, plus 1,000 hours of community service.
Rup said while it was obvious to her from the number of family and friends who showed up to support her and the numerous letters sent on her behalf that Miller is "a very caring woman" who is "generous with her time" and a great mother, wife and friend. But, the judge said, she could not overlook the theft of "a very significant amount of money" from a "vulnerable enterprise."
While the money had been paid back and the defendant's husband was given probation, Rup said she felt some incarceration was necessary in the case.
"Mrs. Miller's role was much more significant," she said.
She sentenced her to two years at the Berkshire County Jail & House of Correction for two years, with three months to be served and the rest of the time -- a year and nine months -- to be suspended for three years during which time she will be on probation. While on probation, Cara Miller must perform 500 hours of community service and refrain from working at any charitable organizations in any capacity requiring her to handle money.
The judge allowed a stay of execution until July 1 so the defendant can attend her daughter's wedding.
Village Ambulance Service provides service for Williamstown, Hancock, New Ashford, daytime service for Pownal, Vt., and mutual aid for Adams and North Adams, according to its website.
To reach Andrew Amelinckx:
or (413) 496-6249.
On Twitter: @BETheAmelinckx
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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- Manufacturer:
Mahar Manufacturing
Mahar, a family-owned business, has been manufacturing classroom furnishings for over 20 years. Their furniture line includes youth-sized modular storage units, child lockers, bookstands and specialty tables, as well as toddler cots and mats.
- Width:
- 30 in.
- Length:
- 72 in.
- Weight:
- 91 lbs.
- Adjustable Height:
- Yes
- Adjusts by:
2-3 Screw Per Leg
Remove screws from legs to slide to desired height and then replace screws to lock legs in place.
- Adjusts in:
- 1" Increments
- Folding:
- No
- Glides:
- Ball Glides
- Leg Finish:
Powder Coated
Powdercoated paint finish is applied through a dry finishing process which creates a scratch-resistant, rust-free, eco-friendly finish.
- Leg Inserts:
16-gauge Steel, 1"dia.
Gauge is a measurement of steel thickness - the lower the gauge, the thicker the steel.
- Leg Specs:
18-gauge Steel, 1.25"dia.
Gauge is a measurement of steel thickness - the lower the gauge, the thicker the steel.
- Leg Style:
- 4 Straight Legs
- Seating Capacity:
- 8
- Tabletop Core Material:
Fiberboard is an engineered wood product made from wood and resin.
- Tabletop Edge:
- Vinyl T-mold
- Tabletop Support:
- 13-gauge, Triangle Plate
- Tabletop Surface Material:
High-Pressure Laminate
High-pressure laminate is the finish commonly found on kitchen counters (commonly known as Formica). It is extremely durable and easy to clean.
- Tabletop
- 1.125"
- Warranty:
- Limited Lifetime
- Made in USA
- Attractive: Matching tabletop trim, ball glides and leg uppers in seven Educational Edge™ colors.
- Easy to Assemble: Quick-mount plates allow for simple assembly of legs to tabletops.
- Safe and Easy to Clean: All units are non-toxic and stain-resistant.
- Versatile: Tables are available in toddler height or standard height. Note: other height ranges may be available - please call 888-793-4999 for details.
- Extra Protection: Tabletops are laminated on both sides so moisture will not soak through. Gum and other substances are easily removed.
- Lifetime Coverage: Our Limited Lifetime Warranty guarantees many years of use and enjoyment.
Powder coat paint is a quality paint finish made by electro-statically applying powder paint to steel and then baking it in an oven. This results in a super-smooth and durable finish.
This product is made with pride in the United States of America!
Eligible for LEED Credits
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Shipping Info
Shipping Information Specifications
- Quickship:
- Yes
- Ships Via:
- Common Carrier
- Assembly:
- Minimal
- Average Assembly Time:
- 5-6 minutes
- Leaves Factory In:
- Approximately 6-8 business days
Edu Edge Rectangular Activity Table with Ball Glides
|List Price:
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Product Family
This product is a part of Educational Edge Activity Tables with Ball Glides by Mahar
There are 15 products in the family


text:
g13 is a Linux-only library to interact with the Logitech G13 driver. This library provides several sublibraries including libg13, libg13mm, libg13-cairo, libg13-gtk, and libg13-gtkmm. These libraries provide functions and classes for browsing G13 devices through udev, setting the backlight color, establishing keymaps, and drawing on the G13 framebuffer device.
A Dart Web server.
A PHP/MySQL tile engine for Google Maps.


text:
Was what you did illegal?
After a fair amount of research, I have to conclude that it was. Regardless of the ambiguous wording of Oregon law, the intent of the law was fairly clear and legal decisions are often based on intent, even if the law is worded as poorly as ours.
As for the "children" argument, I don't by them. Yes, maybe the Catholic (amongst others) Church dictates that marriage is for procreation, many churches do not and many people do not. While there are plenty of federal and state law
Agreed with the latter, though I can't see how you would think the intent of the law from the 1800s would be to allow homosexuals to marry.
That's only because I wasn't terribly clear. I think the intent was to define marriage as between one man and one woman and that the legislators simply worded the law poorly. Sorry for the confusion.
Even today, we have areas trying to ban gay people
Rhea County in Tennessee [commondreams.org]. It was all over the news a few days ago.
And speaking of weapons and breaking


text:
Span faces Twins for first time since trade
By Bill Ladson / MLB.com
WASHINGTON -- Outfielder Denard Span still has warm feelings for the Twins even though they traded him to the Nationals last November.
Span actually thought he would be in Minnesota for a long time because, as he put it, he signed a team-friendly contract, which was five years, $16.5 million, in 2010.
"I thought I would be there the entire time," Span said. "But I learned a lot in Minnesota over the years, not just baseball, just how to deal with things in life. Just another life lesson on business, the game, how to approach life."
Span acknowledged that it's a strange feeling to see the Twins on the opposite side of the field. In fact, when we watches them on TV sometimes, he still refer to them as we instead of them.
"It's still an adjustment," Span said. "Honestly, I was starting to move on. I'm a National. Now, they are coming to town. I feel like it's Spring Training and the trade just happened,"
While with the Twins, Span said players such as Joe Nathan, Michael Cuddyer and Jim Thome took Span under their wing, but it was Cuddyer who was most influential.
"I give him a lot of credit. He was on me a lot," Span said. "Mike Redmond as well. They were on me a lot. … I realize the things they were trying to teach me."
