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Non-methane volatile organic compound

Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are a set of organic compounds that are typically photochemically reactive in the atmosphere—marked by the exclusion of methane. NMVOCs include a large variety of chemically different compounds, such as benzene, ethanol, formaldehyde, cyclohexane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and acetone. Essentially, NMVOCs are identical to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but with methane excluded. Methane is excluded in air-pollution contexts because it is not toxic. It is however a very potent greenhouse gas, with low reactivity and thus a long lifetime in the atmosphere. An important subset of NMVOCs are the non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs).

Sometimes NMVOC is also used as a sum parameter for emissions, where all NMVOC emissions are added up per weight into one figure. In absence of more detailed data, this can be a very coarse parameter for pollution (e.g. for summer smog or indoor air pollution).

The major sources of NMVOCs include vegetation, biomass burning, geogenic sources, and human activity.

Importance of atmospheric chemistry
The study of NMVOCs is important in atmospheric chemistry, where it can be used as a proxy to study the collective properties of reactive atmospheric VOCs. The exclusion of methane is necessary due to its relatively high ambient concentration in comparison to other atmospheric species and its relative inertness. NMVOCs is an umbrella term which encompasses all speciated and oxygenated biogenic, anthropogenic, and pyrogenic organic molecules present in the atmosphere, minus the contribution of methane. The necessity of this term is also governed by current estimates which suggest that somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 NMVOCs are present in the atmosphere, most with concentrations in the realm of parts per billion or parts per trillion. The aggregation of these compounds and their collective properties are easier to study than the individual components.

Many NMVOCs carry importance due to their influence on atmospheric ozone. Ground level ozone is not directly emitted, but is instead formed by the reaction of sunlight with various other emitted compounds, including NMHCs (a type of NMVOC), methane, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides.

Biogenic emission
In some non-urban areas, biogenic emissions of NMVOCs meet or exceed anthropogenic emissions of NMVOCs.

Vegetation emissions
There are estimated to be 40 or less NMVOC classified compounds emitted from vegetation that actively influence atmospheric composition, as many NMVOCs are either weakly volatile or are unlikely to be emitted at high volume into the atmosphere. These atmospherically important NMVOCs include compounds such as terpenoids, hexenals, alkenes, aldehydes, organic acids, alcohols, ketones, and alkanes). These NMVOCs which are emitted by vegetation can be divided by source as having originated from one of seven processes:

 * Emissions from chloroplast activity
 * Emissions from specialized defense tissues
 * Emissions from defense processes not related to defense specialized tissues
 * Emissions of plant growth hormones
 * Emissions from cut and drying vegetation
 * Emissions of floral scents
 * Other vegetation related emissions

Of these processes, chlorophyll related emissions and emissions from specialized defense tissues are understood to the point of numerical description. This has led to the characterization of all other emissions processes (besides chlorophyll related emissions) using the model of emissions from specialized defense tissues.

Soil microbe emissions
Many NMVOCs are produced by soil microorganisms (such as methane, ethane, and isoprene). However, due to the ability for many other soil microorganisms to metabolize these compounds, soils sometimes act as a sink for NMVOCs, leading to the belief that NMVOC flux from soil is negligible.

Biomass burning
Biomass burning, other than for use as fuel, is considered to be a biogenic source. These emissions are modeled based on the area burned, the ratio of above ground biomass to total biomass, the density of the burned organic matter, and combustion efficiency.

The chemical composition of emissions from biomass burning varies across different stages of burning, but total NMVOCs emitted from burning is estimated to be 4.5 grams of Carbon per kilogram. The main NMVOCs emitted from burning are ethane, propane, propene, and acetylene.

Geogenic sources
Major geogenic sources of NMVOCs include volcanism and seepage resulting from natural gas.

Volcanism results in the emissions of many NMVOCs, but at negligible rates. Natural gas seepage is estimated to result in emissions of approximately 0.06 o 2.6 μg m−2 h−1.

Anthropogenic emissions
In the European Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), anthropogenic sources of NMVOCs are divided into the following categories:

 * 1) Power generation
 * 2) Combustion for manufacturing
 * 3) Energy for buildings
 * 4) Road transportation
 * 5) Transformation Industry
 * 6) Fugitive emissions from fuel exploitation
 * 7) Emissions from production processes
 * 8) Oil Refineries
 * 9) Agricultural waste burning
 * 10) Shipping
 * 11) Railways, pipelines, and off-road transport
 * 12) Fossil Fuel Fires
 * 13) Solid waste and wastewater
 * 14) Aviation

EDGAR measures that in 2015, the amount of NMVOCS from the six most contributing sectors (agriculture, power industry, waste, buildings, transport, and other industrial combustion) was 1.2*108 tons. The reported emissions are provided by sector as follows:

Global NMVOC emissions from anthropogenic sources have been increasing over time, with the emissions amount rising from 119,000kt to 169,000kt between 1970 and 2010. Regionally, trends vary, with America and Europe reducing their emissions in the same time period, while Africa and Asia increased their NMVOC emissions in this period. Reductions in emissions from America and Europe are largely attributed to use of greener fuels for transport and changing emissions standards.

title: Non-methane volatile organic compound


text:
Russ Hodges

Russell Pleasant Hodges (June 18, 1910 – April 19, 1971) was an American sportscaster who did play-by-play for several baseball teams, most notably the New York Giants / San Francisco Giants. He is perhaps best remembered for his call of Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World"—''The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!''

Early career
Born in Dayton, Tennessee, Hodges began his broadcasting career in 1934. He was sports editor of WBT, Charlotte, North Carolina until October 1941, when he moved full-time to WOL in Washington, D.C., where he had already been doing play-by-play for the Washington Redskins. He worked for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, and Cincinnati Reds before landing in New York City with the New York Yankees and New York Giants, who during much of the 1940s only broadcast home games and shared the same radio team — lead announcer Mel Allen and No. 2 man Hodges.

From April 14, 1948 to April 22, 1949, Hodges hosted the 15-minute DuMont series Scoreboard, also known as Russ Hodges' Scoreboard. In 1949, Hodges became a No. 1 announcer when the Giants and the Yankees separated their radio networks to each broadcast a full, 154-game schedule. He was the voice of the Giants for the next 22 seasons on both coasts.

1951 Bobby Thomson home run call
On October 3, 1951, Hodges was on the microphone for Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World". It was Hodges who cried, "The Giants won the pennant! The Giants won the pennant!"

This famous moment in sports broadcasting was nearly lost. This was in an era before all game broadcasts were recorded. However, in his autobiography, Hodges related how a Brooklyn fan, excited over what appeared to be a certain Dodger victory, hooked up his home tape recorder to his radio. The fan wanted to capture Hodges "crying." Instead, he recorded history; the next day, he called Hodges and said, "You have to have this tape". In reality the fan, Lawrence Goldberg, was a lifelong Giants fan. On the 50th anniversary of the game, Goldberg told The New York Times Richard Sandomir about his fateful decision: "I knew I wouldn't be able to listen to the broadcast and I knew something was going to happen. It was the third game of the playoffs. That kind of game had to be climactic."

