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Christopher McDonald

Christopher McDonald (born February 15, 1955) is an American film, television, theatre and voice actor.

McDonald is best known for playing the villainous professional golfer Shooter McGavin in the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore. Other notable starring roles for McDonald in film include "T-Birds" member Goose McKenzie in Grease 2 (1982), Darryl Dickinson opposite his former fiancée Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise (1991), Ward Cleaver in the film adaptation, and Tappy Tibbons in Requiem for a Dream (2000). Along with numerous independent and small-budget film roles, he played supporting characters in box-office hits, , , The House Bunny (2008) and.

On television, McDonald was a series regular on network TV shows Walter & Emily (1991–1992, NBC), Good Advice (1993–1994, CBS), Family Law (1999–2002, NBC), Cracking Up (2004, FOX) and Harry's Law, (2011–2012, NBC).

McDonald has portrayed several notable real-life people, including game show host Jack Barry in, mountaineer Jon Krakauer in Into Thin Air: Death on Everest on ABC (1997), sportscaster Mel Allen in the HBO film 61* (2001), Yankee legend Joe DiMaggio in ESPN's The Bronx Is Burning (2007), U.S. Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty on HBO's Boardwalk Empire (2010–2012), Texas revolution soldier Henry Karnes in History Channel's Texas Rising (2015), and Clinton lawyer Robert S. Bennett on FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021).

In 2022, McDonald was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as casino CEO Marty Ghilain on the HBO Max show Hacks.

Personal life
McDonald was born in New York City, to Patricia, a nursing professor and real estate agent, and James R. McDonald, an educator and high school principal.

Of Irish descent and a practicing Catholic,  he and his siblings were raised in Romulus, New York. He graduated from Romulus Central School in 1973 and later earned a degree from Hobart College in Geneva, New York where he played football and soccer. He was also a member of the Kappa Alpha Society. His younger brother, actor and singer Daniel McDonald, died of brain cancer in February 2007. He is a prominent fan of the Buffalo Bills and a friend of former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.

McDonald was engaged to future Thelma & Louise co-star Geena Davis for a period in the mid-80s until 1985, when she left him for Jeff Goldblum. He met actress Lupe Gidley in 1989 when they performed together in a theatre production in New Mexico. They married in 1992 and have three daughters and one son.

Career
McDonald has numerous film and television roles, often as a supporting actor and often portraying villains. In addition to the above, his credits also include Grease 2, Breakin', Where the Boys Are '84, The Boys Next Door, Thelma & Louise, Grumpy Old Men, Celtic Pride, Quiz Show, Happy Gilmore, House Arrest, Flubber, Dirty Work, The Faculty, The Perfect Storm, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, Broken Flowers, Rumor Has It, and American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile. He was featured as Ward Cleaver in the film version of Leave It to Beaver and famous baseball broadcaster Mel Allen in 61*. In 1994, he starred in the film Terminal Velocity as an aggressive Russian mafia villain. He also played Tappy Tibbons in Requiem for a Dream, and was in The House Bunny and About Last Night.

In television, along with a starring role on the TV series Family Law, and recurring roles on North Shore, Veronica's Closet, Good Advice, and Harry's Law, McDonald has also made guest appearances on Matlock, Cheers, Riptide, Knight Rider, The Sopranos, Psych, both the 1985 and the 2002 versions of The Twilight Zone, Home Improvement, Las Vegas, the Law & Order franchise, Stargate Universe, and Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lt. Richard Castillo in the season three episode "Yesterday's Enterprise".

McDonald has also done voice work, including Jor-El in Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited, and an older version of Superman in Batman Beyond. He also voiced the determined government agent Kent Mansley in the animated film The Iron Giant. He subbed for Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg in The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning. In 2009, McDonald lent his voice talents in the Thomas Nelson audio Bible production known as The Word of Promise. In this dramatized audio, McDonald played the role of Luke.

McDonald played the eponymous lead in Peter Gabriel's music video for the song "The Barry Williams Show". He also replaced Robert De Niro in the Midnight Run film franchise, playing Jack Walsh in three films: Another Midnight Run, Midnight Runaround, and Midnight Run for Your Life. He portrayed baseball player Joe DiMaggio in the ESPN original series The Bronx Is Burning. In October 2013, McDonald started filming for A Conspiracy on Jekyll Island. Under the title The Crash, it was released direct-to-video in 2017.

McDonald appeared as Murphy in the Broadway show The Front Page at the Broadhurst Theater, which opened in late 2016.

In 2021, McDonald joined the cast of Hacks on HBO Max as Marty, a Las Vegas casino owner. In May 2021, he was cast in the Disney+ series Secret Invasion, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. which premiered in 2023. In 2023, McDonald appeared in the music video for country music duo The Reklaws' song "Honky Tonkin' About" with Drake Milligan.

title: Christopher McDonald


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Template talk:Cricket-stub

I don't think it is fair use to have a non-free image of a cricket ball appear in every cricket stub. Can Image:Cricketball.jpg be replaced with something? Perhaps this version, but the grass might need to be cropped out. Angela. 09:02, July 17, 2005 (UTC)

 * These are free, too, at least according to what the guy taking the pics said here: http://photobucket.com/albums/b376/albinomonkey/CricketBall/. It might be easier to crop those pictures Sam Vimes 09:10, 17 July 2005 (UTC)

Stub vs stump
Shouldn't this be called a stump? It seems more fitting, especially since we don't always need to conform to the pre-determined Wikifications --150.101.222.216 (talk) 05:02, 30 September 2013 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Template talk:Cricket-stub


text: Talk:Psychedelic folk

title: Talk:Psychedelic folk


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Illbleed

Illbleed (イルブリード) is a survival horror game developed by Crazy Games and released for the Dreamcast in 2001. It was published by Crazy Games in Japan and Amusement Interface Associate (AIA) in North America. The game follows Eriko Christy, a high school student who explores a horror-themed amusement park to find her missing friends. The player explores six haunted house attractions based on fictional horror films, detecting and neutralizing hidden traps and enemies which can harm or frighten Eriko and her friends.

Crazy Games was known as Climax Graphics until a month before Illbleed's release. As Climax Graphics, they developed and published Blue Stinger (1999), an action-adventure game for the Dreamcast. The team wanted to explore horror themes in their next game, and so drew inspiration from haunted house attractions and horror films to create an original scenario that would differentiate it from other horror games.

Illbleed was released in the months following Sega's discontinuation of the Dreamcast. It received mixed reviews, with praise for its original concept, dark humor, camp style, and horror B movie qualities, but criticism for its game design, controls, and playability. It was a commercial failure, only selling a tenth of Blue Stinger's figures; a port for the Xbox was planned, but canceled.

Gameplay
Illbleed is a survival horror game. The player explores six stages, each an amusement park attraction themed after a different fictional horror film, and complete objectives unique to each one. The player begins by controlling the protagonist, Eriko Christy, but as they progress they rescue and recruit more playable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Items can be found throughout levels or purchased at the park's grandstand, which serves as a hub world. Items include text that tells the story, event items needed to complete a stage objective, or recovery items that can heal the player character. The player can purchase recovery items and character upgrades from the "Emergency Room" in each stage and the hub world.

In contrast to contemporary survival horror games, Illbleed prioritizes locating and neutralizing traps over combat; a level's trap locations, enemies, and items are randomized. Different types of traps and enemies can affect the player character's stamina, heart rate, or bleeding rate. Physical damage reduces stamina and increases bleeding, while frightening moments increase heart rate. High bleeding rates cause stamina and heart rate to fall. If the bleeding reaches a certain threshold or they lose all their stamina, the character dies. If their heart rate increases too much, they die of a heart attack, or faint if it drops too low. If the player fails to keep the character alive, they must continue with another available character. Dead characters can be revived outside the level. If there are no remaining characters, the game ends and must be restarted from a previous save point.

To avoid hazards, the player must watch a sensory feedback monitor which indicates the senses of sight, hearing, smell, and a sixth sense. When the player approaches an item or potential hazard, different senses can react on the sensory monitor. The player uses the Horror Monitor, which is found near the beginning of each stage, to dismantle traps. The Horror Monitor allows the player to mark areas for potential traps and enemies at the cost of adrenaline. The player can survey any spot marked; if a trap was there, it is disabled and the spent adrenaline returns to the character. Marking enemies grants the player a first strike advantage when entering battle. Engaging enemies places the game into a combat mode with unique controls, in which the player must neutralize the enemy or escape by calling for a helicopter from a helipad. Winning a battle grants the character adrenaline.

Plot
Eriko Christy is a high school student and horror aficionado. As a child, her family ran a "horror caravan", a traveling horror-themed amusement attraction; her father tested horror gimmicks on her, traumatizing her as a result. When she was six years old, her mother divorced her father and took Eriko, estranging the two. In the present, Eriko's friends Kevin, Randy, and Michel invite her to Illbleed, a new horror amusement park. Its creator, the horror film producer Michael Reynolds, offers a reward of $100 million to anyone who can successfully reach the end of the park. Eriko declines the invitation, assuming it is a cheap publicity stunt, and her friends set out for the park, leaving her behind with her ticket. After not hearing from them for several days, Eriko goes to the park to investigate.

In the park, Eriko explores haunted house attractions themed after horror films, having the opportunity to save each of her friends along the way. If she saves all three and a reporter, Jorg, she and her friends win the prize money, but she states that she is returning to Illbleed and tells them not to follow. This initiates a new game plus mode, wherein Eriko meets Michael Reynolds, discovers he is her father, and defeats him in a final battle.