Nationals eyeing June 16 return to hill for Strasburg
WASHINGTON -- Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who is on the disabled list because of a lat strain, threw a bullpen session Saturday afternoon and said he didn't have any problems throwing. He was able to throw all of his pitches.
Strasburg will throw in a simulated game Monday in Colorado. If things go well, the Nationals are hoping he will be ready to start June 16 against the Indians.
"I don't have any complaints … my arm felt strong. It's pretty much going out there and seeing how it feels. I'm just going to keep going," Strasburg said. "I didn't have any doubts how I was going to feel, just based on how I was feeling the last two days."
Before going on the DL, Strasburg was 3-5 with a 2.54 ERA in 12 starts. Strasburg injured his lat on May 31 against the Braves, lasting only two innings.
Harper's knee better, still visiting doc Monday
WASHINGTON -- Nationals manager Davey Johnson said the swelling in Bryce Harper's left knee has gone down, but he will still see Dr. James Andrews on Monday in Florida to determine the severity of the injury.
According to Johnson, Harper is looking to come off the disabled list Tuesday, but Johnson said that is unrealistic.
Harper originally hurt the knee after colliding with the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium on May 13. He didn't go on the disabled list until two weeks later.
Espinosa hopes to resume baseball activities soon
WASHINGTON -- Dr. Wiemi Douguih is going to examine second baseman Danny Espinosa (fractured right wrist) in Washington soon, and if Espinosa is symptom-free, he will likely get a few more days off before resuming baseball activities.
After he was placed on the disabled list Tuesday, Espinosa was given a cortisone shot to help ease the pain in the wrist, which was fractured against the Braves in April. But he never complained about being in pain until late May when the team was in San Francisco.
"With Danny, he will play with a broken arm," manager Davey Johnson said. "He played with a broken hand and he played with a tear in his rotator cuff. He is a gamer. … Hopefully he can't cause any worse damage to the injuries."
Once Espinosa is healed, he will go to the Minor Leagues --- most likely Triple-A Syracuse -- and work on his hitting.
Worth noting
• Nationals outfielder Denard Span and reliever Tyler Clippard were injured in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Twins. In the eighth inning, Clippard hurt his left hand while trying to catch a liner by Pedro Florimon. Clippard managed to throw Florimon out. He had X-rays taken and the results were negative.
While facing Josh Roenicke in the 10th, Span fouled a ball off his right foot, but stayed in the game. He had X-rays taken and the results were negative. Had the game lasted any longer, Span wasn't sure he could have continued to play.
• With the day-night doubleheader Sunday, the Nationals are going to add a 26th player to the Major League roster, according to general manager Mike Rizzo,
Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashinNats. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
All quotes tagged Subsidize
(41 quotes found)
"The moon is nothing But a circumambulating aphrodisiac Divinely subsidized to provoke the world Into a rising birth-rate"
"With the subsidized PC model, you may be getting less hardware than you're going to want to do all the cool stuff that's out there on the Internet."
"Hopefully, this thing subsides and he's going to be able to toe that slab here before the year is over, but we have no projected date for him. There's no way he's going to be able to take the ball in Anaheim."
"The idea is to establish a program that doesn't provide a subsidy for those who don't need to be subsidized."
"It probably comes down to who's going to be more aggressive on the hardware side -- who's going to subsidize losses on the short term to try to drive adoption."
"Billions of dollars have been spent to subsidize sprawl. It's not about no-growth. It's about control."
"If you subsidize an activity you get more of it. It's encouraging the behavior that leads to more clients for abortion clinics."
"When consumers realize they can no longer expect that appreciation bonus to subsidize their consumption habits, they will very likely pull back on spending."


text:
Panasonic announced that Apple's new Final Cut Pro version 6.0.5 software now incorporates support for the professional PH recording mode offered in its AG-HMC150 handheld AVCCAM camcorder. The enhanced PH recording mode is exclusive to the AVCCAM HMC150 and provides exceptional quality 1080 and 720 recording in an AVCHD format at bit rates up to 24Mbps.
The HMC150 handheld records stunning high definition video onto solid-state SD cards in four recording modes, with the PH mode offering the highest quality. Prior to this announcement, Final Cut Pro only supported the HMC150's HG, HA and HE modes, which encompassed 1080i recording. The new FCP 6.0.5 update also adds editing support for 720 60/30/24p formats and 1080 30/24p in addition to 1080i.
"We are pleased that Apple now supports the additional capabilities that the PH recording mode provides," said Michael Bergeron, Strategic Technology Liaison, Panasonic Broadcast. "Initial sales of the HMC150 have been outstanding, and now these owners can realize the full capabilities of Final Cut Pro with the exceptional quality and flexibility provided by the HMC150."
For more information on the AG-HMC150 and other AVCCAM products, visit www.panasonic.com/avccam.


text:
Reviews, reviews, reviews...
FreakScore is a weighted average of all aggregated professional and user review scores.
Read more
This product has a FreakScore of 6.2
out of 10 based on 422 scores.
The Movies is a game that gives you the opportunity to run your
Read more
Best Price at Amazon


text:
In recent days Fire midfielder Daniel Paladini has been putting in some decent work to grow this handlebar mustache....
What's the motivation behind this new look?
"A lot of it has to go through my dad," Paladini explained "I saw a picture of him a couple weeks ago with my uncle that passed away – they used to rock the handlebar mustache so I decided I was going to try it out." While the sentimental motivation is there, the veteran also explains his more covert intentions with the team taking a few days off beginning Thursday.
"It works well because there's a little festival we'll be going to on this upcoming break – Bonnaroo 2012. I think I'll fit in well there with the hippies."
Paladini will head to the music festival in Tennessee this weekend with teammates Corben Bone and Chris Rolfe and is most looking forward to seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
As for tips for survival at Bonaroo, our resident "Always on the Inside" cameo man Orr Barouch, tells his teammate to stay away from the Sonic Forest... (props to anyone that gets that reference).


text:
The 2012 ranking transparently ranked companies in the S&P 500 based on 11 key performance indicators, including carbon productivity, energy productivity, safety productivity, highest executive pay to average employee ratio, leadership diversity, and percent of tax paid in cash, with data collected by Corporate Knights and verified with The Bloomberg Professional service. Companies were ranked relative to their industry peers.
"Norfolk Southern's recognition in Corporate Knights' S&P 500 Clean Capitalism Ranking is a great honor for both our company and our employees," said Blair Wimbush, NS corporate sustainability officer. "It reflects our commitment to proactive management of sustainability issues and strong stakeholder communication."