Bobby Thomson... up there swingin'... He's had two out of three, a single and a double, and Billy Cox is playing him right on the third-base line... One out, last of the ninth... Branca pitches... Bobby Thomson takes a strike called on the inside corner... Bobby hitting at .292... He's had a single and a double and he drove in the Giants' first run with a long fly to center... Brooklyn leads it 4–2...Hartung down the line at third not taking any chances... Lockman with not too big of a lead at second, but he'll be runnin' like the wind if Thomson hits one... Branca throws... [audible sound of bat meeting ball]

There's a long drive... it's gonna be, I believe...THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT!! THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT! Bobby Thomson hits into the lower deck of the left-field stands! The Giants win the pennant and they're goin' crazy, they're goin' crazy! HEEEY-OH!!! [ten-second pause for crowd noise]

I don't believe it! I don't believe it! I do not believe it! Bobby Thomson... hit a line drive... into the lower deck... of the left-field stands... and this blame place is goin' crazy! The Giants! Horace Stoneham has got a winner! The Giants won it... by a score of 5 to 4... and they're pickin' Bobby Thomson up... and carryin' him off the field!

In the years that have followed, Hodges "The Giants won the pennant! The Giants won the pennant!" has been echoed in other sports. Commentators have echoed it when announcing their team's championship victories. Examples include Stanley Cup wins by the Philadelphia Flyers in and the Chicago Blackhawks in.

On October 16, 2014, the eventual World Series champion Giants won the National League pennant on a three-run walk-off homer by Travis Ishikawa, and Fox broadcaster Joe Buck quoted the line as the ball landed in the right-field stands. However, Giants radio broadcaster Jon Miller on KNBR radio yelled, "Good-bye, a home run for the game and for the pennant! The Giants have won the pennant!...Travis Ishikawa with the Bobby Thomson moment."

This historic call is also preserved at the Hall of Fame at the graphic aspect with the original score sheet Hodges was personally logging. Under Thomson's name in the ninth inning slot, there begins a long streak across the entire score sheet where Hodges, pencil to the paper awaiting the outcome of the at-bat, jumped up in excitement, and his pencil-holding hand streaked across his score sheet, unintentionally capturing the moment.

In the film The Godfather, Sonny Corleone is listening to this broadcast on his car radio when he is murdered at a toll booth. The broadcast is also used in an episode of M*A*S*H and has been fictionalised in the first chapter of Don DeLillo's epic magnum opus novel, Underworld, (published separately as a novella under the title Pafko at the Wall.)

In the film Parental Guidance, Artie Decker (Billy Crystal) plays the broadcast for his grandson Turner (Joshua Rush), as a way of boosting his self-esteem due to his speech impediment. At the end of the film, Turner delivers the commentary at his sister's recital without a single stutter, receiving a standing ovation.

Later career
When the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, Hodges followed the club west. He continued working for the team through 1970, when he retired. His signature home run call was, "Bye-Bye, Baby!", a phrase that was set to music as the Giants' theme song during the 1960s. It had previously been the name of another song.

Hodges was also the lead announcer for Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts on CBS from 1948 to 1955. The most famous fight called by Hodges was Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston, one of the most anticipated, watched, and controversial fights in boxing history. Some other fights Hodges called include Beau Jack vs. Ike Williams, Joe Louis vs. Ezzard Charles, Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta, Floyd Patterson vs. Hurricane Jackson, and Joe Louis vs. Cesar Brion. Hodges, who had played halfback for the University of Kentucky before suffering a broken ankle in his sophomore year, also broadcast professional and college football at various times in his career, including several years in which he teamed with Giants partner Lon Simmons to call San Francisco 49ers radio broadcasts.

Death and subsequent honors
Hodges died suddenly of a heart attack at age 60 in Mill Valley, California, on April 19, 1971. He was survived by his wife, Gay, and two children.

The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association inducted Hodges into its Hall of Fame in 1975. In 1980, became the fourth recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in baseball broadcasting from the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2000, the Giants named the broadcast booths in their new ballpark the Hodges-Simmons Broadcast Center in honor of Hodges and his former partner Lon Simmons. In 2008, Hodges was elected into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, joining his longtime broadcast partner Simmons, who was inducted in 2006.

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

title: Russ Hodges


text:
Talk:Bart Selman

Untitled
Can we delete some of those references? This is excessive. RickK 06:30, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)

title: Talk:Bart Selman


text:
Finnish Security and Intelligence Service

The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Suojelupoliisi, ), formerly the Finnish Security Police and Finnish Security Intelligence Service, is the security and intelligence agency of Finland in charge of national security, such as counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. The agency had a distinct role during the Cold War in monitoring communists as well as in the balance between Finnish independence and Soviet appeasement. After the 1990s, Supo has focused more on countering terrorism and in the 2010s, on preventing hybrid operations.

During the Cold War
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) was established on 17 December 1948 upon ratification of the Act and the Decree on the Security Police and became operational at the start of 1949. Supo was formed to replace its predecessor, the State Police, after communists suffered a defeat in the July 1948 parliamentary elections and the reorganization of Valpo was recommended by a governmental committee in October 1948. In essence, Valpo was abolished by the Parliament of Finland due to the fact that its leadership positions had been filled by communists who were implicated in erroneous and illegal elements according to a separate governmental committee investigation as well as linked to a number of disappearances in the aftermath of World War II.

In general, Finland is described as having been in a strategic and neutral position between the Cold War blocks; both sides engaged in intensive intelligence activities in the country. Mostly, Finland was an interest to the superpowers as a buffer zone and as an overflight and military transit route. During the first decades, the main tasks of Supo were to monitor communists, such as the Communist Party of Finland and home Russians, and prevent illegal intelligence, especially KGB and GRU espionage. The Service had to work with discretion and caution due to Finlandization—a balance between the independence of Finland and appeasement to the Soviet Union. At the same time, Supo had close connections with the CIA—although the Service was wary of recording it on paper.

When Urho Kekkonen was elected the President of Finland in 1956, Supo started to transform more into a "presidential police" that gathered information to support the President's domestic and foreign policy decision-making. The shift was partly due to the tense Finnish-Soviet relations at the time (see e.g. the night frost and note crises) as well as Kekkonen's motivation to steer the high-profile Service into alignment with his tactics in handling relations with the Soviet Union. For example, Kekkonen was kept informed of Finnish communist politicians and their internal discussions as well as was relayed information from foreign intelligence agencies, such as the British MI6. After Director Armas Alhava retired in 1972, Kekkonen appointed Arvo Pentti as the new Director—an ally and a fellow politician from the Centre Party. When Seppo Tiitinen was appointed the new Director in 1978, Kekkonen was still requesting information on political communist movements.

Kekkonen kept KGB connections close, especially its local Helsinki chief, and utilized back channels to balance between Western and Soviet interests without provocation, such as during the negotiations on Finland's membership to the European Free Trade Association in 1962. Similarly, he shifted Supo's counter-intelligence activities to quiet and preventive action. For example, espionage cases were sometimes not submitted to court and KGB diplomats were not declared persona non grata, but instead were quietly asked to leave. When KGB major Anatoliy Golitsyn defected to the United States from Helsinki in December 1961, he divulged his knowledge and opinions on KGB networks and interaction in Finland to the CIA. For example, he described President Kekkonen as being "in Soviet service" – Kekkonen was relieved when the CIA and Western intelligence took the claim with reservations. Nevertheless, the revelations prompted Western intelligence to have a more constructive and positive attitude towards Finland and the CIA shared Golitsyn's list of KGB intelligence officers to Supo for monitoring.