Development
Illbleed was developed for the Dreamcast by Tokyo-based game developer Crazy Games under the leadership of its founder and producer Shinya Nishigaki. The company was known as Climax Graphics until one month before the game's release. The team began working on Illbleed after completing their first Dreamcast game, Blue Stinger (1999), which was published by Sega in Japan. They considered making a sequel to Blue Stinger, which Sega had requested after its commercial success in the West. However, they elected to make an original horror game instead. Illbleed production took place in Shinjuku, Tokyo and lasted a year and a half. At its peak, Crazy Games had 23 staff working on the game. Programmer Kazuaki Yokozawa designed a new game engine in an effort to alleviate many of the issues in Blue Stinger, such as the camera. This also allowed for higher frame rates and the ability to show more effects and objects on screen.

The team had avoided horror elements in Blue Stinger to distinguish it from horror adventure games on the market like Resident Evil, but they decided to wholly embrace horror for Illbleed. At the time, horror media was undergoing a renaissance as a result of the success of films such as Ring (1998) and Spiral (1998) in Japan, and Scream (1996) in the United States. Wanting a game with jump scares, the team decided to create an elaborate haunted house game that simulated the haunted house attractions seen in amusement parks. They visited haunted house attractions at Fuji-Q Highland in Yamanashi for inspiration, and studied how attractions are designed to play with attendees' expectations. They also drew influence from 1980s American horror films and B movies. Nishigaki, a film aficionado, cited the directorial styles of James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Hayao Miyazaki, and Akira Kurosawa as influences.

Release
Illbleed was announced in April 2000 at Tokyo Game Show. A playable demo was demonstrated at E3 that year and at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2000. Although Crazy Games originally expected Sega to localize the game due to Blue Stinger success, Sega of America dropped Illbleed from its localization lineup in mid-2000, citing a crowded first-party release schedule. Despite this, Sega felt it was a strong game that would get picked up by a third-party publisher, and soon Crazy Games had offers from five different publishers to localize it. Jaleco obtained the rights to the game, but was struggling financially and was bought out by PCCW. Former Jaleco executives founded Amusement Interface Associate (AIA) and its subsidiary AIA USA in early 2001, which ultimately localized the game.

Crazy Games self-published Illbleed in Japan on March 29, 2001 for the Dreamcast, two months after Sega announced it was discontinuing the platform. It was released in North America by AIA USA one month later. A Chinese-language edition was released in January 2002. Crazy Games also released an action figure of Eriko Christy, which was limited to 1,000 figures. Illbleed was a commercial failure, only selling 50,000 copies worldwide, a tenth of Blue Stinger sales.

Ports of Illbleed and Blue Stinger were under development for the Xbox by the Japanese developer Coolnet Entertainment. Despite the port of Illbleed reportedly being 90% complete, the ports were canceled due to Nishigaki's death in 2004 and the Xbox's poor performance in Japan.

Reception
Illbleed received "mixed or average reviews", according to the video game review aggregator Metacritic. Many critics praised its willingness to stray from the typical survival horror gameplay of the time,   by forgoing combat and puzzle-solving segments in favor of trap detection and avoidance. Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) wrote that Illbleed "picks up the dying survival horror torch, douses it in gasoline, and throws it into your treehouse, laughing all the while". Next Generation described the survival horror genre as becoming "almost as ubiquitous as first-person shooters", and felt Illbleed successfully set itself apart. GameSpy agreed, saying the genre needed some kind of innovation, and felt that Illbleed's new gameplay elements and unique humor made it original. GamePro said that the game "scores major points for twisted originality, even if unfocused and clunky execution keeps it from turning horror on its gory, severed ear."

The most-praised elements included the campy B movie style, twisted dark humor, and gratuitous use of blood. GameSpot called the offbeat presentation Illbleed's most redeeming quality, writing that "gratuitous use of luscious, spurting blood sets its B movie tone perfectly". EGM described the game as "psychotically gorgeous" and "freaking bizarre". Dreamcast Magazine (UK) summarized the game in one word, "excess", explaining that everything in the game was "insane" and "over-the-top". GameSpy and GameSpot observed that the game was self-aware of its camp qualities and fully embraced it. While the voice acting was panned by EGM and GameSpy, Dreamcast Magazine felt it contributed to its campy quality. Both EGM and Next Generation wrote that the game had a low budget feel which made it feel in the same vein as the B movies that inspired it.

Illbleed's game design and controls were criticized. Critics said the stiff jump mechanics, the stark difference between walking and running, and the camera system all contributed to frustration. IGN wrote that it could be difficult to enjoy the game while these problems interrupted the experience. Edge described the room-to-room exploration as a repetitive "minesweeping" exercise of tagging traps, but felt it worked generally well except for a lack of checkpoints. GameSpot and GameSpy criticized what they called "stop and go" pacing: needing to stop and scan rooms for traps upon entering them, before being able to proceed.

Critics recommended Illbleed to players who can appreciate schlock horror and ignore technical flaws. GameSpot wrote that whether players enjoy the game depends on their "affinity for slapstick horror" and "tolerance for tedium." Producer Shinya Nishigaki said of the reception: "Illbleed requires a high degree of intelligence to play [...] It was just an entire mix of entertainment that many people couldn't understand. To me, the negative reviews of the game did not affect me at all." The game has amassed a cult following.

title: Illbleed


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Talk:Muhammad Musa (general)

Untitled
Please see if u can break the article into parts.That way its reasonable--Chatni 09:04, 17 July 2005 (UTC)

Copyvio?
I am concerned that all or part is copyvio. See for eaxmple http://ghazali.net/book1/body_chapter_9.htm. " However, the Baluchistan High Court restored the assembly amid public condemnation of Governor's move that was believed to be taken with the consent of the President and Prime Minister." Rich  Farmbrough 18:29, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

And http://www.defencejournal.com/july98/1965war.htm "Broadly the plan envisaged, on a short-term basis, sabotage of military targets, disruptions of communications, etc. and, as a long-term measure, distribution of arms to the people of occupied Kashmir and initiation of a guerrilla movement there with a view to starting an uprising in the valley eventually. The push towards Akhnur was not part of it. However, it was considered as one of the likely operations that we might have to undertake, as we felt our activities would have an escalating effect." Which in turn may a quote from Musa. Rich  Farmbrough 18:33, 18 November 2005 (UTC)

General Musa
The previous version was more about Operation Gibraltor and War then about General Musa. It was less relevant.

Orphaned references in Muhammad Musa
I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Muhammad Musa's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.

Reference named "Partridge Publishing": From Yahya Khan:  From Gul Hassan Khan:

I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT ⚡ 01:19, 20 October 2016 (UTC)

Quoted section needs attribution
There's a paragraph in the "Post-1965 war" section here that appears to be part of a newspaper story, though that's not well expressed at all. The paragraph starts with "The loser in the final analysis was Pakistan, described so feelingly by General K.M. Arif in an analysis carried by "Daily Dawn", 6 September 1990."

I don't know how to resolve / format / credit /punctuate this. A quick google didn't turn up the actual source. Can someone sort this out? Thank you. Jessicapierce (talk) 19:41, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

External links modified (February 2018)
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I have just modified 2 external links on Muhammad Musa. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
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A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 21:53, 16 September 2018 (UTC)
 * General Muhammad Musa Khan Hazara (1958–1966).jpg

Inaccuracies and POV
I am finding numerous inaccuracies, unsourced staements and distortions in this article. Some examples:
 * In 1950s, Musa Khan earned reputation as being respected in the officer corps for professional competence, commanding the military formations throughout the country as officer commanding.
 * But the source says:

 * In 1964, he became aware ... and presented views against the operation due to no linkage between the covert actions and the conventional backup.
 * The first source says:
 * The second source says:
 * The first source directly contradicts the content claimed. The second source states a claim by Musa Khan, which has been inserted here as a fact. Moreover, there is complete distortion about the "linkage".
 * The first source directly contradicts the content claimed. The second source states a claim by Musa Khan, which has been inserted here as a fact. Moreover, there is complete distortion about the "linkage".
 * The first source directly contradicts the content claimed. The second source states a claim by Musa Khan, which has been inserted here as a fact. Moreover, there is complete distortion about the "linkage".

 * He led and commanded the Pakistan Army in the largest tank battle, which earned him public fame.
 * The source has four footnotes, none of which talk about Musa leading anything, nor about any "public fame".

This is just a sample, but enough to throw the veracity of the entire article into doubt. -- Kautilya3 (talk) 14:30, 23 September 2018 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
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 * General Muhammad Musa Khan Hazara.jpg

Commons files used on this page have been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons files used on this page have been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussions at the nomination pages linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 15:52, 1 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Gen Musa Khan C in C arrived at a landing strip in forward are.jpg (discussion)
 * Gen Musa Khan in 1965.jpg (discussion)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
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 * General Musa Khan, 1958.jpg

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
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 * General Musa, Circa 1935 in a British Uniform.jpg

title: Talk:Muhammad Musa (general)


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Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a science fiction-action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian and American syndication. A toy line was also produced by Mattel, and during each episode there was a segment that included visual and audio material which interacted with the toys. A production of Landmark Entertainment Group, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future was created by Gary Goddard and Tony Christopher, and developed by Marc Scott Zicree, with J. Michael Straczynski becoming de facto head writer. Plans to bring the series back, set 28 years after the first series, were announced in July 2016. Goddard Film Group, headed by one of the original series co-creators, Gary Goddard, was one of the development teams working on the new series.

General plot
The storyline was set on Earth in the 22nd century following the Metal Wars, a cybernetic revolt that resulted in the subjugation of the human race by intelligent machines. Captain Jonathan Power and a small group of guerrilla fighters, called the "Soldiers of the Future", oppose the machine forces that dominate Earth.

Central storyline
Each episode began with the following introduction, plus a recap of the storyline:

"Power on". Actor Timothy Dunigan, outfitted in his character's full regalia (one of the "Power Suits" of exoskeletal armor that Robert Short Productions created for the show), turned to the camera and delivered this line.

