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2004 Malaysian general election

General elections were held in Malaysia on Sunday, 21 March 2004. Voting took place in all 219 parliamentary constituencies, each electing one Member of Parliament to the Dewan Rakyat, the dominant house of Parliament. They were the first elections for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister following his appointment in 2003. State elections also took place in 505 state constituencies in twelve of the thirteen states (except Sarawak) on the same day as Sabah took the first time election was parallel with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia.

The Barisan Nasional received 64% of the vote (but would have gained a higher vote had all seats been contested) and won 198 seats to the combined opposition parties' 20 seats, with one independent. This was the largest majority that the Barisan Nasional had won since the 1978. The dominant party in the National Front, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), won 109 seats, a gain of 37. UMNO's allies also gained seats; the Malaysian Chinese Association won 31 seats, a gain of two, and the Malaysian Indian Congress won nine seats, a gain of two.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) managed to retain only seven of its 27 seats. PAS ran on a platform promising an Islamic nation. The PAS opposition leader, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, lost his parliamentary seat. Another opposition party, the People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Nasional) lost four of its five seats. After five recounts the party's leader, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (the wife of imprisoned former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim), retained her seat with a majority of 590 votes.

The third opposition party, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which was routed in the 1999 elections, improved its performance with the re-election of party chairman Lim Kit Siang in Ipoh Timor seat and his deputy, Karpal Singh in Bukit Gelugor seat although chairman Kerk Kim Hock lost his seat. The DAP won 12 seats and regained the official leadership of the opposition in the national parliament from PAS.

Most candidates who campaigned on platforms of Islamic issues lost their seats. This was a significant turnaround compared to the previous elections, where generally the more "Islamic" candidates had a greater chance of winning in the Malay heartland.

Background
On 2 March, the tenth national parliament and all state assemblies in Malaysia (with the exception of Sarawak) were dissolved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong upon the advice of the Prime Minister. Sarawak's last state election was held in 2001, and elections for the state assembly were not due till 2006.

The elections were held nine months earlier than required by the constitution. The constitution allowed for a parliamentary term of up to five years. Elections were required to be called three months after parliament is dissolved. The government had until the end of November 2004 to call elections.

Campaign
Candidates were nominated on 13 March, with the National Front winning 15 seats uncontested, and another two seats after the opposing candidates withdrew. The right to withdraw was only introduced as a new rule at these elections. Under this rule candidates are allowed a three-day period to withdraw following nomination day. Of the 17 parliamentary seats won uncontested, nine were in the state of Sabah, six in Sarawak and two in Johor.

PAS won a state assembly seat Senggarang in Johor for the first time, after the National Front candidate was disqualified because she was seconded by someone who was not a registered voter in the constituency that she wanted to contest. The requirement that the seconder be registered in the same constituency was only introduced in 2004. This seat was influenced by other opposition parties to gain many state seat in 2008 contest.

Conduct
The elections were marred by discrepancies, which were admitted by the electoral authorities. The head of the Election Commission (Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman) made the statement "I have been in this line for so long... it should not have happened at all. There must be reasons why this happened." He has served in the election commission for the last five elections, and has stated that he intends to resign if a report on the discrepancies implicates him in the foul-ups.

Among the discrepancies were wrongly printed ballots, registered voters being unable to vote and wide discrepancies in votes in various seats upon re-counting the ballots.

In the seat of Sungai Lembing in state of Pahang, the Keadilan symbol was printed wrongly on the ballot paper for PAS candidate Idris Ahmad. Illiterate voters tend to rely on familiar party symbols for voting purposes as they are unable to read the candidate's names on the ballot. Voting was suspended for 5 hours before resuming. Polling was re-held for the seat on 28 March.

title: 2004 Malaysian general election


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Baron Killearn

Baron Killearn, of Killearn in the County of Stirling, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1943 for the diplomat Sir Miles Lampson. He was the second son of Norman Lampson, youngest son of Sir Curtis Lampson, 1st Baronet, of Rowfant (see below). Lord Killearn's eldest son, the second Baron, succeeded his second cousin once removed as fourth Baronet in 1971. On his death the titles passed to his half-brother, the third and present holder of the barony and baronetcy.

The Lampson Baronetcy, of Rowfant in the County of Sussex, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1866 for the Anglo-American businessman Curtis Lampson. His grandson, the third Baronet, was an author, journalist and explorer, notably in Central and West Africa. On his death in 1971 the title was inherited by his second cousin once removed, the aforementioned third Baron Killearn (see above).

The family seat is Little Sodbury Manor, near Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire.

Barons Killearn (1943)

 * Miles Wedderburn Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn (1880–1964)
 * Graham Curtis Lampson, 2nd Baron Killearn (1919–1996)
 * Victor Miles George Aldous Lampson, 3rd Baron Killearn (b. 1941)

The heir apparent is the present holder's eldest son, Hon. Miles Henry Morgan Lampson (b. 1977) The heir apparent's heir apparent is his son, Alfred Victor Christopher Lampson (b. 2009)

Lampson baronets, of Rowfant (1866)
see above for further succession
 * Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, 1st Baronet (1806–1885)
 * Sir George Curtis Lampson, 2nd Baronet (1833–1899)
 * Sir Curtis George Lampson, 3rd Baronet (1890–1971)
 * Sir Graham Curtis Lampson, 4th Baronet (1919–1996) (had already succeeded as Baron Killearn in 1964)

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

title: Baron Killearn


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Baron Kershaw

Baron Kershaw, of Prestwich in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1947 for Fred Kershaw, who later served as a Lord-in-waiting in the Labour government of Clement Attlee. the title is held by his grandson, the fourth Baron, who succeeded his father in 1962 (who in his turn had succeeded his elder brother in 1961).

Barons Kershaw (1947)

 * Fred Kershaw, 1st Baron Kershaw (1881–1961)
 * Herbert Kershaw, 2nd Baron Kershaw (1904–1961)
 * Edward Aubrey Kershaw, 3rd Baron Kershaw (1906–1962)
 * Edward John Kershaw, 4th Baron Kershaw (b. 1936)

The heir apparent is the present holder's son Hon. John Charles Edward Kershaw (b. 1971). The heir apparent's heir, and next in line, is his son Edward John George Kershaw (b. 2001)

title: Baron Kershaw


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STS-53

STS-53 was a NASA Space Shuttle Discovery mission in support of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). The mission was launched on December 2, 1992, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This was also the last mission to have been operated via MCR-2 in JSC. Afterwards the room was restored entirely to its Apollo era appearance.

Mission highlights
Discovery carried a classified primary payload (DOD-1) for the United States Department of Defense (DoD), two unclassified secondary payloads and nine unclassified middeck experiments.

Discovery's primary payload, USA-89 (1992-086B) is also known as "DoD-1", and was the shuttle's last major payload for the Department of Defense. The satellite was the third launch of a Satellite Data System-2 (SDS 2-3) military communications satellite, after USA-40 on STS-28 and STS-38's deployment of USA-67.

Secondary payloads contained in or attached to Get Away Special (GAS) hardware in the cargo bay included the Orbital Debris Radar Calibration Spheres (ODERACS) satellites and the combined Shuttle Glow Experiment/Cryogenic Heat Pipe Experiment (GCP).