Systematic surveillance of communists was shut down in the early 1980s by President Mauno Koivisto. The Service did not gain powers of arrest and pre-trial investigation powers until 1 January 1989 due to its predecessors’ colourful actions and history as well as Finland's sensitive foreign policy position. Instead, the National Bureau of Investigation carried out actual criminal investigations until that point. In 1990, West German intelligence gave Supo the Tiitinen list, which supposedly contains names of Finns who were believed to have links to Stasi, the East German state security ministry. The list was classified and locked in a safe after Director Seppo Tiitinen and President Mauno Koivisto determined that it was based on vague hints instead of hard evidence. Subsequently, in 2002 the Service suspected and questioned Finnish diplomat, Alpo Rusi, of being a Stasi spy. The investigation eventually leaked to national broadcaster Yle. However, Rusi was cleared of all charges in 2007 after court proceedings and won compensation for damage to his reputation suffered when the case was leaked to the media.

After the Cold War
The Service made a legislative initiative in 2012 to criminalize the espionage of exiles in Finland. As of April 2019, espionage of exiles was forbidden e.g. in Sweden, but not in Finland. On 1 January 2016, Supo was transferred under the direct control of the Interior Ministry from the National Police Board. Reportedly, the administrative transfer was to ensure that the Service is able to more efficiently conduct its special missions as well as to reinforce its strategic and political direction and clarify its official position both domestically and internationally. Newspapers reported in November 2016 that Supo was concerned about suspicious land and property transactions made by foreign nationals that could be utilized in hybrid operations, such as to accommodate unmarked military troops. A new bill was in process in October 2017 to allow for security authorities to monitor purchases by entities from outside the European Union (EU) buying property near military installations or broadcast towers in Finland as well as for the State to reclaim or buy strategically important property. The Service was involved in investigating the Turku stabbing of August 2017, which is considered Finland's first suspected terrorist attack since the end of World War II.

Function
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service states that its core functions are counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism and other national security-related work, such as counter-proliferation activities intended to impede the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It is tasked to prevent events that may cause danger to government systems, parliamentary democracy, or internal and external security of the State. Additionally, the Service is the responsible authority for national and international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, for preparing and maintaining terrorist threat assessments, for monitoring extremist phenomena, and for performing security clearances for personnel recruited into sensitive positions. Supo reports to other security authorities and the Government of Finland on its activities. According to the Police Act, Supo can utilize, among others, traffic data monitoring, covert intelligence gathering, undercover activities, pseudo purchases, and controlled delivery to fulfill its missions.

Organization
Supo is a national police unit subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. It follows a Nordic tradition where the intelligence agency is governed as a part of police organisations (i.e. in the form of a security police) instead of being a separate organisation. The Service formerly used the English title Finnish Security Police; the word "police" was amended in 2010 to emphasize the agency's role in security intelligence. In 2019, the Service had 440 employees, of whom 56% were police officers and 40% women, and a total budget of 50.9 million euros. In addition to its headquarters in Punavuori, Helsinki, Supo hosts eight regional offices around Finland in Turku, Tampere, Vaasa, Lappeenranta, Joensuu, Kuopio, Oulu and Rovaniemi. Supo has liaison officers posted at diplomatic missions in Nairobi, Kenya and Ankara, Turkey as well as at the European Union (EU) Intelligence and Situation Centre. The Service is divided into seven different departments as of a 2017 reorganization:

 * Collection
 * Counter-Intelligence
 * Terrorism and Extremism
 * Regions
 * Vetting
 * Intelligence Analysis
 * Internal Services


text: User talk:211.114.28.9

title: User talk:211.114.28.9


text:
Talk:Gastroenteritis

Suggestions for improvements
I have some suggestions for improvements but don't have time in the near future to follow through:
 * Too many level 1 headings
 * Some wikilinks to hygiene and WASH are missing.
 * Probably the section on epidemiology needs updating.
 * The world maps used there are for diarrhea - need to think about if this is appropriate, or perhaps rather link to the diarrhea article and not repeat the same information.
 * Consider how to reduce overlap/repetition with the diarrhea article.
 * Should SDG 3 be mentioned?
 * Think about more and better images (perhaps replace the image in the lead with one that is less sciency/microscopic?). EMsmile (talk) 11:37, 18 May 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Gastroenteritis


text:
Semenyih

Semenyih is a town and a mukim in Hulu Langat District in southeastern Selangor, Malaysia along the Kajang–Seremban road. It is 28 km southeast of downtown Kuala Lumpur and 8 km southeast of Kajang.

Etymology
The meaning of the name of the town is uncertain and it does not appear in any dictionary. It was derived from the locals and is related to its past. According to an oral story, it is based from a word in the Negeri Sembilan dialect, meaning "hidden" – the standard Malay word for "hidden" is sembunyi.

Geography
The surrounding area is hilly, the highest peak nearby is Bukit Arang, 560 m high. This makes the area home to numerous scenic waterfalls. A more popular tourist attraction in the town is the Ostrich Wonderland Show Farm. The town is becoming more accessible, with new highways (such as the Kajang–Seremban Highway and the Kajang SILK Highway). New development such as the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, has contributed to the growth in population. The 15,100 people recorded in the 1991 census had grown to over 45,000 by 2000. This corresponds to an annual growth rate of 12.9%, compared with the national average of 2.66% over the same period.

Incinerator project
A 1.5 billion ringgit incinerator project was planned for a site between Semenyih and nearby Broga by the federal government. In early 2005, a temporary injunction was issued, stopping work on the project, in response to a lawsuit by residents of the two towns. The project has since been scrapped.

Bandar Sunway Semenyih
Bandar Sunway Semenyih is a new township located along the Kajang-Semenyih road (federal highway 1).

The township construction has been planned in 19 phases. As of 2008 seven phases had been completed. Facilities include a clubhouse with a swimming pool and coffee house. A river runs through the township.

Education

 * Sekolah Kebangsaan Semenyih
 * University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
 * Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Rinching
 * Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Rinching
 * Sekolah Menengah Engku Husain
 * Sekolah Kebangsaan Hulu Semenyih
 * Tenby Setia Ecohill
 * SJK(C) Sin Ming Semenyih
 * Maverick International Secondary School

Car
Semenyih is mainly served by federal highway 1. Highway 31, traversing the Langat valley, starts here and connects to Bangi, Putrajaya (precinct 20), Dengkil and Banting.

Tolled expressways serving Semenyih include the Kajang-Seremban Expressway (LEKAS).

Public transportation
Semenyih is served by the UNMC-Kajang Shuttle Bus, going from University of Nottingham's campus near Broga to Kajang MRT/railway station.

rapidKL bus T450 connect Semenyih town to Stadium Kajang MRT station.

title: Semenyih


text: User talk:69.22.252.216

title: User talk:69.22.252.216


text:
Tomb of the Matriarchs

The Tomb of the Matriarchs (Hebrew: קבר האמהות, Kever ha'Imahot) in Tiberias, Israel, is the traditional burial place of several biblical women:

 * Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel.
 * Zilpah, handmaid of Leah.
 * Jochebed, mother of Moses.
 * Zipporah, wife of Moses.
 * Elisheba, wife of Aaron.
 * Abigail, one of King David's wives.