Voiceover artist Brad Crandall: Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

Earth, 2147. The legacy of the Metal Wars, where man fought machines—and machines won. Bio-Dreads—monstrous creations that hunt down human survivors... and digitize them. Volcania, center of the Bio-Dread Empire; stronghold and fortress of Lord Dread (David Hemblen), feared ruler of this new order. But from the fires of the Metal Wars arose a new breed of warrior, born and trained to bring down Lord Dread and his Bio-Dread Empire. They were "Soldiers of the Future"--mankind's last hope. Their leader--Captain Jonathan Power (Dunigan), master of the incredible Power Suits, which transform each soldier into a one-man attack force. Major Matthew 'Hawk' Masterson (Peter MacNeill), fighter in the skies. Lieutenant Michael 'Tank' Ellis (Sven-Ole Thorsen), ground assault unit. Sergeant Robert 'Scout' Baker (Maurice Dean Wint), espionage and communications. And Corporal Jennifer 'Pilot' Chase (Jessica Steen), tactical systems expert. Together they form the most powerful fighting force in Earth's history. Their creed: to protect all life. Their promise: to end Lord Dread's rule. Their name: Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future!

By the year 2132, advanced robotic soldiers known as "Bio-Mechs" had replaced humans in the armed forces of the world's nations. The existence of Bio-Mechs meant that wars could be fought without significant loss of life, allowing turning war into a nearly harmless battle between machines. A group of scientists, led by Dr. Stuart Gordon Power (Bruce Gray), had begun working on an advanced supercomputer, called OverMind, capable of overriding the control systems which the world's armed forces used to operate the Bio-Mechs, and thus stop them, bringing an end to war. It required an equivalent to human brain patterns to become operational. But Dr. Power's closest associate, Dr. Lyman Taggart (David Hemblen), became impatient with the slow pace of the project and hooked himself up to the system, bringing the supercomputer to operational status.

With the new opportunities offered by the human-machine combination, Taggart becomes obsessed with the precision and "perfection" of machines and convinces himself that merging human consciousness with mechanical bodies is the next step in human evolution. OverMind achieves self-awareness and shares Taggart's beliefs as they take over Bio-Mech armies throughout the world and attack humanity in a conflict known as the Metal Wars.

World governments turn to Dr. Power for find a way to stop Taggart. He develops the "Power Suits", a combination of exoskeletal body armor and advanced weapons and prepares a number of prototypes for testing. However, Power apparently dies trying to rescue his son Jonathan from Taggart, though Jonathan is convinced that his father is still alive somewhere. Taggart himself is severely wounded, and OverMind saves him by implanting cybernetic mechanisms into his body, eventually calling himself Lord Dread.

By 2147, fifteen years after the Metal Wars broke out, humanity had been largely annihilated by Lord Dread's forces, and those who survive live miserable existences in hiding lest they be discovered by Bio-Mechs and "digitized" as virtual beings within OverMind. Advanced Bio-Mechs called Bio-Dreads and humans loyal to Dread carry out the extermination, as Dread rules from his headquarters in Volcania, somewhere in North America. In episode 8 "And Study War No More", the location of Volcania is announced as being in "sector 9 by 6". The computer map shows its location near the Great Lakes region of North America.

Despite the dire situation, a number of human forces band together and fight the Bio-Dread Empire. One of the leading human resistance groups, Jonathan Power's "Power Team", uses his father's Power Suits to mount attacks on Bio-Dread forces. They stage out of the "Power Base", an abandoned NORAD installation in the Rocky Mountains, and are guided by a supercomputer programmed with Mentor, an artificial intelligence designed by Dr. Power in his own image and voice to guide his son and the group. It is later revealed that there are human resistance groups in other locations.

"Project New Order"
During the show's only season, there was a story arc involving Project New Order, Lord Dread's plan to eradicate human life and develop his ideal world. The plan consisted of four stages:

 * Styx, the release of a powerful toxin into the human population.
 * Charon, the creation of an advanced Bio-Dread warrior force.
 * Icarus, the construction of a massive orbital platform capable of large-scale digitizing.
 * Prometheus, the release of a plasma storm capable of scorching the Earth's surface.

Captain Power's group uses a system of teleportation portals, called "transit gates", both to move quickly around North America and to keep their base's location secret. However, at the conclusion of the first season, Lord Dread breaks the gates' access codes and sends forces to assault the base. Power and most of his team escape the facility, but Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase, a former member of the "Bio-Dread Youth", is trapped and activates the base's self-destruct mechanism, killing herself and the Bio-Dread troops.

J. Michael Straczynski was the writer of the last episode of the series. He commented about Pilot's death, revealing that the scene was inspired by an especially tragic event in his own past: "I've never talked about this before—said I was in a thoughtful mood—but I've known several people, friends, who've taken their own lives. In one case, I spoke to her just beforehand. Tried, through the phone lines, to reach her one more time, pull her back from the edge. I couldn't. Years pass. Time comes for me to write the last filmed episode of Power". He also added: "Jennifer Chase is going to die, partly of her injuries, partly of her own volition. Part of my life went into that scene, in the way it was constructed, and what was said. And what was not said, what never had the chance to be said, and thus still burns. I knew that, at the crucial moment of that scene, he couldn't be near her, as I wasn't near my friend...it had to be long-distance, hearing but not seeing her, and the terrible pain of arriving too late. I cannot watch that episode without crying. Ever".

Proposed second season
The second season focuses on an anguished Captain Power neglecting his duties as the leader of the team and obsessed with killing Dread and Locke, the slicer who had betrayed them in the previous season finale, to avenge Pilot's death. Major Hawk would have assumed more leadership roles as Power goes off on his vendetta. Two characters were to have been introduced: Chris "Ranger" O'Connor, a woman who would be Tank's love interest; and Private Chip "TNT" Morrow, a soldier who had appeared in the first season under the name of Andy Jackson.

The plot also covered the team's quest to find "Eden II", a supposed secret human refuge mentioned in the first season, while setting up a base of operations on a facility that was the prototype of the Power Base. Lord Dread would have gained a new mechanical form, as actor David Hemblen was not required back except, perhaps, for voice work. His new army would have consisted of "Hunter-Seeker" troops and a new Warlord-class Bio-Dread called Xenon. Dread would also have gained a new assistant called Morgana II, a machine with the mind of his former lover – who would have proven to be Jonathan Power's mother.

OverMind would have taken a larger role in the war and revealed a hidden agenda: after digitizing all the remaining human beings, it would erase them from existence. Wanting to keep this secret from Dread, the plot would have seen the AI give Soaron secret programming to assassinate Lord Dread in case he suspected anything.

In the recent DVD release, series head writer J. Michael Straczynski reveals that the planned end for the series was Lord Dread learning of OverMind's hidden agenda, and as a result, teaming up with Captain Power to free all of humanity from OverMind.

Adult storyline
A great majority of the show's story line was filled with romance and intrigue, which was made for the adults who watched the show with their children. Thus, the story was filled with romantic kisses, sexual innuendo, and occasionally scenes which implied sexual encounters between characters. Mild profanity was also present; "damn" was said on at least one occasion, and Pilot told Blastarr to "go to hell" in response to his order to surrender. In addition, the violent death of one of the major ongoing characters in the series (detailed above) was also an unusual development for a children's series. The inclusion of a "Bio-Dread Youth", which recruited young survivors to Lord Dread's ideals to further advance his agenda, also paralleled fascist regimes.

Criticism and cancellation
Captain Power attempted to appeal to both children and adult audiences, with its dark, post-apocalyptic storyline showing the aftermath of nuclear war and featured allegories on topics such as Nazism. Ultimately, this became the show's undoing. It was seen as too violent for children because of its toys for shooting at the television and live-action violence. Its less mature aspects, such as the title, drove away adult audiences. Other factors contributing to the show's failure included the higher cost of a live-action show (each episode cost an estimated $1 million to produce) compared to the cheaper production costs of a cartoon, as well as the fact that the gameplay between the show and the toys was extremely poor. Poor transmission time-slot choices also contributed to the show's cancellation: it was sold to syndication as opposed to a regular network time-slot, which resulted in some television stations airing it in the 5:00-6:00 AM time-slot on Sunday mornings. The subsequent poor ratings hastened the show's demise. In an article from Starlog #128 written by Marc Shapiro with quotes from one of the writers of the show, Larry DiTillio, there are the following statements:

But for all those noble sentiments, Captain Power, to the public at large, is perceived as just another excuse to sell toys. It is a notion that rubs story editor Larry DiTillio the wrong way.

"We're not writing stories with the idea of turning each episode of Captain Power into a video game", declares DiTillio. But DiTillio, a first season staff writer who became story editor when J. Michael Straczynski (Starlog #111) left the position for a similar post with the revived Twilight Zone, claimed that ramrodding the script side of Captain Power hasn't been easy.

"This show has definitely not made my life easier", chuckles DiTillio. "This is not just another kid's cartoon show. The writing is always to an adult level. There is the interactivity which has been centered mainly in the battle sequences but we aren't in a position of having to write X amount of animation and interactivity into each episode. I want to make it very clear that around here, we're working for the story".

There is a tone of desperation in DiTillio's voice as he defends the writing integrity of Captain Power. It's a desperation resulting from dealing with cliché story submissions that have come streaming in amid the confusion about how childlike or adult Captain Power is. "People are coming in with the same old stories", DiTillio laments. "I'm getting Star Trek, Star Wars and Terminator. If I wanted another Terminator, I would call James Cameron".

Matthew J. Costello was critical of the show in 1988: "Not only is the 'show' a thirty-minute ad for the toys (as is He-Man and the many other toy-based programs), but Captain Power sets up two classes of viewers — those who have a collection of the toys (which interact with the program during a special five-minute segment), and those who don't".

In a subsequent Starlog article a year after the cancellation, DiTillio cited many reasons for Mattel cutting off the show's funds, resulting in the show's cancellation: "Mattel's tie-in toys didn't sell up to expectations, parents group charges that the show was too violent, and having to shell out Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild residual payments because Captain Power was live-action".