Among the S&P 500, Norfolk Southern ranked 66.
NS on Tuesday said it had signed an agreement with two fuel suppliers to supply renewable diesel to the Class I railroad.


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The following is an anonymous e-mail (wall of text, really) we just received. It was addressed to Jeff, so I won't waste time responding (hurray)…but this is one tiny segment of what we deal with. It may be a Poe, but the author certainly seems to have all the answers. Enjoy:
Hello, Jeff Dee. I would like to ask you a few questions about your video that was done 6 years ago about same-sex marriage. The first thing you said is that it is not bad for the kids. This is wrong. Every child deserves a mother and a father. The only time a child might not have either a father or mother might be because the parent leaves them (which is wrong) or one or both parents die (which is a tragedy). Gay couples go into a relationship knowing they cannot produce offspring so they should not have the right to adopt kids. Just like an old couple that might be 70 years old should not be allowed to adopt because they are near the end of their lives. And Matt said that nothing bad has happened since gay marriage has been allowed but what if 50% of the population was gay. Don't you think
there would be something wrong in that situation? Matt also said that Rosie O'Donnel is single and she adopted a child. That is wrong as well. Just because she was able to do it does not mean it was right. And then you said that gays not being able to have kids isn't a good reason why they shouldn't get married because there are infertile couples that get married. Well, how would a couple know that they are infertile until they actually get married and try to have kids? Gays automatically know that it is impossible for them to have kids. They know it. Infertile couples do not. Then you said that because animals are gay, that makes homosexuality natural. Well, dogs also sniff each others butts. When some animals are born, the mother will
eat the placenta off her newborn. Does that make it natural for human beings to do that as well? You can't compare animals and humans. What is natural for an animal may not be natural for a human. As well, animals can't think. They don't have the thinking power that humans do. They don't know that homosexuality is wrong and they don't need to care about that. When an animal dies, it dies. It doesn't go anywhere. They rely on instinct. They don't have rules like humans do. When animals kill other animals, does that make it okay for humans to kill humans? But then why did you say that because animals commit homosexual acts that it is okay for humans to do so as well? And then you used that left-handedness argument which was so pointless. God never said it's a sin to write with your left hand. No one gets hurt from someone writing with their left hand. And then you said the word "bigots" but that would mean you're a bigot too since you are intolerant of my religion. Bigot does not just apply to people who are against homosexuality. And just because someone isn't in favour of homosexuality, it does not make that person a bigot. And the reason AIDS affects gay people is because they can only do anal. In the Bible, anal and oral sex is a sin. That is why even straight people are not allowed to practice that type of sex or else it is a sin. God is smarter than you think. And then you brought up the "small people" argument but that's a physical trait. Even if they can change it, they shouldn't because that is how they should be born into this world. Homosexuality is a choice. You can choose on your own if you want to be with the same or opposite sex. But that child in the uterus cannot choose if he/she is born small or regular. And then you said how just because a dictionary defines marriage as man and woman that it can change to say man and man or woman and woman. Well, Christians don't follow the dictionary. We follow the Bible, and in the Bible it is defined as man and woman. So your dictionary argument was bad. And your legal/law argument as well. Just because the law says something is right that does not make it right. Laws and dictionary definitions change all the time but the Bible stays true, unless God changes it. And then Matt made that horrible argument how if a gay couple secretly gets married that live next door that it wouldn't affect you because you don't know about that. So something is okay as long as you don't know about it? Well, what if the next door neighbour was a father and son and they both went off to get married secretly? So do you think incest is okay? Because who are they hurting this "father and son". From Matt's standpoint, if he wants to be consistent, then he can't say that it is wrong for a father and son to go off and get married secretly. Also, what if the next door neighbour has sex with his dog yet no one knows about it? Does that make it right for that person to have sex with his dog? So do you think it's okay for your next door neighbour to have sex with a dog since that doesn't affect you, especially if you don't know about it? And then you said just because the Bible says that homosexuality is wrong, that doesn't make it true. Well the Bible says incest is wrong. So you, as an Atheist, can have no right in saying that incest is wrong. Because if society said incest is okay, would you then be in favour of incest? And you brought up the "trade deal" argument. Doesn't that happen in society today where the man pays for the wedding, the ring, etc? It was just a different way of paying back then because there was no money. They had animals so they had to use that. And then lastly, you said there are no secular reasons why gay marriage should be against the law. But if you think about it, what is gonna stop incest from becoming allowed in law? What about pedophilia? Don't you think society is getting out of hand? Sure, the gay couple next door may not affect my straight marriage directly, but it does affect it indirectly because it ruins society. Soon it could be allowed that you can have sex with animals. Is it okay to get married to an animal just because it is legal? Nah.


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41.0501 Definitions.Cite as [A.S.A.C. § 41.0501]
For the purpose of this chapter:
(a) "Alien" means any person who is not an American Samoan or a citizen or national of the United States.
(b) Other words as defined in 41.0201 of this title shall serve as definition for this chapter.History: Rule 3-86, eff 7 Dec 86.


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Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by GalaxyClass1701, May 28, 2011.
Science fiction has yet to produce a writer of Hemingway's calibre, of course.
In a nutshell, it's a metaphor for pollution.
I've read the seven original Foundation novels, the ones by Asimov, I have yet to get to the others. I've also read his Galactic Empire trilogy and his four Robot novels (though again, only those by him, I haven't yet gotten to the continuations by Roger McBride Allen). I've also read The Gods Themselves, and The End of Eternity.
I definately recommend Asimov.
Here's the list for Asimov's Robots-Empire-Foundation series, in the order that *I* would recommend reading them (by Asimov unless otherwise stated):
The End of Eternity (actually, you can read this at any point before Foundation)
I, Robot
Mind Transfer by Janet Asimov
Caves of Steel
Naked Sun
Robots of Dawn
Mirage by Mark W. Tiedemann
Chimera by Mark W. Tiedemann
Aurora by Mark W. Tiedemann
Robots and Empire
Caliban by Roger MacBride Allen
Inferno by Roger MacBride Allen
Utopia by Roger MacBride Allen
The Stars, Like Dust
The Currents of Space
Pebble In The Sky
Foundation and Empire
Second Foundation
Foundation's Edge
Foundation and Earth
Prelude to Foundation
Forward the Foundation
Foundation's Fear by Gregory Binford
Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear
Foundation's Triumph by David Brin
For your amusement if you're still craving the Asimov universe after all of that (and I expect that you will be):
Isaac Asimov's Robot City series by misc authors
Isaac Asimov's Robots and Aliens series by misc authors
Foundation's Friends (anthology by other authors)
The Norby Chronicles and the rest of the Norby series, by Janet and Isaac Asimov
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams (not really directly connected, but pays homage in places throughout, and worthwhile on its own, besides).
