Halcyon

Halcyon is a name originally derived from Alcyone of Greek mythology and may refer to:

Birds

Buildings

Games

Literature

Music

Albums

Songs

Halcyon (console)

The Halcyon was a home video game console by RDI Video Systems. The system was planned to be released in January 1985 with initial retail price for the system was US$2500. Fewer than a dozen units are known to exist and it's not generally believed that the system ever made it to retail. The design featured a laserdisc player and attached computer, each the size of an early-model VCR. Of the six games planned only two games were completed: Thayer's Quest and NFL Football LA Raiders vs SD Chargers. RDI Video Systems claimed that the system would be entirely voice-activated, and would have an artificial intelligence on par with HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

History

Rick Dyer was one of the many fans of the interactive fiction game Adventure. He envisioned a game that would feature illustrations of every scene in this game, the first prototype being a roll of printing calculator tape that would be wound forward and backward via microprocessor to show illustrations and information drawn on its surface.

Halcyon (album)

Halcyon is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 5 October 2012 by Polydor Records. It was recorded between 2011 and 2012, during promotion of her debut album, Lights (2010). Goulding worked with several producers on the album, including Jim Eliot, Starsmith, Billboard, Justin Parker, MONSTA, Madeon and Mike Spencer, in addition to collaborating with artists such as Tinie Tempah and Calvin Harris.

Halcyon received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Goulding's more aggressive showcase of her voice, however, less favorable reviews felt that "the main flaw of Halcyon is that it occasionally feels a bit too much". The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, selling 33,425 copies in its first week. In January 2014, it topped the UK Albums Chart and gave Goulding her second number-one album. Halcyon also debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 in the United States, while reaching number one in Ireland, the top five in New Zealand, and the top 10 in Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

Feint

Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or even none, will. In military tactics and many types of combat, there are two types of feints: feint attacks and feint retreats.

Attacks

A feint attack is designed to draw defensive action towards the point under assault. It is usually used as a diversion to force the enemy to concentrate more manpower in a given area, to weaken the opposing force in another area. Unlike a related diversionary maneuver, the demonstration, a feint involves actual contact with the enemy.

Retreats

A feint retreat is performed by briefly engaging the enemy, then retreating. It is intended to draw the enemy pursuit into a prepared ambush, or to cause disarray. For example, the Battle of Hastings was lost when Saxons pursued the Norman cavalry. This forfeited the advantage of height and the line was broken, providing the opportunity to fight in single handed combat on a neutral vantage point, a battle for which the Saxons were not ready. The Parthian shot is another example of a feint retreat, where mounted Parthian archers would retreat from a battle and then, while still riding, turn their bodies back to shoot at the pursuing enemy.

The Phantom Agony

The Phantom Agony is the first full-length studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. It was released in 2003 by the Dutch label Transmission Records. It is the first album recorded by guitarist Mark Jansen after his departure from the band After Forever. On this album, Mark Jansen continues with the collection of songs that make up "The Embrace That Smothers". The first three parts can be found on Prison of Desire (2000), After Forever's debut album, and the following three parts can be found on The Divine Conspiracy (2007), Epica's third album. These songs deal with the dangers of organized religion.

The album was re-released on 23 March 2013, which coincided with Epica’s 10th anniversary Retrospect show, as a 2-disc expanded edition by Epica’s former record label Transmission Records.

Track listings

Personnel

Singles

The Phantom Agony

"The Phantom Agony" was the first single of the eponymous album. It was released in October 2003.

Track listing