J. Michael Straczynski commented about the show's cancellation and the planned second season. Re: Captain Power "...Yeah, that's a show that is an example of what to strive for, and how sometimes good intentions can get derailed. We genuinely wanted to come up with a long-term story, and by and large, we succeeded. The problem was the marketing in front of the show, and the merchandising behind the show...we got killed from both sides".

"There's an entire second season of unproduced CP scripts, story edited by Larry DiTillio, in which he follows up on the arc that I and others established during the first season. You would have found out what Dread became, what happened to Power's mother, where Eden was (and there would be direct contact), what the secret was in Soaron's programming, and so on".

In 1987, Captain Power was one of the targets of anti-toy related children's television advocates who claimed that the series focused on selling children expensive toys for full participation. For British viewing, the BBC and the commercial ITV network as well as its stations gave them thumbs down on the series, so they enabled the British cable channel Super Channel to pick up the series, despite the fact they have lobbying from the distributors, which was set to air beginning in 1988, given by the fact the present climate on Britain over sex, violence and commercialism in programming.

Action figures and interactive game
A line of toys and interactive television games were released by Mattel, whose distributor MTS Entertainment is a subsidiary of it. Some ships and playsets, when firing at the screen, could interact with various segments of the Saturday morning TV program.

The first interactive toy and game for the series was a toy XT-7 jet with a video cassette. There were three tapes: "Future Force Training", "Bio-Dread Strike Mission", and "Raid On Volcania". The tapes featured live introduction and end segments with the cast of the television show. The actual mission itself was animated and took place in the jet cockpit from the first-person point of view of the pilot/player. Players would hold the toy jet and face the screen. The toy was actually a sort of light gun that responded to signals from the television playing the tape. The toy jet would get points by firing at appropriate targets on the screen and lose points when the sensor on the jet got "hit". Upon reaching zero points, the cockpit would eject automatically. Since the "game" was only a VHS tape, the missions always played out the same way. The toy could also interact with the live action television broadcast in the same manner. Other interactive objects in this series were the "Phantom Stryker" Bio-Dread ship, the "Interlocker Throne" for Lord Dread, which consisted of a stationary tank on a tripod and an optional target viewer that could be taken on and off, and the "Power On" platform, which the user could plug the Captain Power figure into. Whenever the transformation was triggered on screen or the base was fired at by one of the other vehicles, the toy would immediately trigger the "Power On" sequence causing the chest of the figure to glow.

The toys also had the ability to interact with each other, similar to the Laser Tag toys popular at the time. When played in this way, each toy had a limited number of hit points, but any points earned by playing against the television show increased this total.

In 1988, a second and slightly more scarce series was released. It is unknown whether the Dread Trooper and Dread Commander action figures were ever released: pictures of these figures were shown in the Mattel dealer catalog, but no other photograph of them exists.

Season 2 (unproduced)
Scripts for a second season were commissioned and written, but the season was never produced. Twenty-two scripts were assigned, but that number was later reduced to 18.

Characters

 * Tim Dunigan – Captain Jonathan Power. The son of a prominent scientist who tried to create a special computer to handle all BioMechs around the world, Captain Power leads a band of "Soldiers of the Future", also called "The Power Team", to combat Lord Dread's forces.
 * Peter MacNeill – Major Matthew "Hawk" Masterson. A specialist in air operations, Masterson is seen as the team's father figure and was an old friend of Stuart Power.
 * Sven-Ole Thorsen – Lieutenant Michael "Tank" Ellis. The genetically engineered "Tank" Ellis is the team's burliest member. He is an expert in heavy weapons and wears a heavily armored power suit.
 * Maurice Dean Wint – Sergeant Robert "Scout" Baker. The team's communications expert, who wears a special power suit that can help disguise him as a BioDread Empire trooper or give him other appearances.
 * Jessica Steen – Corporal Jennifer "Pilot" Chase. A former BioDread Youth member and the only female Soldier of the Future, Chase helms the Jump-Ship, an armored personnel carrier that serves as the group's primary aircraft, and atop which Power's personal aircraft, the XT-7 PowerJet, is docked when not in use. She and Power have a mutual attraction that is not resolved with her death in the season finale.
 * David Hemblen – Lord Dread/Dr. Lyman Taggart. A world-renowned expert in artificial intelligence, Taggart became Lord Dread after his experiment linked his mind with that of the computer OverMind.
 * Bruce Gray – The Mentor/Dr. Stuart Gordon Power. The father of the show's main protagonist and the creator of the Soldiers of the Future's Power Suits, Dr. Power was close friends with Dr. Lyman Taggart until their differences surfaced over how the BioMechs should be used. He dies trying to save his son from being assimilated by Taggart. He also created Mentor, an artificial intelligence version of himself, to help Power live life even after his death.

A promotional video produced months before the series aired featured a sixth "Soldiers of the Future" member: Colonel Nathan "Stingray" Johnson, a specialist in seaborne operations. In the recent DVD release, series creator Gary Goddard reveals that the character of "Stingray" Johnson was cut shortly before the series went to production, simply because Landmark Entertainment was unable to afford to build a water tank to film aquatic battles.

Voice actors

 * Deryck Hazel – Soaron: a flying "Warlord-Class" Bio-Dread designed to digitize humans at will.
 * Tedd Dillon – OverMind: a supercomputer created by Drs. Power and Taggart to manage all BioMechs around the world, OverMind casts his lot with Taggart after he assumes the personality of Lord Dread.
 * John Davies – Blastarr: the only product of Project New Order's Charon program, Blastarr is a BioDread equipped with fingertip lasers and feet that also have tank treads.
 * Don Francks – Lackki: a BioDread servant who is actually working for OverMind, but Lord Dread sees his real purpose and engineers an accident to dispose of him for good.

Comic book
The show also spurred a short-lived comic book of the same name, published by Continuity Comics in 1988–1989, illustrated by Neal Adams with stories by J. Michael Straczynski, who was also the series story editor, writing half the episodes and providing stories or outlines for many more.

DVD release
The complete series was released on a 4-disc DVD set in region 1 in December 2011. The set contains all 22 episodes plus much bonus material including interviews and commentaries with cast members.

Reboot: Phoenix Rising
In September 2012, Ain't It Cool News announced that series creator Gary Goddard was in the process of reviving the series. The new series project, titled Phoenix Rising, uses the original rising phoenix symbol of the Captain Power franchise, though the motif has been slightly altered. The series would be a one-hour weekly drama, looking at both sides of the post-apocalyptic conflict, starting with the origins of characters (which were only touched upon halfway through the first season). No networks or cable channels have been announced as being a part of the project, nor have any casting choices been revealed. On board with the project are writer/producers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who have been tapped to develop the revival/reboot of the franchise. Stephan Martinière was heading up the conceptual art for the show. A 2014 interview revealed that, despite delays, the revival was still in the works.

An announcement teaser for the new series was uploaded to YouTube in July 2016, with the show making an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Video game
There is a video game for Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, published by Box Office Software in 1987 for the PC, and 1988 for Commodore 64.


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Rona McKenzie

Rona Una McKenzie (20 August 1922 – 24 July 1999) was a New Zealand cricketer, and was the first Maori to captain the New Zealand women's cricket team. She played as an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling right-arm medium. She appeared in seven Test matches for New Zealand between 1954 and 1961, captaining in them all. McKenzie's highest score was 61 as she scored 295 runs at an average of 22.69, and she took 8 wickets at 26.75, with a best bowling of 4 for 18. She played domestic cricket for Auckland.

Her first Test series was on the 1954 tour of England. She played in all three Tests, losing the series one-nil. 1956–57 saw a tour to Australia, and one Test, which was lost. England toured New Zealand in 1957–58 playing two drawn Tests, and Australia visited in 1960–61, when one drawn Test was played.

In the 1975 New Year Honours, McKenzie was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to women's cricket.

title: Rona McKenzie


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Damien - Omen II

Damien – Omen II is a 1978 supernatural horror film directed by Don Taylor. It is the sequel to The Omen, and the second installment of The Omen series. It stars William Holden and Lee Grant, with Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Robert Foxworth, Lew Ayres, Sylvia Sidney, Lance Henriksen, Ian Hendry, and Leo McKern. Set seven years after the first film, it follows a now-pubescent Damien Thorn (Scott-Taylor) as he begins to realize his destiny as the Antichrist.

Franchise producer Harvey Bernhard wrote the screen story, with a screenplay by Stanley Mann and Mike Hodges. Hodges was the original director, but was replaced by Don Taylor early in production. Unlike the first film, which was shot in England and Italy, filming of the sequel took place primarily in the United States, in locations around Chicago, Illinois and Wisconsin. The opening scene was shot in Israel.

It was released by 20th Century Fox on June 9, 1978, and received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, Omen III: The Final Conflict, was released in 1981.

Plot
One week after the events of the first film, archaeologist Carl Bugenhagen learns that Damien Thorn is still alive. Bugenhagen asks his friend Michael Morgan to deliver a box to Damien's new guardian, explaining that Damien is the Antichrist and that the box contains the Seven Daggers of Megiddo needed to kill him. When Morgan expresses scepticism, Bugenhagen takes him to a local ruin to see the mural of Yigael's Wall, which was said to have been drawn by a monk who had visions of the Antichrist as he would appear from birth to adulthood. Morgan believes him upon seeing Damien's face painted on the mural, but both he and Bugenhagen are buried alive after the ruins abruptly collapse.

Seven years later, the 12-year-old Damien is living in Chicago with his aunt and uncle, Ann and Richard Thorn. Damien gets along well with his cousin Mark, with whom Damien is enrolled in a military academy, but is despised by Richard's aunt Marion, who sees him as a bad influence on Mark and threatens to cut Richard out of her will if he does not separate the two boys. Late one night, Marion suffers a fatal heart attack after being scared by a raven that appears in her room.