That might seem a bit intimidating for someone who just wants to try Asimov's stuff, so if you just want to read a single book that can stand alone, try any of these:
I, Robot
The End of Eternity
The Stars, Like Dust
The Currents of Space
Pebble In The Sky
I hope you enjoy his works as much as my wife and I both have and do.
You certainly can't go wrong with any of his works. One thing to note though, is that he eventually tried to tie all of his stories and series together, probably one of the first attempts of world building on a big scale, and likely due to his publisher. So, his later books had more direct hints of the series being interconnected, which in my opinion felt forced as I don't think he originally intended for them to be connected. I'd enjoy the stories for what they are, good stories with lots of insight from the golden age of science fiction. The good thing is, they can be read as standalone novels.
Btw, Triumphant, there's one you didn't mention and I'm not sure if you've ever read it. It's a tribute novel set more or less in the same universe but using different names for everything since the author couldn't get permission from the estate, but it's Psychohistorical Crisis by Donald Kingsbury. It's a very good novel if you liked the Foundation series and I think it probably pays more respect and does it more justice than the second trilogy by the big 3. I highly enjoyed it.
Here's a review:
The different names for everything can take some getting used to, but the way I explained it away to myself was to have the references for things having changed over centuries and the world having evolved over time.
My favorite is The End of the Eternity. It is a short time travel novel relatively stand alone, as compared to all of the other Foundation and Robots that all end up tied together. It might be a good place to test if you like his style or not before committing to the series. Or there are several short story anthologies out there. Or Nightfall.
I read a lot of Asimov as a kid and have always intended to go back and reread, but never do. My husband was just asking similar questions about him, as he liked the movie versions of I Robot and Bicentennial Man. Though they take plenty of liberties, that might give you an idea, too.
There is also a large collection of non-fiction that he's also written.
Although the Foundation and Robot books are what he is most famous for his non fiction books are the best reads. He could take almost any subject and make it easily understandable.
I have the Currents of Space issues of Astounding too, though they're very brittle. Somewhere I have Lord Valentine's Castle and The Gunslinger in F&SF, too.
I think the simplicity of Asimov's writing is definitely part of the appeal, and I mean that in a good way.
That is true, but my point was that the gap between the two was particularly wide during the period of the New Wave.
In the case of TOS, television was a decade behind the cinema--which was already pretty far behind literary SF in 1956.
Thank you. But once again: this is rather beside my point.
I didn't have any difficulty understanding the novel. As other people have noted, Asimov's writing is nothing if not clear.
I have difficulty remembering it. I just reviewed the plot by reading the novel's Wikipedia entry, and I still don't remember any of it.
More to the point, it was Asimov's response to the conventional wisdom that he couldn't write about aliens or sex.
If anything, Asimov's efforts to unify his separate works into a single universe were a rather late example of that process. Multiple authors had done it before Asimov started doing it. Larry Niven's Known Space universe came about because he wrote a story in the late '60s that drew on elements from two of his previous, formerly unrelated continuities. Poul Anderson had merged his van Rijn and Flandry series by the '70s at the latest. Other authors like Heinlein and, I think, Pohl had extended universes established in the '60s.
Same here.
All I remember is the strange communication between the two realities and blobby alien three way relationships with explicitly defined roles. Mind you, it has been a long time since I read it.
My favourite Asimov book is The Robots Of Dawn - a bit clunky in places, but it's Bailey at his best. And Giskard was wonderful.
I remember The Gods Themselves pretty well - and I certainly remember the derivation of the title - certainly a useful quotation.
I had the opportunity to talk to Asimov briefly about the book. He said that he wanted to include the aliens because people were forever saying "Asimov doesn't have aliens in his books because he doesn't know how to write them, and I wanted to show them that the old man can so." I thought they were easily as interesting and memorable as, say, Niven's one-trait-defines-a-species alien characters.
Hmm, I hadn't realized that. I guess then it started to become popular to do that. In some cases, it can work well, others not so much though, and my opinion is that Asimov's work kind of feels forced and doesn't really work all that well being unified.
Actually, I really think the idea that ties The End of Eternity into the Foundation series is incredibly brilliant.
That being said, I strongly believe that either can be read independently of the other. In particular, there is nothing in Foundation that depends in any significant way on The End of Eternity. It's just a detail that may not occur to the reader on even the second reading of Foundation. But it's still really neat.
I also strongly believe that the books can, and probably should, be read in the order in which they were published.
Actually it did occur to me once I read EoE.
Eternity by the way also resembles the 2nd Foundation in the way it operates and inhibits the growth and expansion of humanity. Probably the same goes for the Robots.
Well, yeah - that works, too. But reading them in order of the timeline in the stories can provide a good experience, too. Which is what my list on the previous page represents - except for the last five Foundation books (Prelude, Forward, and the Second Trilogy), which are *way* too spoilerific to read in timeline order.
Do you mean Foundation in particular or the series as a whole? Cause the later books in the series, particularly Foundation & Earth show strong ties to the Robot series whereas his early ones don't. I'd honestly probably avoid Foundation & Earth. I loved the story arc he was going for, but I found Foundation & Earth ultimately disappointing after the huge build up as it seemed to exist solely to tie the series together with his other works. The Hermaphrodite character also weirded me out in the way it was written. But I actually really liked his prequels.
That said, I love Asimov. His simple prose is what made it so easy to get into.
I believe the point is supposed to occur to the reader upon reading The End of Eternity, where the point is made quite clear. I was saying that I think the need for the point to be addressed is not necessarily apparent in Foundation itself.
I mean both. The tie-in between The End of Eternity and the Foundation series has nothing to do with robots.
Some might consider it a major spoiler to mention, because it's just so damn cool.
I'll be back in ten days. Thanks for a great topic all.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
JPPF is a an open source grid computing solution that makes it easy to parallelize CPU-intensive applications.
What's new in JPPF 2.4
Executor service batch modes
The executor service facade to JPPF now enables the grouping of tasks submitted individually, according to space (number of tasks) or time (via timeout settings).
Tasks submitted individually are grouped into JPPF jobs and thus benefit from full parallelism and a significant throughput increase.