The marble structure beside a modern apartment building block is surrounded by a stone wall.

title: Tomb of the Matriarchs


text:
Brent Collins

Brent Collins (October 31, 1941 – January 6, 1988) was an American actor who played the role of Mr. Big in the daytime soap opera As the World Turns from 1982 to 1983, and Wallingford on Another World, from 1984 until his death.

On Another World, the Wallingford character was a friend and confidante of Felicia Gallant (Linda Dano) and Cass Winthrop (Stephen Schnetzer). These three characters were given much screen time in the mid-1980s, and gave Collins the highest level of fame he experienced in his career. Originally scheduled to appear on the show for four weeks, the character's popularity resulted in a four-year stint that included a return from the dead. He also was a guest-star on shows such as Spenser: For Hire, The Golden Girls, and The Streets of San Francisco.

Collins, a dwarf, was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which typically causes above-average height. Late in 1987, Collins grew rapidly from his short stature, which led to his fatal heart attack. This situation is rare, and few cases have been documented in medical records. Another World acknowledged Collins's death by depicting Wallingford's funeral and by featuring Dano and Schnetzer speaking out-of-character about Collins and his death.

title: Brent Collins


text:
Brooks Building

The Brooks Building is a high-rise building in Chicago's commercial core, the Loop. It was built 1909–1910, in the Chicago School architectural style. An early example steel-framed high-rise building, the structure was commissioned by Peter Brooks and Shepard Brooks and designed by architects Holabird & Roche. The building was designated a Chicago Landmark on January 14, 1997. It was also determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on October 8, 1982; however, it is not formally included in the NRHP due to the wishes of the property's owner.

title: Brooks Building


text:
Paddy Glynn

Patrick McMahon Glynn KC (25 August 1855 – 28 October 1931) was an Irish-Australian lawyer and politician. He served in the House of Representatives from 1901 to 1919, and was a government minister under three prime ministers, as Attorney-General (1909–1910), Minister for External Affairs (1913–1914) and Minister for Home and Territories (1917–1920). Prior to entering federal politics, Glynn was involved in the drafting of the Constitution of Australia. Born in Ireland, he arrived in Australia in 1880 and served three terms in the South Australian House of Assembly, as well as a brief stint as Attorney-General of South Australia.

Early life
Glynn was born on 25 August 1855 in Gort, County Galway, Ireland. He was the third of eleven children born to Ellen (Wallsh) and John McMahon Glynn; his father ran a large general store. His younger brother was Joseph Glynn. Glynn received his initial schooling in Gort from the Sisters of Mercy. In 1869, he began boarding at Blackrock College on the outskirts of Dublin, where he won prizes in French, Latin and Greek. He left school in 1872 and began reading law, serving his articles of clerkship with a local solicitor James Blaquiere. Glynn enrolled at Trinity College Dublin, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1878 and also attending the King's Inns in preparation for a career as a barrister. After a period in London at the Middle Temple he was called to the Irish Bar in April 1879.

Move to Australia
In 1880, Glynn emigrated to Australia, initially settling in Melbourne. He struggled to find work as a barrister, but did find the time to publish a pamphlet on Irish nationalism. He eventually took up a position as a travelling salesman, selling life insurance and Singer sewing machines.

Glynn moved to Kapunda, South Australia, in 1882 to open a branch of the Adelaide law firm Hardy & Davis. His aunt Grace Wallsh had migrated to South Australia in the 1860s and was a member of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. In 1883 he became the editor of The Kapunda Herald, a position he would hold until 1891. Glynn was admitted to the rolls of the Supreme Court of Australia in 1883 and bought out his Adelaide partners in 1886. He moved to Adelaide himself in 1888 and established a practice on Pirie Street.

South Australian politics
Glynn helped found the South Australian Land Nationalisation Society, and served as president of the South Australian branch of the Irish National League. He hosted the 1882 Australian tour of John Redmond, the leader of Irish Home Rulers. In 1887 Glynn's easy personal manners and prominence as an editor assisted him in his election to the South Australian House of Assembly as the member for Light. In the chamber Glynn was an unwavering advocate of free trade, but his support of female suffrage and land nationalisation isolated him from his conservative colleagues.

Glynn was defeated at the 1890 election and stood unsuccessfully for Light again at the 1893 election but returned to South Australian colonial politics in 1895 as the member for North Adelaide. With this victory, he became the first person in Australia to be elected under adult suffrage (whereby females had the right to vote). While he was defeated a year later at the 1896 election, he returned to parliament in a by-election for the seat of North Adelaide in 1897. Glynn briefly served as Attorney-General of South Australia in 1899 and remained in parliament until 1901.

Constitutional convention
Glynn saw no merit in federation itself, but evidently perceived an attractive affinity between the federalisation of the United Kingdom by Home Rule and the creation of a federation of the six Australian colonies. Glynn successfully stood as a candidate for the Convention that framed the Australian Commonwealth constitution in 1897–98. He was regarded as one of the ablest authorities in Australia on constitutional law. He made major contributions to Murray River water rights, and advocated standardisation of rail gauges and universal suffrage. He also contributed a reference to God in the preamble to the Australian Constitution. He unsuccessfully sought to have the Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of the states made ex officio members of the projected High Court. He protested the Constitution licensing the first Governor General to appoint a prime minister and cabinet prior to the first election as "opposed to all our notions of parliamentary government".

In the struggle over question of Federation in Western Australia, Glynn with some deviousness secretly drafted a petition, signed by 28,000, which implored the British government to carve out of the goldfields a new colony, 'Auralia'. Such a new colony would not serve Federation but its possibility was judged by Federationist strategists as likely to induce some Western Australians to support joining the new Commonwealth.

First federal election
In the lead up to the inaugural federal election, Glynn acted as the informal deputy leader of the Free Trade Party and managed the Free Trade election campaigns in South Australia and Western Australia, while Free Trade leader George Reid oversaw the rest of Australia. As a result, Glynn was not only comfortably elected to the single statewide Division of South Australia but, together with Reid, he is said to have "created Australia's first national political campaign".

Government minister
At the 1903 election, the statewide constituency was abolished and Glynn was returned unopposed in the Division of Angas. He was re-elected on five further occasions, and was unopposed at three consecutive elections (1910, 1913 and 1914).

Despite his ties with Reid, Glynn was not offered a place in the Reid government (1904–1905). He joined the new Liberal Party after the 1909 "fusion" with the Protectionists, and subsequently served as Attorney-General under Alfred Deakin from 1909 to 1910. He returned to ministerial office in 1913 as Minister for External Affairs in the Cook government, holding the position until the government's defeat at the 1914 election. In 1917, the Liberals merged with Prime Minister Billy Hughes' National Labor Party, forming the Nationalist Party. Glynn's final ministerial post was as Minister for Home and Territories from 1917 until his defeat at the 1919 election. In that capacity he handled the Darwin rebellion of 1918.

Later life
Glynn retired from politics in 1919, and died at North Adelaide in 1931. He married Abigail Dynon, who predeceased him, and was survived by two sons and four daughters. He was a fine Shakespearian scholar; several of his literary papers were published, as were also various legal and political pamphlets.