Over the following days, a number of other bizarre incidents surrounding the Thorn family occur: a photojournalist who tried to interview Richard after seeing Yigael's Wall (and Damien in person) is run over by a truck after being blinded by a raven attack, a senior manager of Thorn Industries (a corporation owned by the family) drowns in a frozen lake, and two other employees are suffocated by toxic fumes following an unexpected gas leak at a factory plant. The latter incident also sickens Damien's class, who were visiting the plant at the time. At the hospital, Damien is the only student found to be unaffected by the fumes, but a doctor suggests keeping him in the hospital as a precaution. The doctor later discovers that Damien's marrow cells resemble those of a jackal, but is killed by a falling elevator cable before he can report his findings.

Meanwhile, Bugenhagen's box has been found during an excavation of the ruins and delivered to the Thorn Museum. Dr. Warren, the museum's curator and Richard's friend, opens it and finds the sacred daggers, along with a letter by Bugenhagen explaining that Damien is the Antichrist. Warren rushes to inform Richard. Mark overhears their conversation and confronts Damien, who admits to being the Devil's son. Damien pleads with Mark to join him on his rise to power, but Mark's steadfast refusal "forces" Damien to kill Mark by causing an aneurysm in his cousin's brain.

Shaken by his son's death, Richard goes to New York City to see a half-crazed Warren before being taken to the train station, where Yigael's Wall is being stored in a cargo carrier. As he sees Damien's image, Warren is killed in a freak locomotive accident, convincing Richard beyond doubt that Damien is the Antichrist. Upon his return, Richard has Damien picked up from his graduation at the academy while taking Ann to the museum in order for them to retrieve the daggers. After finding them, however, Ann uses them to kill Richard, revealing herself to be a Satanist and proclaiming that she's "always belonged to him". As she screams Damien's name, Damien, having overheard the altercation, wills a nearby boiler room to explode, setting fire to the building and killing Ann. Damien leaves the burning museum and is picked up by the family driver as the fire department arrives.

Writing
David Seltzer, who wrote the first film's screenplay, was asked by the producers to write the second. Seltzer refused, for he had no interest in writing sequels. Years later he commented that if he had written the story for the second Omen, he would have set it the day after the first installment, with Damien a child living in the White House. With Seltzer turning down Omen II, producer Harvey Bernhard duly outlined the story himself, and Stanley Mann was hired to write the screenplay.

The earliest drafts presented Damien as a teenager and featured a female love interest. The love interest was deleted in the final film.

Casting
Academy Award-winning veteran actor William Holden was considered to star as Robert Thorn in the first Omen, but turned it down as he did not want to star in a picture about the devil. Gregory Peck was selected as his replacement. The Omen went on to become a huge hit, and Holden made sure he did not turn down the part of protagonist Richard Thorn in the sequel. Lee Grant, another Oscar-winner, was a fan of the first Omen, and accepted enthusiastically the role of Ann Thorn.

Ray Berwick (1914–1990) trained and handled the crows used for several scenes in the film. Live birds and a crow puppet were used for the attack on photojournalist Joan Hart. Berwick also trained the avian actors in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963).

Leo McKern reprises his role as Carl Bugenhagen from the original film. McKern is the only cast member of the series to appear as the same character in more than one instalment, although actor Tommy Duggan appears in the first and third instalments of the series as different characters.

Damien – Omen II was the film debut of Meshach Taylor (Dr. Kayne).

Under Mike Hodges
Richard Donner, director of the first installment, was not available to direct the second; he was busy working on Superman. British director Mike Hodges was hired to helm the film. Four weeks into principal photography, however, Hodges left the film: "artistic differences" was the reason given to the media, but the producers were unhappy with Hodges' working methods which they claimed were too slow and placing the film behind schedule. Hodges nonetheless maintained a screenwriter's credit on the finished film.

Harvey Bernhard cited a demonstrative instance where Hodges spent half a day's filming setting up a single shot of Damien coming from the stone pillars at the far end of the garden on the Thorn Estate in order to place a bonfire in the foreground. In later interviews, Hodges gave his own account of his experiences working on Omen II. He claimed that Bernhard produced a gun during an argument about the design budget, also that he left of his own accord rather than being fired.

Under Don Taylor
Bernhard replaced Hodges with Don Taylor, who had a reputation for finishing films on time and under budget. Taylor reshot several of Hodges scenes, though several of the earlier director's takes remain in the final film, including:

 * The entire opening sequence in Jerusalem.
 * Some of the footage at the factory and at the military academy.
 * The dinner where Aunt Marion shows her concern about Damien

Lance Henriksen expressed frustration that Taylor cut most of his role and character development.

Taylor also added the twist ending of Ann Thorn being a secret disciple of Damien who kills Richard in the climax.

Filming locations
Unlike the first film, which was shot primarily in England, Damien was filmed primarily in the United States.

The film was mainly set in Chicago and was largely filmed in that city's downtown. The Thorn Industries building was actually Chicago City Hall. Another scene took place at Graceland Cemetery. Scenes that were supposedly at a New York City railroad freight yard, with the CBOT Tower and the Sears Tower clearly visible in the background, were actually filmed at the Rock Island Railroad's 12th Street intermodel yard in Chicago, Illinois.

Other locations included Lake Forest Academy's campus, which was used as the Thorn Mansion, the Northwestern Military and Naval Academy's Lake Geneva, Wisconsin campus, which was used for the military academy, with real Lake Geneva students portraying most of the academy cadets, and the Murphy Estate on Catfish Lake in Eagle River, Wisconsin for the skating scene, with local children playing the skaters. The Field Museum of Natural History, depicting the Thorn Museum, was also used in several scenes throughout the film, including some of its final minutes.

The opening scenes were filmed in Acre, Israel, as well as the ruins of the crusader city Akko.

The interiors were shot at 20th Century Fox soundstages in Los Angeles.

Reception
The film received mixed reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 48% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 5.1/10. The site's consensus states: "Damien dishes out ghoulish scares and a Biblical body count to generate some morbid fun, but this repetitious sequel lacks the sophistication of its predecessor."

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote, "Perhaps my resistance has given out but Damien—Omen II, though it's as foolish as the first film, is rather more fun to watch and sometimes very stylish-looking." Variety wrote, "Damien is obviously wearing out his welcome, but presold interest and a couple of gruesome, ghastly death scenes should shore up business for the summer." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune found it inferior to the original because "there's nothing particularly surprising or horrifying about a teen-ager in league with the devil. Also, the commotion the kid inspires this time is not particularly frightening." Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote, "Far from advancing the unsavory premise of the first film, this one doggedly retraces its steps. The result is an inferior copy rather than a narrative continuation." Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "For all its slavish copying of the original, 'Damien — Omen II' plays differently. It's a hoot instead of a scream. Its deaths are frequent and exceedingly graphic, but you wait for them as for the acts on a variety bill. The connective tissue is frailer this time, and there is almost no accumulation of suspense." Richard Combs of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, "The main trouble with the Evil One as a protagonist is that his opposition never looks very convincing—and like its predecessor, Omen II is based on a rather lame structure in which successive individuals discover something amiss about Damien and then meet an inexorably bloody end."

Box office
The film opened at number one at the US box office with a gross of $3,880,880 in its opening weekend from 524 theaters. It went on to gross $26.5 million in the United States and Canada, generating theatrical rentals of $12.1 million. Worldwide, it earned rentals of $20.6 million compared to $46.3 million for the original.

Soundtrack
After Harvey Bernhard had finished writing the story outline and was given the green light to start the production, the first person he contacted was Jerry Goldsmith because of the composer's busy schedule. Bernhard also felt that Goldsmith's music for The Omen was the highest point of that movie, and that without Goldsmith's music, the sequel would not be successful.

Goldsmith's Omen II score uses similar motifs to his original Omen score, but for the most part he avoided re-using the same musical cues. In fact, the first movie's famous "Ave Satani" theme is reprised only partially, just before the closing credits begin. Goldsmith composed a largely different main title theme for Omen II, albeit one that utilises Latin phrases as "Ave Satani" had done. Goldsmith's Omen II score allows eerie choral effects and unusual electronic sound designs to take precedence over the piano and Gothic chanting.

Unlike The Omen (and The Final Conflict), Jerry Goldsmith's score was recorded in the US, with the soundtrack album re-recorded in Britain for financial reasons. Lionel Newman conducted both the film and album versions; Varèse Sarabande later released an expanded CD including both, the liner notes of which explain the reasons behind the re-recording (a short-lived union rule meant that musicians had to be paid the full amount for the film and album use if the soundtrack was released on LP, doubling their fee. It was cheaper, therefore, to re-record in the UK than pay the orchestra double in the US). The liner notes also explain that some of the soundtrack's pieces have been rewritten slightly or even merged for the album re-recording. The audio quality of these UK-recorded album tracks also sounds noticeably more dynamic. Some sections of the film's soundtrack – the tapes of which were thought lost for many years – were discovered to have warped in storage and have noticeable and uncorrectable flaws. (The film soundtrack is listed from track 11 onwards).

Home media
The film was released on videocassette during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2000, it was part of The Omen Quadrilogy DVD set released in the US and UK, and was not available separately until 2005. In 2006, to coincide with the DVD release of the remake of the original film, The Omen and its sequels were released individually and together in an ultimate Pentalogy boxset digitally remastered and with more bonus features. In 2008, it was released on Blu-ray with its predecessor and 1981 sequel, Omen III: The Final Conflict. It is available as streaming video with a Cinemax subscription, alongside its predecessor, sequels and remake, all of which are downloadable through Amazon, Apple's iTunes and Vudu; it is also available alongside The Final Conflict for streaming on Disney+ via the international brand Star.

title: Damien - Omen II


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Marcel Aubut

Marcel Aubut, (born January 5, 1948) is a Canadian lawyer, former president of the Canadian Olympic Committee and former president and Chief Executive Officer of the Quebec Nordiques of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a board member of many businesses and organizations.

