What does it take to create a tiny, man-made star that will trigger a thermonuclear reaction inside of a laboratory?
How about a laser that concentrates 1,000 times the electric generating power of the entire United States into one-billionth of a second.
Not impressive enough for you?
Then how about this: The resulting explosion should produce 10 times the amount of energy used to create it, or more than 10,000 times the electric generating power of the United States!
The structure that will house this experiment, which is located in the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California, covers an area roughly the size of three football fields, and the infrared laser that will cause the explosion will travel through almost a mile of lenses, mirrors and amplifiers in order to create a beam that will be 10 billion (yes, with a b) times more powerful than a standard household light bulb.
Let’s just hope they’ve got some bright minds working on this project, because otherwise we could bite off more than we can chew with our own man-made star.
If you liked the You Suck At Photoshop series, then be sure to check out Time Magazine’s interview with co-creators Matt Bledsoe and Troy Hitch.
“It was meant to be a one-off thing,” said Hitch. “But two weeks later, we checked into YouTube and saw that it had 50,000 page views. We went to Rob and said, ‘Hey, we might take a sabbatical from Tim after Tim.’ ” They launched the second episode of Photoshop and within five days, it had 400,000 page views. Digg dug the site, BoingBoing boinged it, and LaughingSquid inked the deal. A star was born.
If you haven’t already seen it, then fire up Fandango, find a theater that’s playing it near you, and go see Juno.
It’s that good.
The story is about Juno MacGuff, a “confidently frank teenage girl who calls the shots with a nonchalant cool and an effortless attitude as she journeys through an emotional nine-month adventure into adulthood”.
Ellen Page plays Juno, and lights up the screen with what I can easily imagine will be a multiple-award-winning performance, Her witty, fast paced dialogue creates a lovable character that you can’t help but root for, and she manages to both control her life with a tough exterior and search for meaning within a growing interior at the same time.
Michael Cera plays Bleeker (the father) and continues his recent climb up Hollywood’s star ladder. He isn’t in the film as much as I would have expected, but the scenes that he is in are filled with a great dialogue that lends itself well to the high-school theme. Both Juno and Bleeker are a mix of confidence and confusion, and their growing and changing relationship mirrors the growing and chancing that Juno’s body is going through.
Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the role of the adopting parents, and each deliver a stellar performance that adds another element to the film. Bateman struggles to figure out what type of person he wants to become as Garner struggles to become the person that she knows she wants to be, and neither over-sells their role.
Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons play the role of Juno’s parents, and are supportive in a way that is both enviable and believable.
For a movie that manages to make you feel good, it does deal with a rather heavy issue, and also runs through the full range of emotions. There are moments of pure comedy, moments of great emotion and connection, moments of truth and moments of powerful silence, and each pulls you in a different direction. However, the plot never takes you down an expected path, and in the end, you’ll want to cheer for a film that manages to define what a coming-of-age tale should be.
Note: This is a paid review, though it’s my first, so I’m pretty excited about it. And yes, I am aware of the stigma attached to paid reviews, and yes, I realize that I am selling my soul to the devil by writing this, but fear not, because DYH will never cover a product that requires a positive review. (Plus, this gives me a chance to post pics of the always attractive Victoria Beckham, and her always attractive back side).
When Victoria Beckham came to the states, attached to soccer phenom David Beckham, she brought with her a very unique style. Former Posh of the now infamous Spice Girls, Victoria has always dressed with a little more flare than the normal person.
Thankfully, her somewhat over the top style didn’t transfer over into her clothing decisions when she decided to launch a line of jeans called dVb (Denim by Victoria Beckham).
My philosophy for jeans whether designing or purchasing is a tailored fit, exceptional quality and a shot of high fashion. – Victoria Beckham
Though I’ve never really understood the draw of a pair of jeans that costs a few Franklins, I guess if you’re going to buy them, then you might as well let people know about them. dVb accomplishes this announcement through either a star, or a small monogram (signature) on the back pocket, though I prefer the latter for its simplicity. Most, however, will probably opt for the starred derriere, as it does a better job of screaming out “I’m wearing dVb jeans, and I want everyone to know about it!”.
Available in either white, grey, or indigo, all designs feature 1% spandex for that great back end fit and feel, a zipper fly, and the classic 5 pocket arrangement.
For a pair of your very own, be sure to visit Electric Ladyland, the place to go online for the dVb line, and one of a few retailers in the country able to carry this exclusive line.