New "node life cycle" extension point
It is now possible to subscribe to node life cycle events, and perform actions accordingly.
Documentation link:
New "Node Life Cycle" sample
The "Node Life Cycle" sample was added to the JPPF samples pack, illustrating how transaction management can be controlled via node life cycle events.
Performance, memory footprint enhancements
Disk overflow capabilities were added to the nodes and clients.
Reworked I/O processing results in faster network I/O and smaller memory footprint.
A new JPPF overview chapter was added.
The online documentation was reorganized for an easier navigation experience.
Additional links:


text:
* Prices may differ from that shown
THE PRODUCT: I am always buying new eye shadows and I have to admit that I love the eye shadow range from The Body Shop. I purchase one of these shimmer cubes months ago now and loved it so much that I went and purchased two other sets in this range. The shimmer cubes contain a palette of four subtle iridescent shades to mix and match together to create different looks. The eye shadows are crease resistant and suitable for contact lens wearers. They also have a lovely iridescent finish and are dermatologically tested. You get a total of 4 different shades in the pallet each one being square in shape and coming in its own plastic packaging. These can be removed from the main packaging which holds all four of the eye shadows. I purchased the Warm, Spring Bronze and the Blue/Grey shimmer cubes.
PRICE: The shimmer cubes are priced at £16.00 and comes in a total of 7 different shades including Warm, Blue/Grey, Pink, Green, Purple, Hot Pink and Spring Bronze.
IN USE: The thing I love about these colours is that they can be used wet or dry and I often wear them wet. I simply wet an eye shadow brush and then wipe it across the shade of eye shadow that I want to use. Applying the eye shadow is easy and it glides onto my eyelids easily. The colours that come in the palette are gorgeous and look great with my blue eyes. I love the shimmery look to the colours as well which makes them perfect for day or night. You can build the colour up a little as well if you want. The eye shadow lasts all day and well into the evening and it doesn't cause any irritation to my eyes. At the end of the night it's easily removed using a facial cleansing wipe.
OVERALL: Great shimmer cubes that come in a lovely range of colours. Definitely a product that I will continue to use.
I have owned the Body Shop shimmer cubes for a few months after buying it as part of a promotion in the Body Shop where I managed to get it for half price. I was first attracted to the shimmer cube due to the wide range of colours and the cute packaging that made me notice it in the store. I was then lucky to get a make over from one of the assistants who showed me various ways I could use the colours.
The shimmer cubes contain a palate of 4 different eyeshadow colours. There are 5 different shades of cubes, from browns to pinks and the one that I purchased has 4 different purple shades in it from a very light lilac shade to a dark purple. The colours all have an iridescent finish and are crease-resistant and suitable for contact-lens wearers.
The packaging of the shimmer cubes is great. It comes in a compact with 4 small individual pots of eyeshadow within it. This is really useful as you can take the individual pots out of the compact to use them individually and even mix and match different pots of colour from different shimmer cubes to get the combination that is exactly right for you. Each of the pots of colour has a tiny plastic lid on it, which means that the colours don't mix with each other by mistake (which often happens with palates) and also means it is safe to travel with the palate or take it on holiday.
The quality of the eyeshadow is very good and it is strongly pigmented. At first sight the pots may seem small but they are very deep so actually last for ages. The colours can be used for a variety of different looks and are very versatile. I tend to use the darker colours on my lids and to underline my eyes and then the lighter shades as a highlighter on the top of my eyelids.
The eyeshadow is very easy to apply and glides onto my eyes easily. It is also easy to blend in the colours with each other. The colours are quite intense so you only need to use a little but have a nice shimmer to them which is quite subtle. You can also create a more intense look by wetting the brush. Once applied I find that the eyeshadows last well for most of the day, especially if I set them with some powder.
The cost of the shimmer cubes is normally £16 but like I said there is nearly always an offer on at the Body Shop and you can get them a lot cheaper. I would definitely recommend them as value for money as they are both effective and can provide a variety of looks.
This review might also be posted on Ciao under my username Star20000
Everybody knows The Body Shop, if your looking for natural products that are cruelty free and against animal testing this is the brand for you! I don't buy a massive amount in there but I'm generally impressed with the things I have tried and this is probably my favourite product from there!
The Body Shop is available both online and in most shopping centres.
* *Iridescent finish
* *Crease-resistant
* *Dermatologically tested
* *Ophthalmologically tested
I first bought this in the 'warm' shade and have since bought the 'blue/grey' shade. The 'warm' shade is my favourite, the shades are very complimentary. The shimmery finish is soft without being too glittery. I mostly wear these colours in the day but you have the option of applying them with a damp brush which will give added depth and a stronger, more dramatic finish. The 'blue/grey' shade is probably better at night when doing a smoky eye. The colours stay on the lid well with no creasing, they are also incredibly versatile. With the 'warm' palette the pale pink shade is gorgeous for a brow bone highlight and the dark brown shade looks lovely beneath the eye as a liner, you literally have the option to create so many different looks. The texture of the shadow is smooth and silky.
The shadows come in individual removable cubes inside one big plastic transparent container. I like clear containers so I can see what I'm picking out in a hurry. I love the packaging, there's nothing else like it out there.
Apply to lids and brow bones with an Eyeshadow Brush. For stronger colour, apply with a damp Eyeshadow or Slanted Brush.
There are five shades available:
* warm
* blue/grey
* pink
* green
* purple
Exceptional value for money. The palette is £16.00 so that's just £4.00 per colour and you get so much product! I've had this product for AGES and I have loads left! So impressed! I would repurchase this over and over but I don't think I will need to!
Previously I have been deterred from buying make up from the body shop, however after being enticed in with a £3 off voucher, I had a good look. The only thing that immediately caught my eye were there shimmer cubes. These come in a range of colours, and I was very tempted by the lovely purple tones, however due to the price decided to go with the more everyday browns. The price is slightly more than an alternative drugstore quad, however I think there isn't a colour that you wouldn't use, making it well worth the money. The packaging is very unique with the 4 mini cubes all having separate little lids. The pigmentation is pretty good, and the colours are certainly very shimmery but I would still say appropriate for day time. The colours all compliment each other well. You have a nice dark brown as well a very pretty lighter colour which is my personal favourite. I will be definitely looking at buying this in the other colour combinations.
I was bought the Shimmer Cube as a gift but have since bought it for myself in a different colour. I was originally bought the purple palette, but have since gone on to purchase the warm brown palette.