Middeck experiments included Microcapsules in Space (MIS-l); Space Tissue Loss (STL); Visual Function Tester (VFT-2); Cosmic Radiation Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM); Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME-III); Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE); Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative, User-friendly, Location-targeting and Environmental System (HERCULES); Battlefield Laser Acquisition Sensor Test (BLAST); and the Cloud Logic to Optimize Use of Defense Systems (CLOUDS).

Mission insignia
The five sides represent the Pentagon, the Department of Defense headquarters. The five stars and three stripes of the insignia symbolize the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence.

title: STS-53


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HMS Minerva

Eight vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Minerva, after the goddess Minerva of Roman mythology.

 * HMS Minerva (1759) was a 32-gun fifth rate launched in 1759, captured by the French in 1778, recaptured in 1781 and renamed HMS Recovery. She was sold in 1784.
 * HMS Minerva (1780) was a 38-gun fifth rate launched in 1780, converted to troopship Pallas in 1798, and broken up 1803.
 * HMS Minerva (1781) was a 29-gun storeship purchased in 1781 and sold 1783.
 * HMS Minerva (1805) was a 32-gun fifth rate launched in 1805 and broken up 1815.
 * HMS Minerva (1820) was a 46-gun fifth rate launched in 1820, sent to harbour service 1861, and sold 1895.
 * HMS Minerva (1895) was an Eclipse-class cruiser protected cruiser launched in 1895 and sold in 1920.
 * HMS Minerva (1925) was the monitor HMS M33 converted to a coastal minelayer and renamed in 1925, renamed as a boom defence workshop C23(M), and as hulk C23 in 1946, and later known as RMAS Minerva.
 * HMS Minerva (F45) was a Leander-class frigate launched in 1964 and sold for scrap in 1993.

title: HMS Minerva


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Baron Kenswood

Baron Kenswood, of St Marylebone in the County of London, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1951 for the professional violinist and welfare worker for the blind, Ernest Whitfield. the title is held by his grandson, the third Baron, who succeeded in 2016.

Barons Kenswood (1951)

 * Ernest Albert Whitfield, 1st Baron Kenswood (1887–1963)
 * John Michael Howard Whitfield, 2nd Baron Kenswood (1930–2016)
 * Michael Christopher Whitfield, 3rd Baron Kenswood (b. 1955)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's younger brother Hon. Anthony John Whitfield (b. 1957) The heir presumptive's heir, and the next heir-in-line, is his son Peter Daniel Whitfield (b. 1981)

title: Baron Kenswood


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Joel Asaph Allen

Joel Asaph Allen (July 19, 1838 – August 29, 1921) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, and ornithologist. He became the first president of the American Ornithologists' Union, the first curator of birds and mammals at the American Museum of Natural History, and the first head of that museum's Department of Ornithology. He is remembered for Allen's rule, which states that the bodies of endotherms (warm-blooded animals) vary in shape with climate, having increased surface area in hot climates to lose heat, and minimized surface area in cold climates, to conserve heat.

Early life
Allen was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Joel Allen and Harriet Trumbull. He studied and collected specimen of natural history early in life, but he was forced to sell his relatively large collection so that he could attend the Wilbraham & Monson Academy in 1861. The following year, he transferred to Harvard University, where he studied under Louis Agassiz.

Career as a field collector of natural history
In 1865, he took part in his mentor's 1865 expedition to Brazil in search of evidence of an ice age there, which Agassiz later claimed to have found. After returning to Massachusetts, chronic ill health caused him to return to his family farm in Springfield.

By 1867, Allen's health had improved enough that he went on a flurry of collecting trips, including at Sodus Bay, and in Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Upon his return to Massachusetts, he took the position of curator of birds and mammals at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. In the winter of 1868–1869, he was one of two ornithologists, the other being Charles Johnson Maynard, to explore the relatively unknown state of Florida, which was still very much a wilderness in the late 1860s.

When he returned, he wrote a celebrated analysis of his trip entitled On the Mammals and Winter Birds of Eastern Florida, which was published in 1871. That same year he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. For the next few years, Allen ventured to the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Dakota Territory on collecting trips for Harvard's museum. Except for an 1882 collecting trip in Colorado with fellow ornithologist William Brewster, Allen never went field collecting again, primarily because of his fragile health.

Career as a researcher and natural historian
Following the end of his field-collecting days, Allen dedicated his life to research and editorial publication. In the early summer of 1876, Allen was elected by the Nuttall Ornithological Club to replace Charles Johnson Maynard and Henry Augustus Purdie as editor of their Bulletin. In 1883, Allen, along with William Brewster and Elliott Coues, created the American Ornithologists' Union. Allen, who was suffering ill health, was unable to attend their inaugural meeting, but was elected their first president, nonetheless. He also became the chief editor of their journal, The Auk.

In 1885, he was appointed as the first curator of birds and mammals at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, later becoming the first head of the museum's Department of Ornithology. In 1886, he was one of the incorporators of the first Audubon Society, New York City. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the American Philosophical Society.

The hundreds of letters which Elliott Coues sent to him over many decades form one of the cornerstones of the history of American ornithology. Allen famously memorialized Coues in the pages of The Auk, the union's journal, after the latter's death in 1899. He formulated what is now known as Allen's rule, stating a correlation between body shape and climate, in 1877.

title: Joel Asaph Allen


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STS-54

STS-54 was a NASA Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) mission using Space Shuttle Endeavour. This was the third flight for Endeavour, and was launched on January 13, 1993 with Endeavour returning to the Kennedy Space Center on January 19, 1993.

Mission highlights

The primary payload was the fifth TDRS satellite, TDRS-F, which was deployed on day one of the mission. It was later successfully transferred to its proper orbit by the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). Also carried into orbit in the payload bay was a Hitchhiker experiment called the Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer (DXS). This instrument collected data on X-ray radiation from diffuse sources in deep space.

Other middeck payloads to test the effects of microgravity included the Commercial General Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGPA) for-life sciences research; the Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space Experiment (CHROMEX) to-study plant growth; the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE) to examine the skeletal system and the adaptation of bone to space flight; the Space Acceleration Measurement Equipment (SAMS) to measure and record the microgravity acceleration environment of middeck experiments; and the Solid Surface Combustion Experiment (SSCE) to measure the rate of flame spread and temperature of burning filter paper.

Also, on day five, mission specialists Mario Runco Jr. and Gregory J. Harbaugh spent nearly 5 hours in the open cargo bay performing a series of space-walking tasks designed to increase NASA's knowledge of working in space. They tested their abilities to move about freely in the cargo bay, climb into foot restraints without using their hands and simulated carrying large objects in the microgravity environment. The EVA completed after 4 hours, 28 minutes.

The EVA was a late addition to the mission plan as part of NASA's objectives to hone EVA skills required for hardware assembly anticipating the International Space Station.

The mission completed on January 19, 1993 with a landing at Kennedy Space Center.

title: STS-54


text:
Meta-information

Meta-information may refer to:
 * Metadata
 * Knowledge tagging

title: Meta-information


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STS-56

STS-56 was a NASA Space Shuttle Discovery mission to perform special experiments. The mission was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 8, 1993.

Mission highlights
The primary payload of the flight was the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science-2 (ATLAS-2), designed to collect data on the relationship between the Sun's energy output and Earth's middle atmosphere and how these factors affect the ozone layer. It included six instruments mounted on a Spacelab pallet in the cargo bay, with the seventh mounted on the wall of the bay in two Get Away Special (GAS) canisters. Atmospheric instruments included the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) experiment, the Millimeter Wave Atmospheric Sounder (MAS), and the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV/A) spectrometer (on the cargo bay wall). Solar science instruments were the solar spectrometry instrument SOLSPEC, the Solar Ultraviolet Irradiance Monitor (SUSIM), and the Active Cavity Radiometer (ACR) and Solar Constant (SOLCON) experiments.