He is currently a Quebec City-based lawyer at M.A. Droit & Stratégie d'affaires inc. He previously worked at Heenan Blaikie and BCF.

Personal life
Born in Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup in Rivière-du-Loup Regional County Municipality, Quebec, the son of Roland Aubut and Omérine Proulx, Aubut received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Académie de Québec in 1968, a Bachelor of Law degree from Université Laval in 1970, and a Master of Law degree in 1975 from Université Laval. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1972 and was created a Queen's Counsel in 1987. In 1970, he married Francine Vallée. They had three children: Mélanie, Julie and Catherine.

Honours
In 1986, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 1993. In 2006, he was made an Officer of the National Order of Quebec. In 1999, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Quebec Nordiques and hockey
He was a member of the National Hockey League's Board of Governors. He is the former president of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

He was also instrumental in the defections of Anton, Marian and Peter Šťastný from communist Czechoslovakia to play for the Quebec Nordiques.

When the Nordiques drafted future NHL superstar Eric Lindros in the 1991 draft, Lindros refused to play for the team. It was later revealed by Lindros in a 2016 interview that this decision was based entirely on Aubut, explaining, "The decision to not play for Quebec was based solely on the owner. It had nothing to do with language, culture, [or] city. Keep in mind, my wife is French [from Quebec]. I was not going to play for that individual – period."

Aubut was president of the Nordiques when the team was sold to an American communications company and moved to Denver in 1995, becoming the Colorado Avalanche. Maclean's magazine reported that Aubut personally made $15 million from the sale and that T-shirts reading "Marcel Aubut: Wanted Dead or Alive" were not an uncommon sight in Quebec City at the time.

Recently, he proposed Quebec City as home of a new NHL team. Aubut argued that with the new NHL collective bargaining agreement and the coming 400th anniversary of Quebec City in 2008, the city could build a new arena or a stadium.

On October 9, 2009 Aubut met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. The meeting reportedly dealt with plans for a brand new Quebec arena. The unofficial details were that the city of Quebec was a leading candidate for a new franchise or one for relocation. An agreement for a new arena was reached in March 2012.

Canadian Olympic Committee
Aubut was named a member at large of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) in 2000, and was elected to the Board of Governors and Executive Committee in 2005. In 2009, he was voted in as President-elect of the COC, taking over from Michael A. Chambers following the 2010 Winter Olympics in the spring of 2010. Aubut was the first francophone ever elected President of the COC.

During his time as President, Aubut greatly raised the profile of Canada's Olympic athletes and expanded the COC's operations, with corresponding increases in revenues and expenditures supporting amateur sport. In 2014 Aubut was acclaimed to a second four-year term as President. He served as a member of the Board of the organizing committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and was appointed to the International Relations Commission of the International Olympic Committee.

On September 25, 2015, the COC received a complaint from a staff member at the Canadian Olympic Foundation alleging sexual harassment by Aubut. One week later, two other women came forward with allegations and the investigation was expanded. The Foundation, a charitable organization that raises money for Olympic sport, shares office space with the COC in Toronto. On September 30, 2015, Aubut and the COC announced that he would step aside as President of the COC and Chair of the Foundation while the COC investigation into the matter was conducted. The COC engaged retired Quebec Superior Court justice François Rolland as an independent investigator. After more allegations against Aubut appeared in the press, Aubut resigned as President of the COC on October 3, 2015.

title: Marcel Aubut


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Trey Anthony

Trey Anthony (born 1983) is a British-born Canadian playwright, actor, and producer, best known for her award-winning play and television series Da Kink in My Hair. As a producer, she worked for the Women's Television Network and the Urban Women's Comedy Festival. She founded Trey Anthony Studios, a television and theatre production company dedicated to producing new works of theatre.

Personal life
Born in London, England to Jamaican parents, Anthony arrived in Canada at 12 years old with her mother. They lived in the working class district of Rexdale in Toronto before moving to suburban Brampton. Before leaving for Canada, Anthony's mother had left ahead, leaving her from the ages of 6 to 12 to be raised by her grandmother.

Anthony's grandmother had in turn left her mother in Jamaica when leaving for the UK. Anthony's grandmother had been part of the Domestic Scheme Act, allowing her to go to a first world country if she proved she had no family ties.

She has a brother, Darren Anthony, who is also a writer.

Anthony is openly lesbian.

Career
She is a regular on the Canadian comedy circuit. She began doing stand-up comedy during African Nubian Comedy Nights where she honed her comedic wit and timing. She soon became a crowd favourite and began writing and producing her own sketch comedy shows at Second City. These shows sold out monthly and Anthony moved her monthly shows to a bigger venue, growing her audience, and creating more demand for her theatrical work and projects.

She is a recipient of the prestigious Harry Jerome Award for the arts and the recipient of an Eve Ensler Award of the Arts.

In 2017, Anthony launched her new brand, Black Girl in Love, which features the first lifestyle planner/organizer geared at professional black woman and also includes merchandise, workshops and retreats.

She has performed at The Second City, the Urban Womyn's Comedy Festival and Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. She was also a writer and performer for Kenny Robinson's sketch comedy show After Hours with Kenny Robinson and a writer for The Chris Rock Show.

In 2017, her play How Black Mothers Say I Love You debuted at the Factory Theatre, Toronto. She is currently working on turning How Black Mothers say I Love You into a feature film.

In 2020, Anthony appeared in CBC Gem's Queer Pride Inside special.

'Da Kink in My Hair
Her hit play and television series,  'Da Kink in My Hair, has received tremendous critical acclaim, and was named one of the top ten plays in Canadian theatrical history and the winner of four NAACP and received several Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Originally set as a one-woman show,  'Da Kink documents the lives of women in a Caribbean style Jamaican hair salon in Toronto.

Starting out at the Toronto French Festival in 2001  'Da Kink has been produced in California, New York, London, and was the first Canadian play to be produced at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

Anthony is the first Black Canadian woman to write and produce a television show on a major prime time Canadian network. A television series version of 'Da Kink in My Hair began airing in 2007 and Anthony was a cast member before the show was cancelled in 2009.

 'Da Kink in my Hair is currently touring again in Canada.

Trey Anthony Studios
Trey Anthony Studios was founded by Anthony with the mission to "produce television and theater for urban audiences." It has produced and continuous to produce Anthony's works and has also produced Secrets of a Black Boy, a play written by her brother Darren.

Selected works

 *  'Da Kink in my Hair
 * I Am Not a Dinner Mint, The Crap Women Swallow to Stay in a Relationship!
 * How Black Mothers Say I Love You
 * Black Girl in Love (with Herself)

Awards

 * Eve Ensler Vagina Warrior Award 2005
 * NAACP Theatre Award 2007
 * Gemini Award 2008
 * Harry Jerome Award 2009
 * Egale Canada – Queering Black History Award 2009

title: Trey Anthony


text:
Carrier (video game)

Carrier (キャリアー) is a survival horror video game for the Dreamcast, notable in part for being fully 3D - then still a rarity for survival horror games, which mostly displayed 3D characters over pre-rendered backgrounds. In Carrier, players assume the separate roles of an investigation team that was split up from a surprise attack.

A cancelled sequel for the PlayStation 2 titled Carrier: The Next Mutation was once planned for release in February 2001.

Gameplay
Despite the basic attributes of the game's controls, there were additional features to make the gameplay more unique.
 * Aiming: Though players aim whilst their character stands in place, players have the ability to focus their fire on targeted areas of their enemies bodies. Once the player aims at an enemy, a circle of tiny blue triangles indicate vital areas on an enemy that can be amputated, such as arms, heads and, sometimes, even torsos.
 * Explosives: During the course of the game, players are faced with certain doors or blocked areas that cannot be accessed unless timed explosives are first obtained. These explosives, once set on the ground, detonate after five seconds, giving the player some time to evacuate before detonation. The blast radius of these explosives is relatively small, but still deadly, so it is necessary for the player to run away from the bomb before it explodes. Despite being mainly used as a tool, the explosives can also be used as weapons for slow enemies that work in groups. However, because these bombs cannot be thrown and only one can be set at a time, the player must strategize before using them as a weapon.
 * BEM-T3 Scope: Early on in the game, players receive an infrared scope used for biohazardous warfare to determine if certain individuals are infected with particular infections. During gameplay, this device helps players determine if certain non-player characters (NPCs) are infected with the mutagenic strain spread around the ship. On-screen indicators help in determining if crew members are uninfected with a large SAFE symbol, while others display a DANGER symbol on the Scope's internal visor. Various specific sounds will also indicate if a crew member/character is affected by this condition. Because it was created for warfare, the BEM-T3 can also determine whether certain caches or compartments contain items, weapons or ammunition. Although the scope does not designate which item is actually a weapon or ammunition clip, the item indication will show up on the sensor, accompanied with a series of light sounds. Players also have the option of zooming in on their surroundings while using the scope and it is also handy for looking down dark corridors and determining enemy distance.

Premise
The background to Carrier involves some reading into as the current events in the game are influenced by past organizations that are pivotal to the storyline. Following the year 2008, the world faced an economical decline as natural resources and agriculture had reached a new low. A massive political divide ensued as the leaders of advanced nations decided to restrict the transportation of aid and agricultural items to their respective countries: those on the Southern Hemisphere and those on the Northern Hemisphere.

Naturally this caused a massive decrease in trade and employment for both sides that sparked great economic and moral criticism from the G77, a political organization formed by seventy-seven different southern countries.