Legacy
In 2016, the Australian Catholic University established a new public policy think tank based at its North Sydney campus, which was named the PM Glynn Institute.

title: Paddy Glynn


text:
Talk:Flu

I
I added the top-of-article Dab for "Influenza", and the distinct Dab page Flu, for related reasons. They each have to do with one of two related confusions: --Jerzy(t) 06:53 & Jerzy(t) 07:03, 2005 Feb 24 (UTC)
 * 1) One is the  misleading standard usage of flu as a synonym for both "stomach flu" and "influenza";
 * 2) the other is the understandable but mistaken use of "influenza" as a synonym for "stomach flu", by people who correctly deduce that "flu" is derived from "influenza" but don't realize that "influenza" is no longer a more formal name for "stomach flu".

 * I'm not sure that it needs disambiguation, but it certainly doesn't need two disambiguations. For all intents and purposes. flu is synonymous with influenza, and many of the links to "flu" rely on that fact. "Stomach flu" - a misnomer - is more than adequately disambiguated by your addition at the top of influenza. - Nunh-huh 07:00, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

"For all intents and purposes. flu is synonymous with influenza, and many of the links to "flu" rely on that fact." Well, editors should go through those links and fix them so that they go directly to the correct article. That is one of the main purposes of DAB pages. I will make this page a DAB. --Una Smith (talk) 15:42, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Flumis
For the moment, I've removed 'Flu is short for the Latin flumis, which means to die of respiratory disease'." I find it not very credible for a few reasons:
 * It phrases it as an infinitive; Latin infinitives do not end in 'is'. 'is' sounds like either second person, probably present, ('you X') or an ablative/dative plural, "by/for those who Xed/were Xed" (depending on whether this proposed verb is deponent or not, it could be active or passive in such a noun form.)
 * WORDS, a fairly exhaustive Latin dictionary in which I've (as far as I can recall) never been unable to locate a word, has no entry for flumis or anything I can think of that might turn into 'flumis'.
 * The only word I can think of (granted, I'm no Latin genius) sounds like flumis, except for, say, fluo, which means 'I flow'. But there's no way that could become flumis that I can think of.

 * That etymology is wrong. The Merriam-Webster says that influenza comes from the "Italian, literally, influence, from Medieval Latin influentia; from the belief that epidemics were due to the influence of the stars."  Flu is a well-documented shortening of the word influenza. WhatamIdoing (talk) 20:31, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Flu


text:
Talk:Robert Miles

Untitled
2/24/05: Bio info pulled from the Launch.com artist webpage on Robert Miles, http://trance_site.tripod.com/trance_Djs/id4.html, and from Robert's website, www.robert-miles.com.

--Martin Osterman

03/01/06: Why is DJ Shoe redirected to Robert Miles?

Wrong information about Children
According to his website at www.robert-miles.com (which at the moment redirects to his record label S:alt), this explination is given for the songs composition: "'Children' was Robert's immediate and typically honest emotional response to pictures of the child victims of war with which his father had just returned from a humanitarian mission to the ex-Yugoslavia. So moved was Robert by the plight of these innocents, caught up in so much devastation and atrocity, that he felt compelled to begin work on the track the very next morning as he returned from playing his DJ set in the early hours."

I've thus removed the part about the song being composed about the deaths in the rave community, and will try and write up the correct information soon.

Bennity 22:05, 13 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Interesting. The Rambling Man (talk) 12:45, 11 May 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Robert Miles


text: User:Martin Osterman

title: User:Martin Osterman


text:
Brian Fair

Brian James Fair (born May 30, 1975) is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the metalcore band Shadows Fall. He graduated from Milford High School in 1993, and went on to study literature at Boston University.

Early life
From a young age, Brian Fair had always been known for his affinity for a wide range of music. In seventh grade he had his first visit to a recording studio after he and two friends won a radio jingle contest (sponsored by Mass Electric) with a Beastie Boys-inspired tune "The Energy Conservation Rap Song." In high school, he played bass and sang in a punk band called Frenzy that performed at local underage shows.

Overcast
In the summer of his sophomore year (August 1991), Fair co-founded Overcast, an influential hardcore band in the Worcester music scene. While Fair was on vocals, Scott McCooe and Pete Cortese played guitar, Mike D'Antonio played bass, and Jay Fitzgerald played drums. Overcast's first 7-inch, Bleed Into One, was released in 1992 through Exchange Records. The band's first full-length, Expectational Dilution, was released in 1994 and is considered a groundbreaking effort as many claim that Overcast are the pioneers of the metalcore scene. Their final full-length, Fight Ambition To Kill, was released in 1997. This release was followed by nationwide touring with Shai Hulud and Disembodied. Overcast eventually split up in November 1998.

Shadows Fall
Soon after Overcast disbanded, Fair joined Shadows Fall in place of Phil Labonte, who left due to creative differences. Soon after, the band signed to Century Media Records. The band recorded its second studio album Of One Blood with Fair on vocals in 2000. The release included re-recorded songs from Somber Eyes to the Sky.

Shadows Fall decided to change its style to find its own sound. Inspired by thrash, hard rock and power ballad influences, the band recorded its third studio album, titled The Art of Balance. Released on September 17, 2002, the album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top Independent albums chart. Shadows Fall released three music videos to promote the album; "Thoughts Without Words", "Destroyer of Senses", and "The Idiot Box". The Art of Balance featured a cover of the Pink Floyd song "Welcome to the Machine". Andy Hinds of Allmusic stated the album is "a modern heavy metal album that is both brutal and highly musical, traditional yet forward-thinking", but criticized the placement of "Welcome to the Machine", stating the song "is stylishly well-executed, but seems a tad out of place nonetheless." Shadows Fall supported The Art of Balance by touring on Ozzfest in 2003.

Fair continued with Shadows Fall as his main priority, and the band released several more records. On April 29, 2006, Overcast reunited to play at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The band then announced and re-recorded archive material and two new tracks, produced by metal producer Nick Raskulinecz, under the name Reborn to Kill Again.

Shadows Fall's fifth record, Threads of Life, was released on April 3, 2007, through Atlantic Records and Roadrunner International. Fair has also recently worked with Necro, an underground hip hop musician and producer, on his album entitled Death Rap. Fair appears on Death Rap's fifth track, "Suffocated to Death by God's Shadow", with Mark Morton (Lamb of God), Mike Smith (Suffocation), and Steve DiGiorgio (Death).

The sixth studio album from Shadows Fall, titled Retribution, was released on September 15, 2009, and the seventh, titled Fire From the Sky, on May 15, 2012.

In December 2021, when asked by the Podioslave Podcast if there will be new music from Shadows Fall, Fair said, "We've talked about writing stuff, and there's a very definitive Shadows Fall approach to writing. So if Matt or Jon or Paul had ideas that really made sense, I'd see us pursuing 'em. But nothing right now. All we wanted to do is get through this show — we wanted to get through it, see if we could pull it off, see how it went. And now we're, like, 'Okay, now we can think about if we wanna do something else.' But nothing planned right now. I know Jon and Matt are riff machines — I'm sure they've got stuff — but they do also have other projects they're working on too… But right now we're just kind of recovering a little bit, trying to make sure I get my neck back in shape."

Other projects
In January 2003, a new space rock project called Transient was formed. Transient saw Fair taking a break from vocals, this time playing the guitar and the drums instead. Fair was reunited with Overcast member Scott McCooe, who was now playing bass. Transient released a three song demo, whose tracks were recorded by Pete Rutcho of Blistered Earth, in November 2004. This is Transient's only material to date.

Death Ray Vision is an American hardcore punk band from Massachusetts. The band includes members and former members of the bands Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Cannae, Seemless, and Overcast.