ATLAS-2 is one element of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. All seven ATLAS-2 instruments first flew on ATLAS-1 during STS-45, and flew a third time in late 1994 on STS-66.

On April 11, 1993, the crew used the remote manipulator arm (Canadarm) to deploy the Shuttle Point Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy-201 (SPARTAN-201), a free-flying science instrument platform designed to study velocity and acceleration of the solar wind and observe the Sun's corona. Collected data was stored on tape for playback after return to Earth. SPARTAN-201 was retrieved on April 13, 1993.

The crew also made numerous radio contacts to schools around the world using the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX II), including brief radio contact with the Russian Mir space station, the first such contact between Space Shuttle and Mir using amateur radio equipment. It was arguably the first time that the astronauts received amateur television video from the ham radio club station (W5RRR) at JSC.

Other cargo bay payloads were the Solar Ultraviolet Experiment (SUVE), sponsored by Colorado Space Grant Consortium and located in a GetAway Special canister on the cargo bay wall.

The middeck payloads were the Commercial Materials Dispersion Apparatus Instrumentation Technology Associates Experiment (CMIX), the Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE), Space Tissue Loss (STL-1) experiment, the Cosmic Ray Effects and Activation Monitor (CREAM) experiment. the Hand-held, Earth-oriented, Real-time, Cooperative, User-friendly, Location-targeting and Environmental System (HERCULES), Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME III), and an Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) calibration test.

title: STS-56


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Baron Kirkwood

Baron Kirkwood, of Bearsden in the County of Dunbarton, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1951 for the Scottish engineer, trade unionist, Independent Labour Party and later Labour politician David Kirkwood. The title is currently held by his grandson James, the fourth baron, who succeeded his brother David in 2023.

Baron Kirkwood (1951)

 * David Kirkwood, 1st Baron Kirkwood (1872–1955)
 * David Kirkwood, 2nd Baron Kirkwood (1903–1970)
 * David Harvie Kirkwood, 3rd Baron Kirkwood (1931–2023)
 * James Stuart Kirkwood, 4th Baron Kirkwood (born 1937)

The heir presumptive is the present holder's first cousin once removed, Douglas James Kirkwood (born 1974).

Line of succession

 * Coronet of a British Baron.svg David Kirkwood, 1st Baron Kirkwood (1872–1955)
 * Coronet of a British Baron.svg David Kirkwood, 2nd Baron Kirkwood (1903–1970)
 * Coronet of a British Baron.svg David Harvie Kirkwood, 3rd Baron Kirkwood (1931–2023)
 * Coronet of a British Baron.svg James Stuart Kirkwood, 4th Baron Kirkwood (born 1937)
 * Hon. James Smith Kirkwood (1912–1983)
 * Col. David Kirkwood (1945–2020)
 * (1) Douglas James Kirkwood (born 1974)
 * (2) David Angus Kirkwood (born 1978)
 * (3) Robert Cameron Kirkwood (born 1981)

title: Baron Kirkwood


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Phantom Entertainment

Phantom Entertainment, Inc. (known as Infinium Labs, Inc. until 2006) was a company founded in 2002 by Tim Roberts which made computer keyboards. However, Phantom was best known for the Phantom, a video game console advertised for Internet gaming on demand in 2004; it was never marketed, leading to suggestions that it was vaporware. The company's website was last updated in late 2011.

History
Infinium Labs was founded by Tim Roberts in 2002 as a private company. In January 2003 it issued a press release saying that it would soon release a "revolutionary new gaming platform" with an on-demand video-game service, delivering games through an online subscription. The press release had no specific information, but included a computer-generated prototype design. Due to the use of buzzwords and the lack of details, the product was derided nearly from the beginning by news sites such as IGN and Slashdot and in the Penny Arcade webcomic. The hardware and gaming site HardOCP researched and wrote an extensive article on the company and its operation, and was sued in turn. The Phantom placed first in Wired News's "Vaporware 2004". In 2004, Infinium Labs went public.

Roberts left the company in summer 2005 (with millions of shares of stock) before any products had been delivered. He later rejoined as chairman of the board, but in a July 2007 press release he again resigned from the company. Subsequent CEOs included Kevin Bachus (who took the post in August 2005), Greg Koler (in January 2006) and John Landino, who was appointed CEO and interim chief financial officer in July 2008.

In September 2006 the company (which had changed its name from Infinium Labs) promised to introduce its Phantom Lapboard product in November 2006, with a gaming service to follow in March 2007. In June 2008, the company released the Lapboard. In August 2007, Phantom Entertainment signed an agreement with ProGames Network to provide Lapboards and "game-service content" in hotels worldwide.

The Phantom
The Phantom is a cancelled home video game console whose development was supposedly begun by Phantom Entertainment–then known as Infinium Labs–in 2003. The device was said to be capable of playing current and future PC games, giving the system a large initial game library and making it easier for developers to produce games for the system. The system was said to feature a direct-download content delivery service, instead of the discs and cartridges used by most game consoles at the time.

Press releases said in 2003 that the console would be released that year, and the digital rights management software would be provided by DiStream. A prototype Phantom was first seen at the May 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), although it was rumored to be fake. Robrady Design was hired to develop the first Phantom prototype, and Synopse ID was later retained to develop second- and third-generation prototypes.

Two units of the first-generation prototype were known to exist, one publicly destroyed by HardOCP at QuakeCon 2004 as a result of their legal battles with the company (see below), the other was spotted by a computer repair shop in Venice, Florida in 2015 and reported by Ars Technica. In October 2021, a first-generation prototype unit was listed for auction, presumably the same unit that was previously reported by Ars Technica due to its listed repair history. A second-generation prototype unit shown at E3 2004 surfaced a year later after the discovery of the surviving 2003 prototype.

Release
The Phantom had an online release on August 17, 2003, with basic hardware specifications and a price of "below $399". Options included customized hardware and the PhantomNet (a gaming-content service), priced at $9.95 a month. A sale date for the first quarter of 2004 was set. It was missed; the company later claimed it would go on sale in November for the holiday season, although it had not developed online-delivery software, licensed games or found any retailers. The second deadline was missed, with Infinium sending thousands of faxes claiming that the system would be released in January 2005.

When that deadline passed, Infinium predicted the system's release for around March 2005. That date also passed, and Infinium Labs was absent from the 2005 E3. Kevin Bachus (former Infinium CEO) hinted that the Phantom would be released around the same time as the Xbox 360 in fall 2005, but that date was also missed. By August 2006, the Phantom Console was removed from the products page of the Phantom Entertainment website.

Financial problems
The company was unable to raise its projected $30 million to complete the Phantom and announced it would downsize and focus on the Phantom Lapboard, a wireless keyboard for home use. On May 16, 2006, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Phantom Entertainment founder and former CEO Timothy Roberts of running a "pump and dump" scheme in promoting the Phantom console in 2004. The Phantom lost credibility in the gaming and business worlds because its release date was continually pushed back, and because of financial scandals involving Phantom Entertainment (which lost more than $62.7 million since its creation).