As conditions worsened for the southern countries, terrorist activity arose from the south, so much that the terrorist leaders formed a large group known as the Southern Cross. Southern Cross activity in Colombia caught the concern of the US military, so much that the US took a militaristic stand against terrorist activity and started the US-G77 Crisis, though the G77 claimed to have been uninvolved in the Southern Cross activities. Despite this, the leaders of the northern countries organized an international enforcement known as the NTA (Northern Treaty Alliance) to assist the north's military strength against terrorist activity. The US military added to this by constructing larger bases and vehicles against the Southern Cross, including a base in Mozambique and an enormous and technologically advanced aircraft carrier named Heimdal.

With the Heimdal as the US Navy's largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever constructed and capable of launching a barrage of ballistic missiles, the carrier soon demonstrated its power on a mission called Operation Hurricane. Three Special Forces divisions were placed on the Heimdal to carry out an attack on a Southern Cross base as well as to pick up an ancient organism said to have been located somewhere in the South Pacific. The next day after the transportation of the organism, sabotage struck the engine room, though the Heimdal could still make its course back to American shores. Two days afterward, the Heimdal exhibited a period of radio silence, yet the ship was still heading for shore through the Pacific.

It's here that an NTA investigation team known as SPARC is sent to enter the Heimdal and discover what caused the radio silence. The first team that was originally sent in landed and entered the ship safely, but were quickly silenced; a second team was sent in afterwards, hopefully to assist the previous team. When the team's helicopter starts to land on the Heimdal, the Heimdal's guns automatically lock-on to the chopper and shoot it down, separating the team aboard the Heimdal. It's from here that very odd but dangerous mutants attack the main characters in their search for the truth.

Reception
The game received average reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.

Jon Thompson of AllGame noted that "there are plenty of aspects to Carrier for die-hard survival horror fans to appreciate, but ultimately, the title suffers from a number of problems and quirks that keep it from being anything more than average." Thompson noted that the large environments lead to a tedious amount of backtracking and that "when there are a lot of objects on the screen, the game slows to a crawl. This makes boss battles particularly obnoxious, since most bosses are fairly huge, and when you are with them, the game sputters along as if it were in slow motion." Jeff Lundrigan of NextGen said that the game was "Well made and reasonably entertaining, but nothing you haven't seen before." In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40.

Tokyo Drifter of GamePro said in one review, "Carrier may not win any awards for most original gameplay, but gamers who have played through Code Veronica, or who are just looking for a change, should definitely check it out." In another GamePro review, however, Jake The Snake said, "If you loved RE on the PlayStation and can't wait to play a similar—but not nearly as good—game on your Dreamcast, you might enjoy Carrier. Otherwise, wait for the real thing—Resident Evil – Code: Veronica."

title: Carrier (video game)


text: User talk:209.90.145.42

title: User talk:209.90.145.42


text:
Rainmaker

Rainmaker or The Rainmaker may refer to:

 * A practitioner of rainmaking
 * A practitioner of rainmaking (ritual)

Characters

 * The Rainmaker, a mysterious character in the film Looper
 * Sarah Rainmaker, a fictional character from the Gen13 comic book series

Film and television

 * The Rainmaker (1926 film), a lost American silent film
 * The Rainmaker (play), by N. Richard Nash
 * The Rainmaker (1956 film), starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn
 * The Rainmaker, John Frankenheimer's 1982 television film
 * The Rainmaker (novel), a novel by John Grisham
 * The Rainmaker (1997 film), starring Matt Damon and Danny DeVito

Albums

 * Rainmaker (Fair Warning album) (1995)
 * Rainmaker (Kevin Moore album) (1980), and the title song
 * Rainmaker (YFriday album) (1999), and the title song
 * The Rainmaker (album) (2001), by The Flower Kings
 * Rainmaker, a 1969 album by Michael Chapman

Songs

 * "Rainmaker" (Emmelie de Forest song) (2014)
 * "Rainmaker" (Iron Maiden song) (2003)
 * "Rainmaker", by Harry Nilsson and Bill Martin from the 1969 album Harry
 * "Rainmaker", by Kansas from the 1988 album In the Spirit of Things
 * "Rainmaker", by The Partridge Family from the 2001 album Sound Magazine
 * "Rainmaker", by Preston Reed from the 1996 album Ladies Night
 * "Rainmaker", by Sleigh Bells from the 2017 EP Kid Kruschev
 * "Rainmaker", by Sparklehorse from the 1996 album Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
 * "Rainmaker", by Spear of Destiny from the 1984 album One Eyed Jacks
 * "Rainmaker", by Traffic from the 1971 album The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys
 * "Rainmaker", by Vanden Plas from the 1997 album The God Thing
 * "Rainmaker", by Wellington Womble of The Wombles (1976)
 * "Rainmaker", by Yanni from the 2003 album Ethnicity

 * "Mr. Rainmaker", by Warrant from the 1990 album Cherry Pie

People

 * Boyd Melson (born 1981), American boxer
 * Rainmaker, ring name of Japanese professional wrestler Kazuchika Okada

Other uses

 * Rainmaker (business), a person who brings in much new business and/or accounts
 * Rainmaker Digital Effects, a digital effects studio
 * The Rainmaker: a Passion for Politics, a political memoir by Keith Davey
 * Rainmaker, a recurring mode in the Splatoon video game series

title: Rainmaker


text:
Senior house officer

A senior house officer (SHO) is a non-consultant hospital doctor in the Republic of Ireland and many Commonwealth countries. SHOs usually have a minimum of 1 year post medical school training. SHOs are supervised in their work by consultants and registrars. In training posts these registrars and consultants oversee training and are usually their designated clinical supervisors.

The same structure to junior doctor grades also applied previously in the National Health Service in the UK, and informal use of the term persists there.

Irish usage
NCHD grades in order, from most junior to most senior:
 * Intern — (post-graduate year 1)
 * Senior house officer — (PGY ≥ 2)
 * Registrar — (PGY ≥ 3)
 * Specialist registrar — (PGY ≥ 4)
 * Fellow (PGY variable)

In Ireland, physicians typically spend one year as an intern, before becoming a Senior House Officer (SHO). Most doctors spend between 2–4 years working as an SHO. Advancing to registrar level is dependent on experience and aptitude within a specialty; in most cases, becoming a registrar depends primarily on having successfully passed postgraduate examinations such as MRCP/MRCS, although this is not a strict requirement. Most doctors work at registrar level for 1–3 years before being accepted onto a training programme in a particular subspecialty (e.g. Cardiology), after which time, they are known as SpRs (Specialist Registrars). SpR programmes typically last for between 3–6 years. On completion of an SpR programme, doctors are eligible to apply for consultant positions, although the majority opt to undertake 1–2 years of fellowship training – often abroad – prior to appointment at consultant level.

Former UK usage
Since the introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC), grades in the UK differ from those in the Republic of Ireland.

British postgraduate training
Before MMC, physicians applied for SHO posts after completing their mandatory pre-registration house officer (PRHO) year after qualifying from medical school. They would typically work as an SHO for 2–3 years, or occasionally longer, before going on to a certain subspeciality where they would take up a specialist registrar post to train as a specialist in that particular field. To qualify for these, SHOs had to be in posts approved by a regional postgraduate dean, as well as passing postgraduate exams (such as the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians, MRCP). SHO jobs typically lasted four or six months in various departments and were often provided in one- or two-year rotations.

Modernising medical careers
In 2002, the Department of Health announced reforms in the training of newly qualified doctors under the banner of "Modernising Medical Careers", merging the PRHO year and the first year of SHO training into a "foundation programme" (FY1 and FY2). This programme was formally introduced in August 2005.

In August 2002, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, the then Chief Medical Officer, published a report titled "Unfinished Business", which focused on reforming SHO training. The SHO grade was abolished and renamed specialty registrar. This change took place in 2007. Amongst the many changes, many doctors who had completed their Foundation Training were now appointed into a "run-through" training programme that incorporated the previous SHO and specialist registrar grades. The job title changed from "SHO" to "ST1/ST2" (specialist trainee year 1 & year 2). Part of this decision was subsequently reversed in a number of specialties, with competitive entry into the registrar grade ("uncoupled training"), and in these specialties the SHO level posts are referred to as "CT1/CT2" (core trainee year 1 & year 2) and in some "CT3".

Current status in the UK
Some hospitals use the term senior house officer in an unofficial capacity for physicians in FY2 and CT1/2 year, who often have similar working patterns in duty shift rotas.

The term still applies to non training posts, those organised by a hospital/trust as opposed to a Deanery, where a physician is employed at a level after full registration with the GMC and before entering higher specialty training. These posts are typically referred to as "Trust SHO", "Junior Clinical Fellow" or other such terms.

United States
In the United States, physicians in training are also sometimes referred to as "senior house officers" in their later years of residency, but the term is more variable in its American than its European usage.

Use in the rest of the world
Specializing post-graduate clinical students are still referred to as Senior House Officers in many other countries around the world, most of which were British colonies and adopted the British education system like Uganda.

title: Senior house officer


text:
Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition

The Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition is an annual competition which confers awards of recognition to the most outstanding units of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in combat readiness, operational proficiency and administrative excellence. Besides encouraging the above, the award also seeks to promote esprit-de-corps and camaraderie among participating Army, Air Force and Navy units through friendly competition.

The assessment factors of the competition are:

 * Combat Proficiency Test
 * Marksmanship Test
 * Individual Physical Proficiency Test
 * Standard Obstacle Course
 * Unarmed Combat
 * Security
 * Manpower Matters
 * Logistics Readiness Inspection
 * Vehicle State
 * Training Safety

The competition was started for active SAF units in 1969, before being extended to the reservist units (now known as NS units) in 1993. These units are conferred their awards at the annual Singapore Armed Forces Day parade.

The types of units that participate include:
 * Singapore Infantry Regiment (SIR)
 * Singapore Combat Engineers (SCE)
 * Ordnance Supply Base (OSB), the Kranji base

Active Army units
The 1st Commando Battalion has won the Best Combat Unit for an unprecedented 38 times since the award was launched in 1969, and for 21 consecutive years since 2004.