The band released their first studio album titled We Ain't Leavin' Till You're Bleedin' in 2013. The band also released an EP in 2011 titled Get Lost or Get Dead. In 2018 the band released a second LP titled Negative Mental Attitude.

Fair is currently singing with St. Louis hardcore band Hell Night, and works in the music industry as a rep for Alvarez Guitars, Dixon Drums, and a number of other instrument lines.

In 2018, Fair collaborated with Derek Kerswill, Matt LeBreton and Pete Gelles to form the band Downpour. In 2014, they released their first single "The Serpent's Tongue" followed by "Beautiful Nothing" in August 2017. Their debut album is set to release in September 2018.

Personal life
Fair is married and has a son and a daughter.

Fair is most known for his dreadlocks that have been known to be a large part of his stage show. He says he has kept them ever since making them when he was almost 16 years old. His locks are currently just shy of his six foot two frame, reaching down to his ankles and a couple inches from touching the ground; according to Fair they weigh over a pound. He uses them in a windmill fashion to whip fans during live shows. He is also a proud fan of the Boston Celtics, wearing a jersey at many shows. Another commonality in his show is to stagedive, even though his locks frequently get pulled by fans. Fair says in an interview that he does get it caught and pulled by things often, including car doors, office chairs, light fixtures and guitar pedals.

With Overcast
Stirring the Killer (7-inch) (1995)
 * Bleed Into One (7-inch) (1992)
 * Expectational Dilution (1994)
 * Overcast/Arise Split CD (7-inch) (1996)
 * Begging for Indifference (7-inch EP/CD) (1996)
 * ''Fight Ambition to Kill"(1997)
 * Reborn to Kill Again (2008)

With Shadows Fall

 * Of One Blood (2000)
 * Deadworld (EP) (2001)
 * Fear Will Drag You Down (Compilation Album) (2002)
 * The Art of Balance (2002)
 * The War Within (2004)
 * Fallout from the War (Compilation Album) (2006)
 * Threads of Life (2007)
 * Seeking the Way: The Greatest Hits (2007)
 * Retribution (2009)
 * Fire From the Sky (2012)

With Death Ray Vision

 * We Ain't Leavin' Till You're Bleedin' (2013)

With Hell Night

 * Human Shelves (2016)
 * Hell Night Songs (2017)
 * Cancercise (2017)
 * Quarter Hour of Power Encapsulated Records compilation (2018)
 * Split 7-inch EP with Sweat Shoppe (2018)
 * Unlimited Destruction LP (2019)

title: Brian Fair


text: User talk:70.22.2.213

title: User talk:70.22.2.213


text: Category:Chinese games

title: Category:Chinese games


text:
Haitham Rashid Wihaib

Haitham Rashid Wihaib is an Iraqi man who claims that he was former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's minister of protocol from 1980 to 1993.

Wihaib's father was an Iraqi general who was killed in a car accident orchestrated by Saddam. Wihaib studied in France for several years during the 1970s, earning three doctorates. Upon returning to Iraq he caught the attention of Saddam Hussein, who offered him a job as his minister of protocol, a cabinet position that amounts to essentially a personal secretary. Wihaib accepted, later saying that one didn't say no to Saddam.

Dr. Wihaib had near daily contact with Saddam for the duration of his time in the position; toward the end he fell out of favor and was the target of several assassination attempts. He escaped from Iraq to London with the aid of British intelligence in 1993. He kept a relatively low profile for several years after that. Beginning in 2002 his name surfaced in news reports attached to descriptions of atrocities committed by Saddam and supporting the US led invasion of Iraq. His prior absence from Western media outlets led some (particularly in the online blogging community) to suspect that he was a fabrication of the American and British governments to provide disinformation to news sources.

In February 2005 Wihaib made his first visit to the United States, speaking at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on his experiences with Saddam and his hopes for Iraq's future. Coordinators of the event were initially unaware or unsure of his importance; they were later able to verify his background. At the writing of this article Wihaib is scheduled to speak at two other universities and appear on the American news channel CNN.

Wihaib has published a book in Europe, In the Shadow of Saddam, which is also available in Arabic. He also helped create a documentary about his experiences called Dancing with the Devil which was at the time of this article not yet released.

Currently Wihaib served as the chairman of the New Iraqi Green Party and the New Iraq Organization for Justice. He is particularly concerned with relieving debts incurred by Saddam's regime.

title: Haitham Rashid Wihaib


text:
User talk:131.187.253.130

May 2013
Please refrain from making unconstructive edits to Wikipedia. Your edit to Bumblebee constitutes vandalism and has been reverted. If you would like to experiment, please use the sandbox. Thank you. Donner60 (talk) 07:06, 16 May 2013 (UTC)

October 2018
Hello, I'm ToBeFree. I noticed that you made a change to an article, Hue Jackson, but you didn't provide a source. I’ve removed it for now, but if you’d like to include a citation to a reliable source and re-add it, please do so! If you think I made a mistake, or if you have any questions, you can leave me a message on my talk page. Thanks. ~ ToBeFree (talk) 19:31, 22 October 2018 (UTC)
 * If this is a shared IP address, and you did not make the edits, consider creating an account for yourself or logging in with an existing account so you can avoid further irrelevant notices.

title: User talk:131.187.253.130


text:
Purple honeycreeper

The purple honeycreeper (Cyanerpes caeruleus) is a small Neotropical bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is found in the tropical New World from Colombia and Venezuela south to Brazil, and on Trinidad. A few, possibly introduced birds have been recorded on Tobago.

Taxonomy
The purple honeycreeper was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Certhia carrulea. Linnaeus based his description on "The Blue Creeper" that had been described and illustrated in 1743 by the English naturalist George Edwards from specimens collected in Suriname. The specimens had been mounted in glass cases and were owned by the Duke of Richmond. The purple honeycreeper is now placed in the genus Cyanerpes that was introduced in 1899 by the American ornithologist Harry C. Oberholser. The specific epithet caeruleus is Latin for "dark blue".

Five subspecies are recognised:
 * C. c. chocoanus Hellmayr, 1920 – east Panama to west Ecuador
 * C. c. caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) – central Colombia and Venezuela through the Guianas and north-central Brazil
 * C. c. hellmayri Gyldenstolpe, 1945 – Potaro Highlands (Guyana)
 * C. c. longirostris (Cabanis, 1851) – Trinidad
 * C. c. microrhynchus (Berlepsch, 1884) – west, central Amazonia

Description
The purple honeycreeper is 4.5 in (11.5 cm) long, weighs 0.42 oz (12 g) and has a long black decurved bill. The male is purple with black wings, tail and belly, and bright yellow legs. Females and immatures have green upperparts, and green-streaked yellowish-buff underparts. The throat is cinnamon, and there is a blue moustachial stripe. The call of purple honeycreeper is a thin high-pitched zree. The Trinidadian subspecies  C. c. longirostris has a longer bill than the mainland forms.

Distribution and habitat
The species is a bird of northern South America, and besides the Amazon Basin and the Guianas, a coastal range occurs west of the Andes, including parts of southern Panama. In the south, its range extends to the extreme western Pantanal. Though it is most frequently seen in the lowlands up to 3,300 ft (1,000 m) ASL or so, it has been encountered as high as 7,500 ft (2,300 m) ASL.