Lapboard

The Phantom Lapboard is a wireless keyboard made by the company. It was released on June 23, 2008, two years after its originally planned release date. Designed as a component of the Phantom game console, it is sold for use with Internet TV and PC video games since the console has been cancelled. In 2010, a new model of the Lapboard was released to work with Internet TV, gaming and media centers.

Announcement
On January 3, 2006, Infinium Labs announced that the lapboard component of the console (a keyboard and mouse designed to be held on the lap, for example, seated on a couch in front of a television) was due to be released to online retailers by the second quarter of 2006. On April 19 it announced that the keyboard would not be released in time for Q2 2006, but the device (manufactured by Itron Technology) would be released in North America and Europe "no later than October" 2006. On August 15 it was announced that the price for the Lapboard would be $129.99, with customers who preordered receiving a $30 discount. The keyboard was then delayed until November. On August 22, 2007, Phantom Entertainment signed an agreement with ProGames Network to provide Lapboards and its game services content in hotels worldwide as well as with Alienware for their media center PCs (Alienware later pulled out of the agreement in December 2007 due to another delay in Lapboard's launch). The keyboard was finally released on June 23, 2008, two years after its originally planned release date.

Reception
In April 2008 Maximum PC published a preview of the lapboard, describing it as "extremely promising" although the supplied mouse "experienced signal dropouts at a distance of about 24 inches from the sensor". The author was able to use other wireless mice successfully. The preview states that the peripheral will be available in "June for $130 in limited quantities". In the actual review, however, Maximum PC gave the Lapboard a verdict of 4 out of 10 saying: "The bottom line is that this thing is bad. The mouse isn’t good for gaming, the angled keyboard is awful for typing, and for media playback you’d do much better with a slimmer wireless media keyboard with a built-in trackpad or ball, which are available for significantly less than the Lapboard’s $140 asking price." On July 20, 2009, a sample lapboard received a favorable review from the Hardware Heaven website. Despite its lukewarm review, in May 2010 About.com included the Phantom Lapboard in its Father's Day gift guide. On July 19, 2010, Michael Welter posted a generally positive review of the Phantom Lapboard on Missing Remote.

HardOCP lawsuit
In September 2003 HardOCP, a computer-hardware news website, published an investigative report by writer Steve Lynch critical of Infinium Labs and its founder. On February 19, 2004, Infinium Labs' lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to HardOCP's editor demanding that the news site take down the article, claiming that it "painted a portrait of a company intent on swindling the public" and threatening to file a defamation suit. Rather than concede to Infinium's demands, HardOCP owner Kyle Bennett filed a lawsuit for a declaratory judgment that his company had done nothing wrong. Infinium Labs then filed suit in Florida, denying that Texas was the proper jurisdiction (although it had previously maintained a staffed office in Richardson).

In September 2004, the judge required Infinium Labs to produce a number of financial records, including Roberts's personal income-tax returns, by the end of that month. Because the company failed to produce the required documents, HardOCP won a court order compelling them to do so. The judge ruled that sanctions would be awarded to KB Networks and Kyle Bennett in an amount to be determined by the court (later reported as $50,000). Infinium Labs settled the suit, agreeing to drop the pending Florida suit, and admitting all allegations of KB Networks' Texas complaint; they paid $50,000 to end the suit.

Other controversies
In October 2005, it was reported that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had notified Tim Roberts that charges were pending against him for violating federal securities laws. In a statement about the notice, Infinium said it was not notified of specific charges, but suspected they were related to an SEC investigation of the unlawful promotion of penny stocks (including Infinium's). Roberts hired a stock promoter to send faxes claiming that the Phantom console's release was imminent, and the company's stock price might increase as much as 3,000 percent. The SEC alleged that the company never intended to release the console at the promised time due to significant unresolved "technological and manufacturing hurdles", and the faxes were part of a pump and dump scheme on the part of Roberts. Roberts reached a settlement with the SEC in which he was barred from serving as an officer or public director of a public company or participating in penny-stock offerings for five years and paid a $30,000 fine. Roberts was again convicted of fraud in 2017 in a case involving his cloud commerce startup venture Savtira, which collapsed in 2011.

When Roberts was CEO of Infinium, the company failed to report a substantial amount of interest and penalties on unpaid payroll taxes. From its inception, the company had consistently reported a small amount of cash on hand amid extensive (and increasing) debt.

In January 2006, Infinium Labs reached an agreement to borrow up to $5,000,000 from Golden Gate Investors to finance the manufacturing of the Phantom Lapboard, scheduled for release later that year. This would have been the largest amount of money Infinium Labs had ever borrowed at one time. The loan would have been repaid over three years, with an option of repayment with shares of common stock.

In February, GameSpot reported that Phantom Entertainment was suspending the Phantom Game Service to develop the Lapboard. An SEC filing showed three-year losses in excess of $62.7 million, over half of which was marketing for the company and unreleased products. Over $24 million was spent on salaries and consultants, and $2.5 million on development. Infinium claimed it still intended to release the Lapboard if its financial situation improved, but it missed release dates for the second quarter of 2006, October 2006 and November 2006. On August 15, 2006, Phantom Entertainment removed all references to the Phantom Game Receiver from its website, claiming that the content-delivery system targeted for the Phantom would be available for PCs running the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center edition; it later indicated this service would be available in March 2007, after the initially planned November 2006 release of the Lapboard, the service did not materialize when the Lapboard ultimately launched in 2008.

title: Phantom Entertainment


text:
STS-55

STS-55, or Deutschland 2 (D-2), was the 55th overall flight of the NASA Space Shuttle and the 14th flight of Shuttle Columbia. This flight was a multinational Spacelab flight involving 88 experiments from eleven different nations. The experiments ranged from biology sciences to simple Earth observations.

Launch
Columbia was initially scheduled to launch in late February 1993. However, this date slipped to early March 1993 due to concerns with the tip-seal retainers in the main engines' oxidizer turbopumps. All three turbopumps were replaced at the pad but later inspection revealed the retainers to be in good condition. Further delays were caused by the burst of a hydraulic flex hose in the aft compartment during the Flight Readiness Test (FRT). The lines were removed and inspected and three replacements were installed.

Mission highlights
Columbia carried to orbit the second reusable German Spacelab D-2 and demonstrated the shuttle's ability for international cooperation, exploration, and scientific research in space. The Spacelab module and an exterior experiment support structure contained in Columbia's payload bay comprised the Spacelab D-2 payload. The first German Spacelab flight, D-1, flew Shuttle mission STS-61-A in October 1985. The United States and Germany gained valuable experience for future space station operations.

The D-2 mission, as it was commonly called, augmented the German microgravity research program started by the D-1 mission. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) had been tasked by the German Space Agency (DARA - Deutsche Agentur für Raumfahrtangelegenheiten) to conduct the second mission. DLR, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and agencies in France and Japan contributed to D-2's scientific program. Eleven nations participated in the experiments. Of the 88 experiments conducted on the D-2 mission, four were sponsored by NASA.

The crew worked in two shifts around-the-clock to complete investigations into the areas of fluid physics, materials sciences, life sciences, biological sciences, technology, Earth observations, atmospheric physics, and astronomy. Many of the experiments advanced the research of the D-1 mission by conducting similar tests, using upgraded processing hardware, or implementing methods that took full advantage of the technical advancements since 1985. The D-2 mission also contained several new experiments which were not previously flown on the D-1 mission.

The mission surpassed the 365th day in space for the Space Shuttle fleet and the 100th day of flight time in space for Columbia, the fleet's oldest Space Shuttle orbiter, on its fourteenth flight.