The name basically sums up this eye shadow perfectly; it is a clear plastic cube with four separate compartments filled with eye shadow. It has the Body Shop logo in the bottom corner on the front as well as the name in black. The purple collection has a dark purple, a plum shade, a light violet colour and a lighter cream highlighting shade. The brown are four different shades of brown from a dark brown, a grey/brown mix, a tan colour and a copper shade. Although these colours do have a shimmer to them, they are not too shimmery, these are very pigmented and once you actually manage to get some colour out, it is worth it. I had problems getting any colour to begin with and had to scrape at the top layer, I don't know if they cover the top with a layer of sealant but I had trouble to begin with. Once I got into it thought, they are not a problem at all. I have seen the blue version of these and the shades are beautiful, I haven't bought it as I don't wear blue eye shadow but they are very bright and eye catching. I think these are quite expensive as they cost £16 for the cube, obviously my gift was well received but I was shocked when I went into the shop to buy my second one and noticed the price. I did pay that and I probably would again as you get a lot of colour for your money and they do last a long time. They don't fade away or crease and there is very little fall out either.
Overall apart from the price these can't be beaten. There are enough colours to keep most women happy and who doesn't want happy women? Lower the price a little and voila, a perfect eye shadow.
I am not a great fan of the Body Shop and only go in there occasionally, they do have some bargainous sale items however and I bought one of these shimmer cube palettes a few months back at less than half price - £6!
The shimmer cube eye shadows come in a solid plastic square tub, that is approximately 4 cm x 4 cm wide and 2 cm deep. The tub opens by splitting in half and the bottom half holds the four individual eye shades in place. The compartment is a see through plastic so you can see the eye shadow colours inside, with the Body Shop logo and branding discretely on the casing.
The eye shadows come in a similar packaging, though smaller cubes that are again made of plastic and you open by lifting the lid off. These fit very neatly in the case and are well protected. I like the way that they eye shadows are individually packaged, as it means that you don't have to cart the whole lot around on a night out. Each cube contains 3.5 grams of colour - which is a generous amount!
Shimmer Cubes Palette number 19
My Shimmer cube collection is number 19 and contains the following shades:
Emerald Sea - As the name suggests this is a lovely shiny emerald green colour, that is quite dark so more for an evening out or smaller uses of the colour over lighter shades. If you like bold dramatic eyes this is perfect and is lovely and glittery.
Sea Shell - This is a lovely sparkly and golden yellow shadow colour, it almost looks like a glittery sand which is nice and summery and great for day wear and it is quite a soft and subtle sparkle.
Hushed Orchid - This is a nice sparkly pink shade that again is good for day wear. The pink looks quite dark and deep in the palette but is a light and soft shade so I tend to use a lot of this to get a bolder colour on my eyes.
Sparkling Sky - This is again like the green shadow, being a bold and a dark glittery blue eye shadow. It has a nice shimmering effect to it as they all do and I wear this one on nights out, though it is perhaps my least favourite because it is very daring and dramatic, you also have to apply a lot of this to get a good colour otherwise it looks very 'wishy washy'.
I found the eye shadows quite solid and hard to pick up with an eye shadow bristle brush and so use a spongy stick instead which works a lot better for me. These have a nice even staying power during wear and you easily get 5 hours plus without getting crease marks over your eyelids.
At full price a shimmer cube palette costs £16, which I thought was quite expensive for Body Shop make up, however you do get a lot of product for your money. They also regularly release new palettes with different and complementary colours that you can swap and change to match your mood which is very good. I really like these and use them frequently - I have been/am on the lookout for another set in the sale!
~~The Body Shop Shimmer Cube~~
~~ How I came to own this product~~
For my last birthday a very dear friend to me, bought me a few items from the Body Shop make up range, they must have cost her a fortune as I have gone on to buy another one of these shimmer cubes in a different colour! I was very grateful and couldn't wait to try these new products. From initial sight of the products I loved them and it soon changed my views on cosmetics and I now use a wide range of products similar to this from the body shop, where as previous to this gift I wouldn't have thought twice about the make up in there, I don't understand why as I love all their body products.
The shimmer cube comes in a little clear plastic box and each individual cube is encased in their own solid plastic covering with each having their own individual lid, I find this incredibly handy as it means you can take each cube out of the packaging and use them separately without the colours mixing and they are also easier to use like this. However, you can still use them in the full packaging if you would like more grip on the overall product. The full case which houses four individual cubes is transparent to allow you to be able to see each colour when you go to purchase them; they look really modern and are different to most products available on today's market. The lid contains the brand name and product name along with a small image off an eye to show you that it is an eye shadow product. On the back there is a black label which indicates each cubes colour and size; there are 4, 3,7g cubes of Eyeshadow in each pack. It also has the barcode and the place of manufacture (Italy). The only problem with this label is that you could change the order of the cubes by accident and then the label's information would be invalid. There are 5 different shimmer cube packages which house 4 completely different shades in each. The eye shadows in each accompany each other well and are complimentary colours.
I would firstly recommend buying The Body Shop Eyeshadow brush to accompany this product as it works great with it, however, you can get away with using any Eyeshadow brush. There is no brush supplied with the product so you will need to purchase one. I find using a brush rather than the white applicators more efficient with this product as you get a more natural and even coverage. They are very easy to use and you do not have to be a make-up artist to use them and get good results. The products last for ages, and also stay on the skin for a good amount of time. To remove the product you can simply wash it off or use specialist make up wipes if you prefer.
This is very limited to the actual shop itself or to the parties that can be organised at home; they can also be purchased off The Body Shop website.
For today only (01/08/2012) if you buy online you can get a code of the webpage for 40% off all products online and in store! However, if you would like to know the full price as of today online the price is £16.00 this might be more than what the average consumer would spend on their Eyeshadow however, if you take into consideration the quality of the product and how long the product lasts then I think it is definitely worth the price.
One Christmas I received a Body Shop voucher on top of many bath products so I decided to try their make-up instead of buying more bath stuff. It's always been a bit overpriced for me - I tend not to spend too much on make-up, but everything by the body shop looks so nice.
I bought these shimmer cubes in brown shades - the official name is 'warm colours' and they were £16. There are four different shades and they're slightly glittery. It doesn't come with an application brush so you need to have one already. I've found fine bristle brushes are better than the white foam ones for these eye shadows.
I have a very middling skin-tone; it's not dark and it's not pale and these colours look fantastic - they also go really well with my latest hair colour (a dark gingery/red). I use the darker shades towards the outside of the eyelid and the lighter shades nearer the bridge of the nose - they all blend really well to make a beautiful golden shimmer that remains metallic, but not glittery throughout the day. Because it's not dramatically different from skin colour it's not a bold look, but it's very effective.