This is a forest canopy species, but also occurs in cocoa and citrus plantations. At the upper limit of its altitudinal range, it frequents premontane rainforest, usually rather low-growing (33–50 ft/10–15 m) and full of epiphytes and mosses, and even elfin forest and páramo.

Behaviour and ecology
The purple honeycreeper is often found in small groups. It feeds on nectar (particularly from bromeliad and similar flowers, to which its bill shape is adapted), berries and seeds (i.e., Trema and Clusia), fruit (i.e., bananas and papayas) and insects, mainly in the canopy. It is a bold and inquisitive bird, responding readily to the call of the ferruginous pygmy owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) by coming out of cover and searching for the presumed predator to mob it. The female purple honeycreeper builds a small cup nest in a tree, and incubates the clutch of two brown-blotched white eggs.

title: Purple honeycreeper


text: User talk:68.72.142.247

title: User talk:68.72.142.247


text:
Klaus Töpfer

Klaus Töpfer (29 July 1938 – 8 June 2024) was a German politician (CDU) and environmental politics expert. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Personal life
Töpfer was born in Waldenburg, Silesia. He studied economics in Mainz, Frankfurt and Münster. In 1968 he earned his doctorate at the University of Münster. Töpfer died on 8 June 2024, at the age of 85.

Early career
In 1971, Töpfer was appointed Head of Planning and Information of the Federal State of Saarland, a post he held until 1978. During that time, he also served as a visiting professor at the Academy of Administrative Sciences in Speyer, and consulted several countries on development policy, among them Egypt, Brazil and Jordan. He spent the following year at the University of Hannover as Professor and Director of the Institute for Spatial Research and Planning.

Political career
In 1985, Töpfer became State Minister for the Environment and Health in the government of Minister President Bernhard Vogel of Rhineland-Palatinate. In 1987, Töpfer became Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. During his time in office, Germany established the Federal Office for Radiation Protection as a response to the Chernobyl disaster. From 1994 to 1998 he served as Federal Minister for Regional Planning, Civil Engineering and Urban Development. He was member of the Bundestag from 1990 to 1998 and member of the Steering Committee of the CDU from 1992 to 1998.

In 1998, Töpfer was appointed Under Secretary General of the United Nations, General director of the United Nations office in Nairobi and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Among the milestones of his eight-year tenure are a number of important environmental agreements, including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Töpfer was also closely involved in behind-the-scenes negotiations in support of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. In June 2006 he was succeeded in this office by Achim Steiner. As director of UNEP, he had a key role in gauging and attempting to remedy the environmental costs of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Later career
In 2009 Töpfer was appointed founding director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) which performs research between climate problems and sustainable economics. This institute is located at Potsdam, Germany. The institute's funding is provided by the federal government of Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany).

Töpfer was rumored as a possible successor to the German presidency after Christian Wulff's resignation. He later served as co-chairman of the Federal Government’s Ethics Commission on a Safe Energy Supply.

From 2013 Töpfer headed the project "DEMOENERGY – The Transformation of the Energy System as the Engine for Democratic Innovations" together with Claus Leggewie and Patrizia Nanz (both Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen, Germany). In 2016, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) appointed Töpfer as co-chairman (alongside Juan Somavia) of an Independent Team of Advisors on positioning the UN development system for the Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2018, Energy Community appointed Töpfer to serve as mediator in an energy dispute between Kosovo and Serbia.

Corporate boards

 * Theva, Member of the Senior Advisory Council (from 2017)
 * Porsche, Member of the Sustainability Advisory Board (from 2016)
 * ProSiebenSat.1 Media, Member of the Advisory Board (from 2011)
 * Deutsche Bank, Member of the Climate Change Advisory Board (2011)
 * Volkswind Gruppe, Member of the Advisory Board (2009–2015)

Non-profit organizations

 * atmosfair, Patron
 * Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, Member of the Advisory Board
 * Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Member of the Senate (2007–2009)
 * Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production (EEP), University of Stuttgart, Member of the Advisory Board
 * German Foundation for World Population (DSW), Member of the Advisory Board
 * German-Russian Raw Materials Forum, Patron
 * Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, Member of the Board
 * Agora Energiewende, Chairman of the Council (2013–2018)
 * German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), Member (2001–2010, appointed ad personam by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder)

title: Klaus Töpfer


text:
Talk:Primerica

Semi-protected edit request on 6 October 2021
Primerica is not a multi level marketing company. Please correct this. 2600:1012:B0D1:D7FD:96E:3F86:84C7:52F4 (talk) 03:53, 6 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made.  Java Hurricane  03:57, 6 October 2021 (UTC)
 * https://www.primerica.com/public/primerica-misconceptions-faq.html
 * Primerica clearly states that they are not a MLM or multi level marketing company. So by not changing this is a legal misrepresentation and defamation as there is no legitimate reliable sources legally proving otherwise. In fact the only reliable legitimate sources on this statement prove Primerica is not a multi level marketing company (MLM). ARichter907 (talk) 06:34, 12 April 2024 (UTC)

Inquiry on the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Claim About Primerica
I am inquiring about issues with the multi-level marketing (MLM) claim made on Wikipedia about Primerica, particularly the reliability of the sources used.

Assessing the Wikipedia page’s information, one reference for the MLM claim is one piece in Business Insider, from 2010, by Vincent (Vince) Veneziani, who had worked at Everdeen Private Capital, per LinkedIn (among other companies, like Hedgeye Risk Management and Golden Archer Investments). Everdeen Private Capital appears to have a team at multiple levels and markets financial products—and its website is just a WordPress page (even with the WP icon still there in a Google search of it). For his article, Veneziani’s sources primarily include online forums. He seems to imply that having multiple levels, in whatever form, is “multi-level marketing.” But Everdeen Private Capital also has senior representatives, still in tiered positions relative to newer representatives. Realistically, the piece on Business Insider, and some like it on Forbes, are essentially opinion pieces, not bound to facts or evidence. They can be written with a slant, without an objective point of view. Given Veneziani’s competing business interests in the financial services industry, his piece does not seem reliable to source the MLM claim about Primerica.

See [10] Veneziani, Vince (April 1, 2010). “Meet Primerica, The New Wall Street IPO That’s Really A Multi-Level Marketing Scheme.” Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-primerica-ipo-2010-4

Veneziani published an "Ask Me Anything" Reddit post nine years ago discussing his past experiences in the financial services industry at the following link, as archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20230124042432/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/265zjj/im_an_author_journalist_entrepreneur_and_trader.

Cited on Wikipedia, a 2012 source for the MLM claim about Primerica comes from Ryan Chittum, in the Columbia Journalism Review. The only spot in his piece mentioning Primerica says, “1988: Weill buys Primerica, a sketchy multilevel-marketing (pyramid style) firm that sells term life insurance.” Chittum’s source for this claim is a May 1, 1994 piece by Michael Quint, in The New York Times, titled “Mischief Under the Travelers Umbrella.” There is not any deeper elaboration by Chittum; he simply references a 1994 article in his 2012 “listicle.”

See [11] Chittum, Ryan (March 9, 2012). “200 Years of Citi: An alternate history.” Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved November 7, 2018. https://archives.cjr.org/the_audit/an_alternate_history_of_citigr.php

Another more recent source is a 2016 essay, by Michelle Celarier, in Slate, on Herbalife and MLMs. The only sentence mentioning Primerica says, “Timothy Muris, who was head of the FTC during the Bush era, along with J. Howard Beales, the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection during the same period, lobbied for the exclusion as representatives for Primerica Financial, an MLM that sells insurance.” Celarier neither provides any source for referring to Primerica as an MLM nor elaborates on this claim.