D-2 marked the first telerobotic capture of a free floating object by flight controllers in Germany. The crew conducted the first intravenous saline solution injection in space as part of an experiment to study the human body's response to direct fluid replacement as a countermeasure for amounts lost during space flight. They also successfully completed an in-flight maintenance procedure for collection of orbiter waste water, which allowed the mission to continue.

STS-55 crew members participated in two amateur radio experiments, SAREX II from the United States and the German SAFEX. These experiments allowed students and amateur radio operators from around the world to talk directly with the Space Shuttle in orbit and participated in a SpaceMedicine conference with the Mayo Clinic.

title: STS-55


text:
STS-57

STS-57 was a NASA Space Shuttle-Spacehab mission of that launched June 21, 1993, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Spacewalk

 *  Low and Wisoff  – EVA 1
 * EVA 1 Start: June 25, 1993
 * EVA 1 End: June 25, 1993
 * Duration: 5 hours, 50 minutes

Mission highlights

The mission was launched on the summer solstice. During the course of the ten-day flight, the astronauts successfully conducted scores of biomedical and materials sciences experiments inside the pressurized SPACEHAB module. Two astronauts participated in a spacewalk (EVA) and European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) was retrieved by the crew and stowed inside Endeavour's payload bay. EURECA had been deployed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis in August 1992 (STS-46) and contained several experiments to study the long-term effects of exposure to microgravity.

An improperly installed electrical connector on Endeavour's Remote Manipulator System (Canadarm), installed 180° off its correct position, prevented EURECA from recharging its batteries with orbiter power. A flight rule requiring antenna stowage was waived and EURECA was lowered into the payload bay without latching its antenna. Mission specialists David Low and Peter Wisoff safely secured EURECA's dual antennas against the science satellite during the spacewalk. David Low was mounted on a foot restraint on the end of Endeavour's robotic arm while Mission specialist Nancy J. Currie-Gregg positioned the arm so David Low could gently push the arms against EURECA's latch mechanisms. Payload controllers then drove the latches to secure each antenna. The five-hour, fifty-minute spacewalk completed STS-57 mission's primary goal of retrieving the EURECA science satellite. Afterwards, Low and Wisoff completed maneuvers for an abbreviated extravehicular activity (EVA) Detailed Test Objective (DTO) using the robot arm. Activities associated with each of the areas of investigation — mass handling, mass fine alignment and high torque — were completed with both EVA crewmen taking turns on the robot arm. Low and Wisoff wrapped up their spacewalk and returned to Endeavour's airlock shortly before 3:00 p.m. CDT.

During the rest of the mission, the crew worked on experiments in the Spacehab module in the Shuttle's lower deck. These experiments included studying body posture, the spacecraft environment, crystal growth, metal alloys, wastewater recycling and the behavior of fluids. Among the experiments was an evaluation of maintenance equipment that may be used on Space Station Freedom. The diagnostic equipment portion of the Tools and Diagnostics System experiment was performed by Nancy J. Currie-Gregg. Using electronics test instruments including an oscilloscope and electrical test meter, Currie-Gregg conducted tests on a mock printed circuit board and communicated with ground controllers via computer messages on suggested repair procedures and their results.

On June 22, 1993, all six crew members talked with President Clinton.

In addition, Brian Duffy and Jeff Wisoff ran experiments in transferring fluids in weightlessness without creating bubbles in the fluid. The experiment, called the Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment (FARE), studied filters and processes that could improve methods of refueling spacecraft in orbit. By transferring water between 61 cm-diameter transparent tanks on Endeavour's middeck, engineers evaluated how the fluids behaved while the shuttle's steering jets fired for small maneuvers. Janice Voss worked on the Liquid Encapsulated Melt Zone (LEMZ) experiment, which used a process called floating zone crystal growth. The low-gravity conditions of space flight permit large crystals to be grown in space.

Ron Grabe, Brian Duffy and Janice Voss participated in the Neutral Body Position study. Flight surgeons had noted on previous flights that the body's basic posture changes while in microgravity. This postural change, sometimes called the "zero-g crouch", is in addition to the 26 mm to 51 mm lengthening of the spine during space missions. To better document this phenomenon over the duration of a space mission, still and video photography of crew members in a relaxed position were taken early and late in the mission. Researchers included these findings in the design specifications of future spacecraft to make work stations and living areas more efficient and comfortable for astronauts.

Currie-Gregg conducted the electronics procedures portion of the Human Factors Assessment. She set up a work platform, then hooked up a notebook computer and went through a simulated computer procedure for a space station propulsion system.

On June 28, 1993, Currie-Gregg performed an impromptu plumbing job on the Environmental Control Systems Flight Experiment, a study of wastewater purification equipment that may be used aboard future spacecraft. The EFE used a solution of water and potassium iodide to simulate wastewater, which was then pumped through a series of filters to purify it. During the flight, experimenters observed a reduced flow of water through the device and opted to perform maintenance. Currie-Gregg loosened a fitting on one water line inside the experiment, wrapped the loose fitting with an absorbent diaper, and, using a laptop computer on board, reversed a pump on the experiment for about 20 minutes in an attempt to flush out the clog. She then retightened the fitting and resumed normal operation of the experiment. Ground experimenters proceeded to monitor the EFE for about an hour and a half to ensure the clog had been cleared.

Mission insignia
The five stars and shape of the robotic arm of the insignia symbolize the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence. The SpaceHab overall contours are represented as the inner red lining of the patch. Also visible is the EURECA, with 3 yellow contrails, that are representative of the astronaut insignia (EURECA replacing the traditional star atop), with the orbiter circling the Earth.

title: STS-57


text:
STS-51

STS-51 was a NASA Space Shuttle Discovery mission that launched the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) in September 1993. The flight also featured the deployment and retrieval of the SPAS-ORFEUS satellite and its IMAX camera, which captured spectacular footage of Discovery in space. A spacewalk was also performed during the mission to evaluate tools and techniques for the STS-61 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission later that year. STS-51 was the first shuttle mission to fly a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a Trimble TANS Quadrex. It was mounted in an overhead window where limited field of view (FoV) and signal attenuation from the glass severely impacted receiver performance. Full triple-redundant 3-string GPS would not happen until 14 years later with STS-118 in 2007.

Launch Preparations

STS-51 was notable for having been scrubbed three times on the launchpad, each time after the crew had boarded the spacecraft:

 * On July 17, 1993, the launch was scrubbed on the pad due to a flaw in the pyrotechnic initiator controller that triggers the release of the solid rocket boosters from the mobile launcher platform.
 * On July 24, 1993, problems with a hydraulic power unit in one of the solid rocket boosters caused another scrub on the pad. Because of the Perseids meteor shower, the next launch window did not open until the second week of August 1993.
 * On August 12, 1993, the count reached the T−3 second mark, at which point the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSMEs) had ignited. A shutdown was then triggered by faulty fuel flow sensors in one of the SSMEs.
 * STS-51 was successfully launched on September 12, 1993.

Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS)

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite was deployed on flight day 1. This satellite served as a test bed for advanced experimental communications satellite concepts and technology. Its Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) upper stage fired on time 45 minutes after deployment and boosted the satellite to geosynchronous orbit on the first day of the mission.

