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Hold onto your butts... because that seat is tiny. |
Universal has unveiled a nearly 18-minute fan recreation of Jurassic Park, with actors, animation, and puppets bringing some of the film’s most classic scenes to life. You know what they say: Fandom, uh, finds a way. |
According to a press release, Universal and Tongal—with the help of Jurassic World stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard—asked fans to submit clips remaking iconic moments from the film to celebrate its 25th anniversary, receiving hundreds of submissions from fans in almost 30 countries. It’s a long video, nearly 1... |
Universal probably isn’t going to make “a boatload of money” on this video, but it’s a great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this iconic film. Plus, I’ll take any excuse to see someone running in a giant T-rex costume. You can check out the tribute below. |
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom comes out June 22. |
Eric Chu (L), chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) and Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), at a National Day ceremony in Taipei, Oct. 10, 2015. |
The weekend's historic meeting between Chinese president Xi Jinping and his Taiwan counterpart Ma Ying-jeou, the first since the end of a civil war between their parties in 1949, appears to have had little effect on support for the island's opposition party ahead of presidential elections in the spring, opinion polls r... |
Xi met briefly with Ma behind closed doors on neutral ground in Singapore on Saturday, the first bilateral meeting at this level in 66 years. |
Xi's ruling Chinese Communist Party and Ma's Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist party were bitter foes during a civil war that flared up after the defeat of Japan in World War II, and the KMT government fled to the island from Chongqing after losing to Mao Zedong's communist forces. |
Ma hailed the summit as the culmination of two years of delicate diplomacy amid "extremely complicated" political, economic and military realities for both sides. |
"I had the very strong feeling from today's meeting that we should really value this and find ways to work around our problems, and not allow them to affect our overall direction," Ma told reporters. |
"I think that Mr. Xi feels this way too, so we are going to focus on the big picture, not the details," he said. "I hope that we can agree on an overall direction that will benefit both Taiwan and mainland China." |
But Tsai Ing-wen, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP's) presidential candidate, held onto a big lead in opinion polls immediately after the summit, local media reported on Monday. |
Tsai has accused Ma of trying to revive his party's flagging fortunes after a string of electoral disasters, with the last-minute announcement of the meeting with Xi last week. |
But Taiwan's Cross-Strait Policy Association found that 48.6 percent of 1,014 people surveyed still supported Tsai on Sunday, while just 21.4 percent backed KMT candidate Eric Chu. |
Meanwhile, 46.8 percent of respondents said they didn't think Ma protected or maintained Taiwan's sovereignty and interests during the meeting with Xi, compared with 32.9 percent who said he did. |
And a second poll of similar size carried out by scholars' group the Justice Association found that 32.7 percent would vote for Tsai, while 21.1 percent backed Chu. |
U.S.-based political commentator Wang Juntao said the significance of the summit was largely a symbolic one. |
"The first [achievement] is that they have a channel for high-level communication, and the second is that the two leaders were able to meet on an equal footing," Wang said. |
"That means that [Beijing] effectively recognizes Taiwan as a political entity." |
He said Tsai's weak point remains her policy on cross-straits ties, however, as the DPP campaigns on a moderately pro-independence platform. |
"In terms of the future, it has basically set the tone for, and placed severe limitations around Tsai Ing-wen, when it comes to her policy on mainland China," Wang said. |
Yang Liyu, retired professor of East Asian Studies at Seton Hall University in New Jersey agreed, saying that Ma has tossed Tsai something of a curve-ball. |
"Tsai Ing-wen now has two big problems, which I have discussed with her," Yang told RFA. "The first is that that she won't recognize the 1992 communique [on cross-straits relations agreed by officials from both sides]." |
"And the second is that she won't give up any notion of independence for Taiwan," he said. "From Beijing's point of view ... that is no basis for any sort of peaceful development of ties." |
He said the summit had yielded two main fruits for Taiwan. |
"The first is that Taiwan can apply for membership of international bodies in an appropriate manner, including [Beijing's] Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road [Central Asian security] initiative," he said. |
"The second is that there will be no military threat unless Taiwan seeks formal independence." |
Closer economic ties with Beijing under Ma's Kuomintang (KMT) nationalist party have sparked a growing public backlash in Taiwan, expressed in last year's student-led Sunflower movement which occupied government buildings in protest at a proposed bilateral trade deal. |
Taiwan has been governed separately from mainland China throughout the Japanese occupation (1895-1945), and since the KMT nationalist regime fled to the island in 1949. |
Reported by Shi Shan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Dai Weisen for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. |
Drake hit yet another career milestone recently, with “God’s Plan” becoming his longest-running #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. |
“God’s Plan” debuted at #1 on February 3. It becomes the first single in over 20 years to spend its first 11 weeks at #1, equaling the nearly three months Puff Daddy and Faith Evans’ “I’ll Be Missing You” spent at the top of the chart in 1997. |
There are only two singles to have spent more than their first 11 weeks at #1. “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men from 1995 currently holds the record for spending its first 16 weeks at #1. |