Active Navy units
Two new awards in maritime security and in naval engineering and logistics were introduced in 2015.

Active Air Force units
The Best Helicopter Squadron award was introduced in 2010 to recognise the contributions of the RSAF helicopter squadrons. In 2014, two new awards in Control and Air Engineering were introduced. A new award in air logistics was introduced in 2015. 140 SQN currently holds the record for clinching the Best fighter Squadron 12 times.

Naval NS units
A new Best Naval NS Unit award was introduced from 2015.

Controversies
In 2003, the 1st Commando Battalion was barred from the competition after it was found guilty of doctoring score-keeping records and fitness test results.

In 2009, three regulars from the 24th Battalion Singapore Artillery were convicted of falsifying their unit's test scores. Soldiers' results for the standard obstacle were doctored. As a result, the unit was disqualified that year and the trio were convicted and fined by the General Court Martial.

Press releases

 * Factsheet - List of Best NS Unit Competition Winners 2000
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2006
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2007
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2008
 * Factsheet: Best Unit Award Winners for SAF Day 2009
 * Fact Sheet: Best Unit Award Winners (for 2010)
 * Fact Sheet: Full List of Winners (for 2011)
 * Fact Sheet: Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition 2012
 * Fact Sheet: Full List of Winners (for 2013)
 * Winners of Best Unit Competition 2014
 * Factsheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2015
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2016
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2017
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2018
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2019
 * Fact Sheet: Winners of Best Unit Competition 2020

Video clips

 * , accessed 4 December 2008.


text:
Galtür

Galtür is a village and ski resort in the upper Paznaun valley in Austrian state of Tyrol located in the Central Eastern Alps 35 km southwest of Landeck near the border of Vorarlberg and Switzerland.

History
Galtür was settled by the Engadiners from the south, the Walsers and Vorarlbergers from the west, and Tyroleans from the east. Today the cultivation work of the Engadiners is remembered in the name Galtür, meaning Cultura. During the Thirty Years' War, Galtür was badly damaged. The church and many houses were burned down. The first roads leading through the Paznaun were built in the 19th century. During that period, Galtür consisted of a church, an inn, and eight houses, and was considered very poor. After the first hotel was built, the Jamtalhütte was soon constructed. With the advent of tourism, Galtür and the valley became prosperous.

On February 23, 1999, an avalanche descended on Galtür. In less than 60 seconds, the 164 ft wall of snow traveled at 290 km/h, and overturned cars, destroyed buildings, and buried 57 people—of these, 31 died before rescue teams could reach them. The avalanche was considered the worst in the Alps in 40 years. Due to the continuing danger of avalanches, thousands of tourists were evacuated from the Paznaun valley via air-lift. Military and civil helicopters from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, and the United States were engaged in one of the biggest rescue operations of Austria's recent history. The avalanche was caused by three major weather systems from the Atlantic that produced large snowfalls totaling around 4 meters in the area. Alternating freezing and thawing created a weak layer on top of an existing snow pack, followed by additional snowfall. High winds created large snow drifts, and eventually caused roughly 170,000 tons of snow to fall on the village.

Ski Resort
Galtür is a popular tourist destination in winter. There are 40 km (25 mi) of perfectly prepared pistes and a varied selection of slopes to explore. Galtür is a family-friendly ski area. Most ski slopes range from easy to medium difficulty. In addition, ski pros find challenging runs and many deep snow slopes without any tracks. There are 10 mountain railways and lifts, including the eight-seater Alpkogel gondola. Wednesday evenings, night skiing is possible on a floodlit piste.

Galtür's ski resort is called Silvapark and is located 2 kilometres outside the main village in the small village of Wirl. Ski buses run along the main road through Galtür between the ski area and other destinations in the valley, including Ischgl, Kappl, and See. There are stops in Galtür at the Hotel Alpenrose, Dorfplatz, and Alpinarium, as well as one stop next to the Birkhahnbahn chair lift in Wirl. In Wirl, skiers and snowboarders can take either the Birkahahnbahn chair lift or the Alpkogelbahn Gondola up onto the mountain.

Silvapark offers 40 km of groomed pistes served by 3 chair lifts, 1 gondola and 5 smaller tow lifts. Many of the runs are marked Blue and Red, making the resort accessible to families and beginners. In addition to these, the resort also offers a number of more difficult Red and Black runs, which means, coupled with the off piste possibilities, the resort caters for more advanced skiers and snowboarders too. Off piste opportunities through trees and between runs, particularly surrounding the Breitspitzbahn chair lift, are available, even for less experienced skiers. This area is much quieter and has better on-piste conditions.

There are several mountain huts and restaurants on the mountain which offer traditional Austrian cuisine and a friendly atmosphere. Most offer indoor and outdoor dining areas as well as smoking and non-smoking areas respectively. At the bottom of the Alpkogelbahn Gondola, there are a number of hotels which have ski in ski out facilities. These hotels offer accommodation and facilities for those who would rather not take a ski bus.

title: Galtür


text:
John Norden

John Norden (c. 1547 – 1625) was an English cartographer, chorographer and antiquary. He planned (but did not complete) a series of county maps and accompanying county histories of England, the Speculum Britanniae. He was also a prolific writer of devotional works.

Life
Norden is known to have been born in Somerset, to a "genteel" family, but his family background is otherwise obscure. He entered Hart Hall, Oxford, in 1564; and graduated BA in 1568 and MA in 1573. He subsequently led a peripatetic existence, but for much of his life had his home in Middlesex on the outskirts of London: he was living in Walham Green, Middlesex, in 1592; by 1607 he was at Hendon, Middlesex, where he remained until 1619; and in the latter year he moved to the parish of St Giles in the Fields, where he eventually died in 1625. He was married and had at least two sons, John Norden junior, and Josias.

The Speculum Britanniae
The first instalment of Norden's chorographical project was published in 1593 as the Speculum Britanniae: the First Parte: an Historicall, & Chorographicall Discription of Middlesex. The manuscript in the British Library (Harleian MS 570) has corrections in Lord Burleigh's handwriting.

In 1595 he wrote a manuscript "Chorographical Description" of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Wight, Guernsey and Jersey, dedicated, and perhaps presented, to Queen Elizabeth (now British Library Add. MS 21853). In 1596 he published his Preparative to the Speculum Britanniae, dedicated to Burleigh. In 1598 there appeared the only other part of the project to reach print in his lifetime, Speculi Britaniae Pars: the Description of Hartfordshire.

He also completed accounts of five other counties in manuscript. Three of these were printed many years after his death: Essex, edited for the Camden Society in 1840 by Sir Henry Ellis from a manuscript at Hatfield House; Northamptonshire, known to have been finished in 1610, but not published until 1720; and Cornwall, likewise finished in 1610, but published in 1728. The other two counties were Kent and Surrey: even the manuscripts for these are now lost, although the Surrey text would presumably have overlapped with that in the "Chorographical Description" of 1595.

Later survey work
In 1600 Norden was appointed surveyor of the crown woods and forests in Berkshire, Devon, and Surrey; in 1605 he obtained the surveyorship of the Duchy of Cornwall; and in 1607, after a careful survey, he composed his valuable Description of the Honor of Windsor, with fine maps and plans in colour, dedicated to James I. In 1608 he was mainly occupied with the surveying of crown woods, especially in Surrey, Berkshire and Devon, and with the writing of his works on forest culture Considerations touching... raising... of Coppices, and Relation of... Proceedings upon... Commission concerning new forests, to which he added in 1613 his Observations concerning Crown Lands and Woods.

In 1612 he was made surveyor of the royal castles in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall; in 1616 and 1617 he appears surveying the soke of Kirketon in Lindsey, as well as various manors and lands belonging to Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I. His last works were a survey of Sheriff Hutton manor, Yorks, in 1624, and England, an intended guide for English travellers, a series of tables to accompany Speed's county maps, executed in 1625, shortly before his death.

Cartography
Norden's maps of London and Westminster (in his Speculum Britanniae of 1593) are the best representations known of the English metropolis under the Tudors; his maps of Middlesex (also from the Speculum Britanniae of 1593), of Essex (1594), of Hertfordshire (1598) and of Cornwall (published in 1728; see above) are also notable. In the last of these the roads are indicated for the first time in English cartography.

Norden also executed maps of Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex, for the fifth edition (1607) of Camden's Britannia; and maps of Middlesex, Essex, Sussex, Surrey and Cornwall for John Speed (1610).

Several important cartographical works are lost. These include Norden's Map ... of Battles fought in England from ... William the Conqueror to Elizabeth, in 16 sheets, formerly in the Bodleian Gallery, Oxford, of which elements are probably preserved in the Invasions of England, an appendix to Speed's Prospect of the most Famous Parts of the World (1635); and his View of London, in 8 sheets, made c. 1604–6, and View of London Bridge, published in 1624. An earlier View of London by Norden (1600), and an 1804 reprint of the View of London Bridge, are held in the Crace collection at the British Library. A map of Surrey by Norden, said to have been copied by Speed and Kip in Camden's Britannia of 1607, has also disappeared.

Devotional writings
Norden frequently experienced difficulty in finding patronage for his cartographical and chorographical work. A steadier source of income was his devotional writing, of which he published twenty-four volumes between 1582 and his death. A Pensive Mans Practise, first published in 1584, reached more than forty editions in his lifetime.

He always kept the two areas of his professional life quite separate, and when in the late 1590s a series of dedications in his devotional works to the Earl of Essex placed him in political difficulties with Sir Robert Cecil he attempted to deny authorship, claiming that the devotional books were the work of "another of my name ... [a] Norden pretender". This denial has caused historians some difficulty, but Frank Kitchen has established beyond doubt that there was only one John Norden.

title: John Norden