The first attempt to deploy ACTS was delayed by the crew when two-way communications were lost with Mission Control Center (MCC) about 30 minutes before the deploy time. Flight controllers could receive telemetry and voice communications from Discovery, however the crew could not receive communications from the ground. The crew waived off the 2:43 p.m. CDT deploy when they did not receive a "go" from MCC as called for in preflight plans made for just such an occurrence. After the waive off of deploy, the crew changed the shuttle's S-Band communications system to a lower frequency and restored two-way communications with the ground. The two-way communications had been lost for a total of about 45 minutes. After consulting the crew, flight controllers began immediately planning for the second, and ultimately successful deploy.

During the deployment on September 12, 1993, two Super*Zip explosive cords in the Airborne Support Equipment cradle (ASE) designed to release the spacecraft, one primary and the other a backup, simultaneously detonated. This caused minor tears in two dozen insulation blankets mounted on the bulkhead between the payload bay and the AFT near the #3 APU. The ASE ring holding the TOS was damaged as well, and ejected debris was visible as the stack moved away from the orbiter.

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS), a significant activity of the NASA Space Communications Program, provided for the development and flight test of high-risk advanced communications satellite technology. Using multiple spot beam antennas and advanced on-board switching and processing systems, ACTS pioneered new initiatives in communications satellite technology. NASA Glenn Research Center was responsible for the development, management, and operation of ACTS as part of a long legacy of experimental communications satellites.

After fulfilling its original mission as a key part of the ACTS Gigabit Satellite Network, the spacecraft continued operations through a partnership between the space agency and a nonprofit consortium. It was shut down April 28, 2004, after funding dried up. The satellite was put into a flat spin with its solar array edges facing the Sun, which should theoretically prevent it from ever being restarted. The spacecraft was moved to its final graveyard orbit at 105.2° west longitude – where it poses minimal risk to other satellites – after NASA concluded in 2000 that it probably lacked the fuel to move to a higher graveyard orbit. Nevertheless, ACTS should not re-enter the atmosphere for thousands of years, according to Richard Krawczyk, the ACTS operations manager at Glenn Research Center.

SPAS-ORFEUS

Another payload on this mission was the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) telescope mounted on the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) payload carrier. ORFEUS was designed to provide information on how stars are born and how they die, while studying gaseous interstellar clouds. Also in the cargo bay was the Limited Duration space environment Candidate materials Exposure (LDCE).

Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) began development of the SPAS carrier (flown previously on STS-7, STS-41-B, and STS-39) in 1986 into a free-flying astronomical platform. The DARA/NASA agreement called for four co-operative science missions, with Deutsche Agentur für Raumfahrtangelegenheiten (DARA) providing the satellite, NASA the Shuttle launch and deployment/retrieval services, and the two parties sharing the science instruments. NASA provided the Shuttle free of charge, in return for access to data and the inclusion of U.S. experiments. ORFEUS, the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer, designed to measure radiation between 400 and 1280 angstroms, was released at 14:06 UTC, on September 13, 1993, and was retrieved at 11:50 UTC, on September 19, 1993. Science contributions came from the University of Tübingen, Sternwarte Heidelberg, University of California, Berkeley and Princeton University (IMPAS). ORFEUS' telescope was fabricated by Kayser-Threde in Germany; France's REOSC provided the 1 m f/2.5 mirror. The separate 950–1150 Å Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS) added to the observations of hot galactic objects and the interstellar medium at high spectral resolution (240,000). Other payloads were Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR's) Surface Effective Sample Monitor and Canada's IMAX Cargo Bay Camera, which was used to film Discovery in orbit for the IMAX film Destiny in Space. A portion of this footage was also included in Space Station 3D. This was the fourth flight of the SPAS platform, of a total of seven during the space shuttle program. The SPAS-ORFEUS version was reflown on mission STS-80 in 1996.

Extravehicular activity (EVA)

On September 16, 1993, spacewalkers James H. Newman and Carl E. Walz performed an extravehicular activity (EVA) designed to evaluate tools, tethers and a foot restraint platform. Their findings reassured the designers and planners of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing flight that their preparations were sound. This was the third and final shuttle mission to include a preparatory EVA in response to the weaknesses in EVA training exposed by the STS-49 mission. The new equipment tested during the extensive spacewalk would later be required for the December 1993 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, and was only part of the objectives of the spacewalk, with Newman and Walz fulfilling the other goals as they explained at length to Mission Control Center the differences they perceived between work in orbit and ground training. The two EVA crewmen were ahead of schedule much of the day, and completed more tasks than originally planned. As the two astronauts were cleaning up, a balky tool box lid slowed them down when they had to pry it free and close it for Discovery's trip home. The toolbox lid stretched the spacewalk by about 45 minutes over what had been planned, with Newman and Walz logging a total seven hours, five minutes, and twenty-eight seconds of time outside the vehicle. This was the 112th EVA performed in the history of human spaceflight.

Spacewalk

 *  Newman and Walz  – EVA 1
 * EVA 1 Start: September 16, 1993 – 08:40 UTC
 * EVA 1 End: September 16, 1993 – 15:45 UTC
 * Duration: 7 hours 5 minutes

Secondary experiments
In-cabin payloads included the Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), the Auroral Photography Experiment (APE-B), the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Chromosome and Plant Cell Division in Space (CHROMEX), High Resolution Shuttle Glow Spectroscopy (HRSGS-A), IMAX, Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP) and the Radiation Monitoring Equipment (RME-III) experiment. The Investigation into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP), is designed to research the mixing of various solvent systems in the absence of convection found on Earth in hopes of controlling the porosity of various polymer membranes. RME measures gamma ray, electron, neutron and proton radiation levels in the crew cabin throughout the flight.

On board, Mission specialist James Newman donned a special visor to perform a medical experiment testing vision in weightlessness as part of investigations into how vision compensates for the inner ear's lack of balance in space. Newman also successfully tested a Global Positioning System receiver flying aboard Discovery as an evaluation of using such equipment to supplement the shuttle's navigation. Also, in a precursor of space station operations, one of Discovery's fuel cells was turned off and restarted.

In another medical evaluation, Commander Frank Culbertson and Mission specialist Daniel Bursch rode a stationary bike on Discovery's lower deck as part of a continuing study of using exercise to counteract the effects of weightlessness on the body. The crew also powered up an experiment that looks at improving membrane filters in weightlessness and checked on another experiment that has been running well studying the effects of microgravity on plant cells.

Astronauts Carl Walz and Jim Newman operated the experiments designed to study the glowing effect, one a spectrometer that records the effect on film in fine detail and another that records the effect on still photographs. The experiments are hoped to provide information about just what types of gases – in addition to atomic oxygen – create the glow. The information on kinds of gases in the extreme reaches of the atmosphere may be coupled with the materials exposure experiment in the cargo bay to assist with the design and construction of future spacecraft.

Mission insignia
The five white stars and one yellow star of the insignia symbolize the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence. The insignia also depicts the triangular SPAS-ORFEUS on the right.