Drizzy hit Instagram on Monday (April 9) to celebrate the news of his single’s continued success, sharing two images from the track’s video shoot. |
The video to “God’s Plan” — which was filmed in South Florida earlier this year — features Drake giving away nearly $1 million to those less fortunate. It currently has more than 358 million YouTube views since its February 16 release. |
The visual did, however, receive criticism from some quarters. Peter Rosenberg of Hot 97 was one such critic, questioning Drake’s intentions. |
A man has been arrested under the Malicious Communications Act and is awaiting questioning after posting a picture of a burning poppy onto Facebook this weekend, coinciding with the annual Remembrance Day events. |
Posted alongside “an offensive comment” according to Kent Police, the 19-year old was arrested as his actions fell in line with the act’s guidelines for communications that are “indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat… provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient”. |
The arrest has not met with universal support however, with many taking to Twitter in protest. This includes Paul Chambers, who was at the centre of the Twitter Joke Trial who unwittingly caused a security scare for joking about blowing up an airport, resulting in legal action against him. |
Social media censorship and conservatism has been an increasingly hot topic for the likes of Twitter and Facebook this year, with high-profile cases such as the baiting of Olympic diver Tom Daley and the blocking of a neo-Nazi Twitter feed in Germany making the headlines. |
Where do you stand on the Twitter/Facebook censorship row? Should social media be a safe-haven where all views, however controversial, are tolerated, or should these communication channels be more closely policed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. |
Valve confirm new gaming engine in the works: Half Life 3 on Source 2? |
Joe Neguse became the first African-American ever elected to Congress from Colorado on Tuesday, Nov. 6. |
The Lafayette Democrat won handily in the district, which includes parts of Eagle County and Summit County, as well as Boulder and Estes Park, earning roughly 65 percent of the vote. Republican Peter Yu received about 30 percent of the vote. |
Neguse and Yu tossed their hats into the ring after Rep. Jared Polis announced he would not seek re-election in Colorado’s second Congressional district. |
Neguse, who is 34, will also be one of the few Millennials in Congress. |
“I am so honored and humbled to have won the support of folks from across this incredible District,” Neguse said on Tuesday. “With so much vitriol right now in Washington and our political system, we must remember that, while fear is contagious, so is hope. |
Visiting Vail during the campaign, Neguse said growing up in Colorado he saw a strong sense of community throughout the state, which he hopes to carry over to Congress. |
After three years of investigations and mounting accusations about delayed justice in corruption cases, former Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, arguably the most powerful member of the previous administration, will be indicted tomorrow, on charges of misappropriating tens of millions in public funds while his bro... |
The second case to be filed at the Permanent High Court at Bar will be taken up tomorrow, September 10, to serve indictments on the former Secretary of Defence and six others on allegations of misappropriation of State funds amounting to approximately Rs. 40 million through the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation and Developmen... |
After concluding investigations by the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID) the Attorney General’s Department filed the case at the special High Court with the sanction of the Chief Justice. |
The other suspects are the former Chairman of the LLRDC, Prasad Harshan de Silva, former General Manager, Badhra Udulawathi Kamaladasa, Susammika Keyminda Attygala, Saman Kumara Abraham Galapaththi, Mahinda Saliya and Mallika Kumari Senadheera, who were also members of the LLRDC Director Board. |
Accordingly, the first offence drawn against the defendants include misappropriation of State funds during the period September 2013 to February 2015 where LLRDC funds amounting to Rs. 33.9 million was used to construct the D.A. Rajapaksa Memorial and Museum in Medamulana, Weeraketiya; for committing the offence or aid... |
The second offence relates to misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 5.98 million of LLRDC funds between the period November 2014 and February 2015 to construct the D.A. Rajapaksa Memorial and Museum. |
A case was filed before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court where the FCID periodically reported its findings based on investigations. During the tenure of the Rajapaksa regime, LLRDC Chairman Harshan Silva reportedly wrote to the Navy in September 2013 on the construction of the said memorial. Funds were then released by t... |
The Memorial which cost a thumping Rs. 81.3 million was opened on November 5, 2014. The Museum, among other things, showcases wax figures of the late D. A. Rajapaksa and his wife. |
Rajapaksa was a SLFP politician and father of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the former Defence Secretary and current presidential aspirant, who will be indicted in the Special High Court on Corruption tomorrow. |
Subsequent to investigations being initiated into the matter by the FCID, the Rajapaksa Foundation wrote to the LLRDC seeking the outstanding amount in order to settle it. On August 31, the Foundation had deposited Rs. 25 million to the LLRDC account until a final estimate was reached on the amount spent to construct t... |
On August 28, 2015, the General Manager of the LRDC sent a final bill to the Rajapaksa Foundation for the design and construction of the D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial and Museum at Medamulana. The total amount including VAT in the final bill was Rs. 81.33 million. |
The former Defence Secretary is also facing charges in several other major corruption cases, including the controversial purchase of the MiG-27 aircraft from a Ukrainian company in 2006, with payments made to a ‘ghost’ company registered in the UK, which was contracted as a third party, charges under the Bribery Act ov... |