I have had them for over a year now and they hardly look used. They last so well so it's great value for money. My only problem with the product is the box it comes in - each of the cubes is separate and if you put it in your bag and open it the wrong way they all fall out. I have a feeling one day I'll do this and one will fall onto the floor and crack (this has happened many times with me and bronzer).
Overall a great make-up essential for a natural glowing look. It goes with any outfit and lasts for a really long time. The eye shadow itself stays on your face all day and works as a day or night look and obviously, being from the body shop it's ethical and without any nasty harsh chemicals.
When the body shop first came on the scene it was one of the few big 'trendy' companies that actually opened a branch in Swansea quite early on (we've only acquired a lush outlet in the last couple of years) and it made quite a splash. I loved the fact that the Body Shop ethos was very ethical at a time that was not very common. I tried several of their products and have to admit that as far as cosmetics go I was completely underwhelmed. The foundation for me was dreadful and couldn't be used (they have probably changed the formulation by now - hopefully), I think they have picked up their game as far as cosmetics go somewhat now. However even then the little shimmer cubes of eye shadows were gorgeous.
I bought my first set of these colourful cubes a long time ago in the brown shades and it lasted ages with no deterioration, but I recently had another set in purple given to me. Just before they brought out the new colour palettes, which I must say I like the look of better than the old colour range. The new ones are: Bunch of Violets, which cover the purple and pink spectrum, Blue Moon, which is kind of self explanatory, and Green Light, which covers the turquoise and green spectrum. These new cubes are the first permanent additions to the shimmer cube shade range in ages. I'd love to try some of them but I'm not going to be forking out £16 on make up for myself just before Christmas, all funds are diverted to the girls.
My review will be on the still available longer serving purple set. I'm sorry I can't 'name' the individual colours in the set as if they were ever on it they've long worn off my set. They are in my words, silver, a deep plum, a mid dusky pink, and a more purple plum.
The cubes come within a simple clear plastic box with a lift off lid, and the individual shadows are contained in their own miniature version of the larger cube, in individual square transparent pots with their own little clear lid (I'm not sure if this has changed in the new additions). This makes it very easy to take one or two colours out of the 'palette' to carry with you. The square format with minimal packaging also means they take up little room in your make up bag. I find the packaging fairly robust for everyday use, and the lid stays on well.
I'd like to see the Body Shop allowing customers to customise the 'palettes' the way they are formatted would lend itself to this very well. The colours in the sets do go very well together but personally I hardly ever use the darker shades as I rarely 'do' a smoky eye, and tend to use them in tiny quantities as liners so I would make my palette up from light colours given the opportunity. Others may prefer different colour combinations of course.
Also I have noticed quite a bit of repetition of colours or at least so close as to be almost the same in the shimmer cube palettes, so if you are a real fan of them you could end up buying a few options just to get 3 colours, ending up with 9 other colours that are either repeated or that you hardly use.
The cubes are nicely pigmented and the colour pay off is good. The shimmer looks beautiful in the pans. It can be blended out quite subtly when used dry and doesn't look as bright as it does in the pan. When used moistened though the iridescence really pops and the pigments take on a more intense depth and gorgeous shimmer and the silver in particular looks quite metallic. There are tiny fine specks of glitter apparent here and there but they really are minute and the shimmer is smooth and silky.
The texture of the shadows is gorgeous and is easy to apply, it's almost like compressed pigment rather than a block of standard eye shadow. Because of this texture there is a little bit of fall out on the cheeks but it's easily solved by applying but not patting into the skin a bit of loose face powder (if you have some, pressed will do if not) before applying your eye shadow. When you've finished your eyes it's easy to flick away the loose powder taking any shadow fall out with it, it should have acted as a barrier and stopped the pigment leaving streaks.
When used on bare eyes or over foundation and powder the longevity of these shadows isn't very good despite the depth of colour (it does last longer when moistened). The soft texture that makes them fade quickly does mean that they blend well though, even when applied over primer they still blend and buff into one another and the skin well, but last a good bit longer, all day and into the night if you don't touch your eyes much. One of my favourite uses for these shadows even if I'm not using them for my main look is wet as eyeliners, they give a good high pigment line, with a bit of shimmery pop that is easier to apply for me than a glittery pencil or liquid liner.
They claim to be crease resistant and suitable for contact lens wearers, I can vouch for the first, as I have noticed that they do stay put better than most eye shadows, though they will crease a little if you tend to have slightly oily lids, or don't wear primer or any other base on your eyes. I can't vouch for the later as I don't wear contacts.
A smashing eye shadow set that seems to last forever.
Body Shop Shimmer Cube
I am a big fan of the body shop as you may have guessed from the number of body shop reviews I have done and I love all of there products (except the peppermint foot lotion) and one of the main reasons that I love the body shop is that they are against animal testing, they help people in poorer countries, they give money to charities and they have really great products.
I was given this as a present about a year ago and I am quite happy with it. It consists of four mini eyeshadow blocks in for different colours. They currently have four different sets of shimmer cubes. The ice cool - 18 (which is now on sale and looks really pretty), the bright one - 19, shimmer cube warm and the last one is the one that I have it is the shimmer and sparkle cube.
The one that is pictured is the shimmer cube warm.
They all look really great and the one that I have consists of the colours, Ruby - gorgeous glittery pink, Dusted silver - silver obviously, Argyle pink - purple/pink glittery and Rich bronze - brown/pink colour. All of the colours are really glittery and very pigmented so I only have to take the smallest amount of the shadow. My favorite colour is the really bright glittery pink as it is so pretty and sparkly - great for a smoky eye with a twist (Also this colour looks like the one that Kristen Stewart was wearing at the film screening in New york).
They are all very easy to apply and also easy to remove with a eye make up remover solution. You can also make the colour of the eyeshadow stronger by just pressing it lightly onto the eyelid instead of blending it and you can also make it stronger if you dampen your eyeshadow brush first and they use the shadow. But it can also be made subtle by blending the glittery eyeshadow which gives a really nice subtle sparkly sheen which looks really nice.
I was given mine as a gift but you can buy them from the body shop stores or from their easy to navigate site and the one that I have and the shimmer cube warm and also the bright cube (19) are all £16 and the ice cool version (18) is on sale at £8. They are also really good value for money as you only need a small amount of the product and it does last ages - I have had mine for about a year and I have used it quite a bit and there is still so much left.