Documentary
The crew of STS-51 were followed by a camera crew from Channel 4 from the United Kingdom from the day they were assigned to the flight and then through their training and, finally, the mission itself. The documentary of this crew is called "Space Shuttle Discovery" and it was narrated by Heather Couper. It was released in 1993.

title: STS-51


text:
User:Mat-C

 * Name: Mat Cook
 * Nickname: Mat
 * Gender: Male
 * Born: 1971
 * Talk: User talk:Mat-c

--/Mat 19:34, 6 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Todo list

Stuff I'm working on

 * Heat engine
 * MIG
 * Ericsson Cycle
 * Kalina cycle
 * TIR_Treaty
 * Electronic_Speed_Controller

Stuff I'm proud of

 * Coffee (drink) (someone has moved this to just Coffee)
 * How_to_copyedit (wish I'd logged in that day)

Other stuff I've written

 * Geosynchronous_orbit_derivation
 * Bell_Helicopter_Textron
 * Naturally-aspirated_engine
 * Propellor_head
 * Petrolhead
 * Jimmy Nail
 * Geosynchronous_orbit (Significant reedit)
 * Electrical efficiency (Significant reedit)
 * Dual carriageway (Significant reedits)

Pages I'm going to get around to shortly (eventually (never)) and am in the process of writing
 * Tetrachromat -> now done far better by someone else
 * Trichromat (needs a decent image for rgb sensitivities)
 * Minimax_algorithm (needs a decent image to explain)
 * Alpha-beta_pruning (is this illustratable?)
 * Talk:Unterseeboot_234 Follow this up sometime

Stubs to take a look at sometime

 * The_Liar
 * Plasma_cutting
 * A-Road
 * (looked at) Dual carriageway
 * Gyratory
 * Energy_storage
 * Nuclear Technology
 * Turbo codes
 * Talk:Doomsday_argument
 * Bayesian
 * Staples - needs piccy
 * Addressing mode - started it, needs work

Needing tidying

 * Wind_tunnel

Needing illustrations

 * Mach band

My quick reference pages

 * How to edit a page
 * Stuff about linking from dates, etc.
 * Naming_conventions
 * Naming_conventions_(movies)
 * TeX_markup

 * Endings are blended: testing testing
 * External link visible text

My quick paste things

 * #REDIRECT United States
 * typewriter font typewriter font
 * small text small text
 * strikeout strikeout
 * $$\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n! + T_H}$$ $$\sum_{n=0}^\infty \frac{x^n}{n! + T_H}$$
 * Subscript: x2 x2
 * Superscript: x2 or x &s u p 2; x2 or x²
 * Superscript: x2 or x &s u p 2; x2 or x²

 * <nowiki> and </nowiki>
 * <-- new style stub message!

Pages to keep an eye on

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/82.34.113.18
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/94.80.20.10
 * Taprogge GmbH

title: User:Mat-C


text:
Chador

A chādor (Persian, چادر), also variously spelled in English as chadah, chad(d)ar, chader, chud(d)ah, chadur, and naturalized as, is an outer garment or open cloak worn by many women in the Persian-influenced countries of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and to a lesser extent Tajikistan, as well as in Shia communities in Iraq, Bahrain, and Qatif in Saudi Arabia in public spaces or outdoors.

A chador is a full-body-length semicircle of fabric that is open down the front. The garment is pulled over the head, and is held closed at the front by the wearer; the chador has no hand openings, buttons, or clasps. It may also be held closed by being tucked under the wearer's arms. The word in Classical Persian could be used in reference to almost any cloth, headscarf, or even tents. This definition is mostly retained in the Eastern Persian varieties Tajiki and Dari, which commonly use reflexes of chādar in reference to almost any cloth or scarf, including loosely worn scarves that would be inappropriate to call a chador in Iranian Persian.

Before the 1978–1979 Iranian Revolution, black chadors were reserved for funerals and periods of mourning; colourful, patterned fabrics were the norm for everyday wear. Currently, the majority of Iranian women who wear the chador use the black version outside, and reserve light-coloured chadors for indoor use.

Ancient and early Islamic times
Fadwa El Guindi locates the origin of the veil in ancient Mesopotamia, where "wives and daughters of high-ranking men of the nobility had to veil". The veil marked class status, and this dress code was regulated by sumptuary laws.

One of the first representation of a chador is found on Ergili sculptures and the "Satrap sarcophagus" from Persian Anatolia. Bruhn/Tilke, in their 1941 A Pictorial History of Costume, do show a drawing, said to be copied from an Achaemenid relief of the 5th century BC, of an individual with their lower face hidden by a long cloth wrapped around the head. Some have mistakenly claimed this to be a woman, but it is actually a Mede soldier. Achaemenid women in art were almost always uncovered. The earliest written record of chador can be found in Pahlavi scripts from the sixth century as a female head dress worn by Zoroastrian women.

It is likely that the custom of veiling continued through the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods. Veiling was not limited to noble women but was practised also by Persian kings.

During the Islamic era, the chador retained the meaning of adornment to some extent in Iran, but over time, it took on the meaning of Islam and the Islamic hijab which was one of the concepts of Quran and Islam which was considered a limitation of women.

Pahlavi
The 20th century Pahlavi ruler Reza Shah banned the chador and all hijab during the Kashf-e hijab in 1936, as incompatible with his modernizing ambitions. According to Mir-Hosseini, as cited by El Guindi, "the police were arresting women who wore the veil and forcibly removing it". This policy outraged the Twelver Shia clerics, and ordinary men and women, to whom "appearing in public without their cover was tantamount to nakedness". However, she continues, "this move was welcomed by Westernized and upperclass men and women, who saw it in liberal terms as a first step in granting women their rights".

"Eventually, rules of dress code were relaxed, and after Reza Shah's abdication in 1941, the compulsory element in the policy of unveiling was abandoned, though the policy remained intact throughout the Pahlavi era. According to Mir-Hosseini, 'between 1941 and 1979, wearing hejab [hijab] was no longer an offence, but it was a real hindrance to climbing the social ladder, a badge of backwardness, and a marker of class. A headscarf, let alone the chador, prejudiced the chances of advancement in work and society not only of working women, but also of men, who were increasingly expected to appear with their wives at social functions. Fashionable hotels and restaurants sometimes even refused to admit women with chador, schools and universities actively discouraged the chador, although the headscarf was tolerated. It was common to see girls from traditional families, who had to leave home with the chador, arriving at school without it and then putting it on again on the way home'."

Iranian Revolution
After the Iranian Revolution, compulsory hijab were introduced, which was met with opposition from women during the International Women's Day Protests in Tehran, 1979.

In April 1980, during the Iranian Cultural Revolution, it was decided that it would be mandatory for women in government offices and educational institutions to observe the veil. In 1983, a dispute regarding the veiling broke out, and public conflict was motivated by the definition of veiling and its scale (so-called "bad hijab" issue), sometimes followed even by clashes against those who were perceived to wear improper clothing. Government felt obligated to deal with this situation; so, on 26 July 1984, Tehran's public prosecutor issued a statement and announced that stricter dress-code is supposed to be observed in public places such as institutions, theaters, clubs, hotels, motels, and restaurants, while in the other places, it should follow the pattern of the overwhelming majority of people. Stricter veiling implies both chador and more loosely khimar-type headscarf, along with overcoat.

Usage
Before the 1978–1979 Iranian Revolution, black chadors were worn by many women and girls for different purposes. Light, printed fabrics were the norm for everyday wear. Currently, the majority of women who wear the chador reserve the usage of light-colored chadors for around the house or for prayers. Most women who still go outside in urban areas in a light colored chador are elderly women of rural backgrounds. During the reign of the Shah of Iran, such traditional clothing was largely discarded by the wealthier urban upper-class women in favor of modernity for western clothing, although women in small towns and villages continued to wear the chador. Traditionally a light coloured or printed chador was worn with a headscarf (rousari), a blouse (pirahan), and a long skirt (daaman); or else a blouse and skirt or dress over pants (shalvar), and these styles continue to be worn by many rural Iranian women, in particular by older women.