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro’s only rule may have been “never fall in love at the Jersey Shore,” but his Jersey Shore costar Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi had other ideas. |
Polizzi met Jionni LaValle in 2010 during season 3 of the MTV reality show. The pair later welcomed son Lorenzo in August 2012 and daughter Giovanna in September 2014. That November, the duo tied the knot in front of family and friends. Four years later, the reality star announced she and LaValle are expecting their th... |
Imagine the thrill. The young man, freshly graduated, is trying out for the Miami Dolphins. |
As a bonus, HBO crews are on site to collect footage for the series, Hard Knocks, a slickly packaged documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes in the National Football League. |
Derek Dennis, as a wide-eyed newcomer, is singled out. |
Cameras record his arrival – wandering through the Dolphins’ posh locker-room (“I wasn’t expecting it to be like this … pretty nice”), checking into the team hotel (“I get to experience how long an NFL season can be, if I’m lucky”), sweating through conditioning tests (“I don’t know how much more ready you could be”). |
Sunny stuff for a rookie, undrafted and unheralded. |
Predictably, though, the plot takes a demeaning turn when staffers, in a conference room, gawk at a huge white board covered with depth charts. |
So – barely three minutes into the 2012 premiere of Hard Knocks or, in real time, the day before the first practice – Dennis, unbeknownst to him, is already being cut. |
Before the opening credits can roll, he is seen stepping into an office – “Derek, come on in. Doing all right? Have a seat.” – where he’s about to learn, in front of a national-television audience, that his stay is over. That his role is not recurring. |
That, essentially, his character is being killed off. |
It’s the offensive lineman’s first exposure to pro football. |
It’s the broadcast-journalism major’s first exposure to the media machine. |
Talk about a harsh introduction. |
“I didn’t know what to expect,” recalls Dennis, 27, taking a break during Calgary Stampeders’ camp at McMahon Stadium. “When I got there, the cameras were on me, so I thought, ‘Hey, man, maybe I’ll get a little shine on the show.’ I didn’t realize what was actually transpiring. So when it happened, it was rough. |
A week later, when the episode was about to air, Dennis had already joined the New England Patriots. From his Twitter account, @6bonecrusher3, he floated the possibility of an appearance. Because, really, who knew? |
But everyone saw, including his new teammates. |
Four years later, the story still has legs. |
He gets the program’s appeal. |
“People don’t know what goes on behind closed doors,” says Dennis. “The show really doesn’t divulge everything, but it gives enough that you have an understanding of the process … what players have to go through on a daily basis. |
Besides, he considers his cameo to be a positive development. |
Anything to get noticed, right? |
His career, in earnest, started in 2007 when the Queens, N.Y., native enrolled at Temple University. Soon, Dennis was starting for the Owls and becoming acquainted with the legendarily cranky fan base in Philadelphia. |
Kids would wait in the parking lot until the end of practice. To get autographs? No. |
To pelt players with rocks. Really. |
Pro football provided only practice-roster woolgathering, including stints with Chicago and Carolina, before Arena League dabbling in Arizona. |
Last fall, he travelled to Calgary. |
Where, for the first time in years, he suited up for actual games, showing enough promise to get re-signed by the Stamps. |
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. -- The Army's newest Senior Service College has begun accepting applications for its first class. |
Applicants can apply to the Picatinny Arsenal Senior Service College Fellowship through March 29. |
The Defense Acquisition University Senior Service College Fellowship (SSCF) is a 10-month, graduate-level program that prepares Army senior civilians for high-level Army acquisition and sustainment careers, explained Chris Grassano, Director of Talent Management and Director of the Picatinny Arsenal Senior Service Coll... |
The Picatinny Arsenal SSCF is the Army's fourth SSCF. There are also SSCF sites in Huntsville, Alabama; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; and Warren, Michigan. All the sites participate via video telepresence, with instructors teaching from the various SSCF sites. There are breakout sessions within the sites, as well ... |
The SSCF's were established so that civilians could attend service college without having to relocate, and could attend classes from a local or regional location without the financial strain of moving their families or the burdens of being away from their families. |
"While we have the regular Senior Service Colleges like the Eisenhower School (formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF)) at Fort McNair, Virginia. About 10 years ago, the Army decided to launch the Senior Service College Fellowships," Grassano said. |
"They recognized that it's a burden for civilians to leave their families for 10 months or move their families at their own expense, since it is not paid for like it is for the military. So it discourages civilians from attending because of the hardship." |
In addition, the SSCF's are able to focus on specialty courses that are applicable to that location's mission. |
"There's a core curriculum that's common across the Service Colleges, but then each site does a portion of their own thing and has their own flavor," Grassano said. |
For instance, the Picatinny SSCF will have speakers and trips focused on armaments and ammunition, since that is the mission of the primary organizations on Picatinny. Other places such as the Detroit Arsenal SSCF can have unique aspects regarding vehicles, since that is the focus of many organizations in that communit... |
In addition to readings and analyzing case studies, students also take trips, such as visiting Capitol Hill, Combatant Commands and attending seminars. |
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