Good points
*Highly pigmented colour - but it can be make stronger or made more subtle
*Four eyeshadows in one little set - great for holidays and traveling because it is so compact
*Easy to apply, blend and take off
*The colours that I have look really pretty and very sparkly and glittery
*I LOVE the packaging it is so sleek and simple and it keeps all of the shadows neat - but the shadows can be taken out individually so you can put them in other cube sets
*Other great sets available
*Set lasts ages
*Widely available
*Not tested on animals
Bad points
*Can be a little bit messy sometimes
*A little bit expensive - £16 each
**Best to use an eyeshadow primer before using these as they are very glittery so they can move a bit more than normal shadows - such as the urban decay primer or elf primer.**
Thank you for reading my review
What is it?
The Body Shop shimmer cubes is a small clear compact, filled with four individual eye colours, each in their own clear plastic containers. This means you can take an individual shade with you in your bag or purse if you want to. It also keeps them clean and stops the colours mixing.
Colours available
This particular set is called 'Warm' and cotains four golden, bronze shades. It is also avaiable in other colour sets. Each set contains four individual yet complimentary colours
What makes it special?
It contains Marula Oil which helps the skin stay moisturised. This means the eye shadow will not look cakey as the Marula Oil does not dry your skin, and it also prevents the colour from staying in the creases of the eye.
Each compact of four colours costs £16, thats only £4 per shade! Each shade is 4g and quite a thick chunky cube so it lasts for ages! If you have a love your body card you can get 10% discount too (please view my review on this for further details
How to use
Simply apply using an eye shadow brush and sweep onto eye lids or near your brow. You can use dry or wet, for a more dramtic look. The colours work great together and be layered on top of each other too.
My opinion
I particulary like the 'warm' compact as the lighter shades can look very natural and are great for wearing at work or for interviews. I use all 4 shades when going somewhere special as you can have a more dramtic golden look. The eye shadows last all day and look great. They are so easy to use and I love how I can take an individual colour with me. I also have a summer edition of this set with bright tropical colours and find it great to take on holiday.
With the Body Shop prices seeming to be increasing day by day, I'm always a little dubious to try new products and usually stick to my usual's!
I first purchased Shimmer Cubes back in 2006, and have loved them ever since. Although I've used many eye-shadows since then, I've only just replaced my old set due to my younger cousin throwing a Body Shop party. (Not great for someone on a budget!!)
The Shimmer Cubes come in 4 individually packed boxes that sit nicely inside a large square perspex-like box. The packaging is minimalistic with a simple body shop logo on the front detailing the name of the product, and a sticker on the bottom with the ingredients etc.
The colours I'll be reviewing are the ones in the photo - otherwise known as the Warm Palette 6. This inlcudes 01. Honeycomb 02. Dark Chocolate 03. Marshmallow 04. Chocolate Chip. The colours are very earthy and natural, which is perfect for everday use, but because of the shimmer that each colour contains, with the right combinations you can get a great evening look out of them. Each colour compliments the next perfectly, so you can either wear them individually or even all 4 if you wish. I tend to use the lightest shimmer cubes more often than the darker ones, purely because I prefer the au natural look for everyday wear, these colours also seem to go really well with other eyeshadows that I own. When using the darker colours I tend to wet the brush to give it a more dramatic look, and tend to wear the darker shades on nights out rather than daily.
The great thing about this product is that all the shadows are wearable, more often than not, I've paid money for an eyeshadow set and only used one or two. With this set I tend to use them all, each for different looks.
The application is very simple with a good eyeshadow brush, and thankfully unlike other eyeshadows I wear I don't get it all over my face as the powder is much more compact. As the eyeshadows aren't creamy in anyway they don't sit in the creases of your eyes, which really annoys me!!! The colour also seems to last all night long, normally on nights out i'm forever re-applying make up, but with these I never have to.
I particularly love wearing these when I have a tan, as the mixture of the warm shades, really enhances your colour. I've also been known to use my bronzing brush on these whilst on holiday, just to give me a different shimmering bronzed look.
At £16 it is a little steep, but as I've said they really do last a long time, and in effect it's only £4 per eyeshadow which is much more reasonable. A product I use on a regular basis and would recommend to anyone!!!
I have these in every colour, they are pricey at £16, but the things you can do with them is awsome.
For your money you get 4 blocks of compimentary colours, my fav is the brown block, i can use them everyday or create a smokey look by making them wet and getting a more intese colour.
If you use a slanted brush and wet it you can also use them as a eye liner above your eye to create a cats slant, or under your eye for a smokey look.
They dry quick enough and dont spoil, I was shown this in a bodyshop when they sat me down for a free make over and i have loved them ever since.
The slanted brush costs about £11 or you can get a mini brush set for about £15.
The set also has community trade murula oil, which keeps the skin soft.
This is also not tested on animals.
I have these genious little cubes in the earthy version (pallete 06) and the berry colours (pallete 07), and my mother has the vibrants blues version. The four cubes are loose in their box, so if you have more than one set you can interchange them, which is really useful if you only want to have one box in your make-up bag!
I bought my first set in 2006 in Paris (yes they have The Body Shop in Paris) and I've not even got a quarter of the way down the thick blocks of colour (despite using them all the time!) The colours in each set all complient each other beautifully and can be used to create many different make-up looks. I personally like to use the darkest brown ('dark chocolate') with an eye-liner brush around my lash lines to create a smoky look for the evening, but in the day time the 'choc chip' and 'marshmallow' colours give a softer look. The Golden 'honeycomb' colour is perfect to add a bit of glamour and extra shimmer!
Long lasting and easy to store, beautiful complimentary colours and ethical too (The Body Shop is very socially responsible and doesn't test on animals etc).
This product is great value for money because it allows you to create a number of different looks. You get four individual shimmer cubes for your money, they come in a plastic container, but you can easily remove them and keep them separately if you want because each cube has an individual plastic top.
The great thing about them is that you can create a light shimmer, or a deeper look by adding water to the cube, but it needs to be applied with a good makeup brush. You don't get a makeup brush or a mirror with this product, which is a bit of a let down.
This product will last and last. You can get the shimmer cube set in a number of different colours, but I opted for the browns so that I could get a lot of use out of them. Brown is also a classic colour that lasts from season to season. I think this item will be in my makeup for a while, so it's good that the colour is versatile and transcends the seasons.
Four blocks of earthy, complimentary, shimmering colour / Mix and match for variety or use individually, wet or dry /