On the other hand, in Iran, the chador does not require the wearing of a veil. Inside the home, particularly for urban women, both the chador and the veil have been discarded, and there, women and teenagers wore cooler and lighter garments; while in modern times, rural women continue to wear a light-weight printed chador inside the home over their clothing during their daily activities. The chador is worn by some Iranian women, regardless of whether they are Sunni or Shia, but is considered traditional to Persian Iranians, with Iranians of other backgrounds wearing the chador or other traditional forms of attire. For example, Arab Iranian women in Western and Southern Iran retain their overhead Abaya which is similar to the overhead Abaya worn in Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Beyond Iran
The Persian word entered South Asia, and appeared in the Hindustani language as  (, anglicized as chaddar, chuddar and chudder). However, an Indian and Pakistani cādar may more closely resemble a dupatta. The Hindustani word can also refer to other type of sheets, such as bed sheets. There are also a small Haredi Jewish groups in which the women wear black head-to-toe cloaks similar to the chador, such as the extremist Lev Tahor.

title: Chador


text:
User:Nickg

Nick Gall

Contact Info

title: User:Nickg


text:
User talk:Nickg

Hello there Nick Gall, welcome to Wikipedia! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. If you ever need editing help visit How to edit a page and experiment at the sandbox. If you need pointers on how we title pages see the naming conventions. You might also check out: Manual of Style, Policies and Reassigning old edits.

If you have any other questions about the project then check out the help pages or add a question to the village pump. Cheers! [[User:Alex756|— Alex756 talk]] 14:20, 4 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Enterprisey
Not all deletes happen through WP:AFD. In this case, Enterprisey was tagged with prod with the reason given of "nominating prod due to insufficient notability and inability to verify all the claims in the article from a single source". Prod'd articles can be deleted after 5 days. If you wish to have this article resotred, you can click it's red link and add delrev, then go to Deletion review and follow the directions there. - UtherSRG (talk) 11:50, 13 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Place a note on Deletion review so folks know you want the deletion reviewed. - UtherSRG (talk) 21:02, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I have restored this page. --Sam Blanning(talk) 08:46, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks! --Nick 19:52, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Re: Bricolage & Popular Culture
If you can find a good source on MacGyver, feel free to readd it. For the most part, pop culture sections tend to be repositories of unreferenced cruft. But, as in this case, there are sources, and it helps explain the topic better, it should be put back in. Cheers! ---  RepublicanJacobite  The'FortyFive' 23:51, 26 November 2008 (UTC)
 * No worries. Thanks for your helpful attitude. ---  RepublicanJacobite  The'FortyFive'  01:26, 27 November 2008 (UTC)

Proposed deletion of Big data

The article Big data has been proposed for deletion  because of the following concern:
 * "Big" can be applied to very many terms. There is nothing notable about it in relation to "data" any more than there is, for example, with "elephants"; WP:NOTDICT.

While all contributions to Wikipedia are appreciated, content or articles may be deleted for any of several reasons.

You may prevent the proposed deletion by removing the  notice, but please explain why in your edit summary or on the article's talk page.

Please consider improving the article to address the issues raised. Removing  will stop the Proposed Deletion process, but other deletion processes exist. The Speedy Deletion process can result in deletion without discussion, and Articles for Deletion allows discussion to reach consensus for deletion. I42 (talk) 19:14, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Articles for deletion nomination of Big data
I have nominated Big data, an article that you created, for deletion. I do not think that this article satisfies Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion, and have explained why at Articles for deletion/Big data. Your opinions on the matter are welcome at that same discussion page; also, you are welcome to edit the article to address these concerns. Thank you for your time.Please contact me if you're unsure why you received this message. I42 (talk) 23:10, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Big data - back to life!
You created the original entry Big data that was rm by admins. I came to Wikipedia for a definition and was stunned to see it was deleted! Please reenter the debate and help launch this article? jk (talk) 18:05, 22 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Oops - I've been warned for this breach of etiquette known as "canvassing." I went back to everyone involved in the debate regardless of their original vote and notified them. Mea Culpa. So anyways: Congrats on your noticing this concept early. All we needed was proof that secondary sources were talking about the word itself. That is the laser-thin distinction between unacceptable neologisms and notable new words. jk (talk) 21:21, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 08:53, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

Proposed deletion of Goat rodeo

The article Goat rodeo has been proposed for deletion because of the following concern:
 * Only one source, and that dubious. "Goat roper" is a known perjorative for a person of rural background, but this phrase has a totally different meaning, appears to be a WP:NEOLOGISM and falls under WP:NOTDICT

While all constructive contributions to Wikipedia are appreciated, pages may be deleted for any of several reasons.

You may prevent the proposed deletion by removing the notice, but please explain why in your edit summary or on the article's talk page.

Please consider improving the page to address the issues raised. Removing will stop the proposed deletion process, but other deletion processes exist. In particular, the speedy deletion process can result in deletion without discussion, and articles for deletion allows discussion to reach consensus for deletion. Montanabw (talk) 23:37, 24 April 2017 (UTC)

Speedy deletion nomination of Boys Life (Boston band)

A tag has been placed on Boys Life (Boston band) requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This has been done under section G12 of the criteria for speedy deletion, because the page appears to be an unambiguous copyright infringement. This page appears to be a direct copy from http://80squestmusic.blogspot.com/2012/02/from-to-z-by-boys-life-february-8th-80s.html. For legal reasons, we cannot accept copyrighted text or images taken from other web sites or printed material, and as a consequence, your addition will most likely be deleted. You may use external websites or other printed material as a source of information, but not as a source of sentences. This part is crucial: say it in your own words. Wikipedia takes copyright violations very seriously and persistent violators will be blocked from editing.

If the external website or image belongs to you, and you want to allow Wikipedia to use the text or image — which means allowing other people to use it for any reason — then you must verify that externally by one of the processes explained at Donating copyrighted materials. The same holds if you are not the owner but have their permission. If you are not the owner and do not have permission, see Requesting copyright permission for how you may obtain it. You might want to look at Wikipedia's copyright policy for more details, or ask a question here.

If you think this page should not be deleted for this reason, you may contest the nomination by visiting the page and clicking the button labelled "Contest this speedy deletion". This will give you the opportunity to explain why you believe the page should not be deleted. However, be aware that once a page is tagged for speedy deletion, it may be deleted without delay. Please do not remove the speedy deletion tag from the page yourself, but do not hesitate to add information in line with Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. — Diannaa 🍁 (talk) 14:15, 5 October 2018 (UTC)

title: User talk:Nickg


text:
William Brewster

William Brewster may refer to:

 * William Brewster (Mayflower passenger) (1560–1644), English official and Mayflower passenger in 1620
 * William Brewster (ornithologist) (1851–1919), American ornithologist
 * William Brewster (priest) (died 1465), Canon of Windsor
 * William E. Brewster (1858–1945), American banker, merchant, and politician from Maine
 * William N. Brewster (1864–1917), American Protestant Christian missionary to China
 * William R. Brewster (1828–1869), American Civil War general
 * Willie Brewster (died 1965), whose murder was the first time in the history of Alabama that a white man was convicted of killing a black man
 * Bill Brewster (American politician) (1941–2022), American politician
 * Bill Brewster (Canadian politician) (1924–2014), Canadian politician
 * Bill Brewster (DJ), disc jockey and author of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

title: William Brewster