See [12] Celarier, Michelle (May 9, 2016). “Herbalife’s Endgame.” Slate. Retrieved September 24, 2017. https://slate.com/business/2016/05/the-government-is-finally-closing-in-on-herbalife-herbalife-will-fight-back-hard.html

The other cited reference on Wikipedia happens to be a self-published book—“Community Press,” not any recognized publisher—titled Primerica MLM: Making Network Marketing Simple by Pam Hogan, published on December 2, 2010. Hogan alleges that she, in fact, had been involved with various MLMs—since high school. Her book can only be purchased and read in Kindle and has not shown paperback options via Amazon. Apparently, Hogan has written multiple books, all self-published in 2010, with similar titles. These include Arbonne MLM: Network Marketing You Can Wrap Your Brain Around (December 2, 2010), Nu Skin MLM: New Ways of Doing Network Marketing Right (December 2, 2010), Reliv MLM: Making Money Through Network Marketing (December 2, 2010), and about thirteen other similarly titled works. In each, she alleges long-term experience in various MLMs and provides “guides” to readers. A further search under Hogan’s author profile shows these works. The descriptions for the books appear to be quite similar, except the name of the company in question is changed. This source also does not seem reliable, given that anybody can self-publish and Hogan does not seem reputable.

See [45] Primerica MLM: Making Network Marketing Simple. www.amazon.com. Community Press. December 2, 2010. Retrieved March 4, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Primerica-MLM-Making-Network-Marketing-ebook

In response to the MLM claim about Primerica, sources like Investor’s Business Daily and Business Wire indicate the contrary. According to Investor’s Business Daily, as of 2022, Primerica was ranked number one in Most Trusted Life Insurance Companies. It has been ranked above well-known companies, which also happen not to be MLMs. In addition, it ranked number three in Most Trusted Financial Companies, above State Farm at 21, Progressive at 23, and GEICO at 24. The latter companies did not even rank on life insurance; they only ranked on auto and home, as seen in the list.

See Morey Stettner (August 29, 2022). “Trusted Insurers Deliver On Their Promises.” Investor’s Business Daily. https://www.investors.com/news/top-insurance-companies-customer-trust-2022

See IBD Staff (August 29, 2022). “IBD’s 25 Most Trusted Financial Companies.” Investor’s Business Daily. https://www.investors.com/news/most-trusted-financial-companies-top-25-list-2022

Business Wire reports “Primerica Ranked on Fortune 1000® List for Third Consecutive Year,” as of 2022. It reads:

“The Fortune 1000® is the annual ranking by Fortune Magazine of the 1,000 largest U.S. public companies, listed in order of reported revenue. With revenues of approximately $2.7 billion in fiscal year 2021, Primerica ranks number 895 in the most recent list, up from number 980 in 2020 when the company debuted the list.”

The “About Primerica, Inc.” section on Business Wire reads as follows:

“Primerica, Inc., headquartered in Duluth, GA, is a leading provider of financial services to middle-income households in North America. Independent licensed representatives educate Primerica clients about how to better prepare for a more secure financial future by assessing their needs and providing appropriate solutions through term life insurance, which we underwrite, and mutual funds, annuities and other financial products, which we distribute primarily on behalf of third parties. We insured over 5.7 million lives and had over 2.7 million client investment accounts on December 31, 2021. Primerica, through its insurance company subsidiaries, was the #2 issuer of Term Life insurance coverage in the United States and Canada in 2021. Primerica stock is included in the S&P MidCap 400 and the Russell 1000 stock indices and is traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘PRI.’”

See (June 20, 2022). “Primerica Ranked on Fortune 1000® List for Third Consecutive Year.” Business Wire. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220620005488/en

The above description from Business Wire would be far more objective than using the descriptor “multi-level marketing," as seen on Wikipedia. Writing “Primerica has been described as a multi-level marketing company,” and categorizing it as such using the sources assessed, presents multiple problems. It sells what seems to be speculation by disputable sources as objective and factual. Importantly, it ultimately serves to misrepresent not only the company but also its representatives, doing harm in the form of damage to reputation and finance. Thus, even if not deliberate, this misrepresentation can be described as defamation.

Reliable sources, from reputable publications on business and finance, and the accompanying rankings, as noted, are public information and can be easily verified. Neither the recent source at Investor’s Business Daily nor the one at Business Wire appears in the references for the Wikipedia page on Primerica. Instead, there appears to be a pointed focus on the company allegedly being an MLM.

An MLM would not be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or ranked alongside—and, importantly, above—State Farm, Progressive, and GEICO. Nor would an MLM be ranked on the Fortune 1000®, a list that features a number of legitimate companies like Walmart, Amazon, and Apple—not MLMs. MLMs do not require state and federal licensing or, regarding the financial services industry, comply with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). MLMs do not require adherence to the state and federal regulations that extend to an entire industry and the companies within it. An MLM would not fulfill the above, especially requiring state and federal licensing. These facts undermine the MLM claim about Primerica since, all things being considered, other companies would qualify as MLMs on this basis. Related examples would include State Farm, Progressive, and GEICO. Donovan Cleckley (talk) 05:07, 24 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Lemonaka (talk) 01:45, 25 January 2023 (UTC)
 * Change multi level marketing. Primerica is not an mlm 99.228.58.50 (talk) 02:45, 3 May 2024 (UTC)

Requested Around MLM Comments
@LemonakaI am following up on the MLM comments list in the last entry on this Talk page entitled: Inquiry on the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Claim About Primerica.

The sources used to substantiate that we are sometimes referred to as a MLM are opinion pieces and do not comply with WP:RS. Given this, I am asking that you consider removing "Primerica has been described as a multi-level marketing company" from the first paragraph altogether. In addition, would ask that you consider removing the mention of MLM from the info box where it is used to describe the industry of the company. Primerica is a financial services company and MLM is a marketing strategy (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing) and not an industry. Our company pays compensation to representatives based on an insurance agency model.

Appreciate anything you can do to help or if you would like to discuss further.

Thanks so much TermLifeOG (talk) 17:16, 20 September 2023 (UTC)

Reply 20-SEP-2023
Regards, Spintendo  19:48, 20 September 2023 (UTC)
 * 1) There are three sources in the article which are used to back up this claim. Please describe what it is, about these sources, which does not confirm the given information.
 * 2) When ready to proceed with the requested information, kindly change the ' template's answer parameter to read from y to n. Please note that prior text entered in the Edit request proposal should not be retro-actively altered. Instead, a new reply post supplying the needed information should be posted below this review. The original ' template may then be altered.

 * Apologies, trying to understand how to respond and change the template's answer parameter. Can you share a link that might explain that?  Want be sure I am doing it correctly.
 * There are a number of improvements that could be made to the article as has been noted by other contributors, but in this specific case I am saying that the sources used are not journalists per se, they are pieces written based on the author's opinion. The one source that might be considered valid is over 13 years old. (https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-primerica-ipo-2010-4)
 * Even with this, the "Primerica has been described as a multi-level marketing company" is redundant in the the opening as it is already discussed in the Products and Business Model section. So given that, can we have it removed from the intro?
 * Fundamentally, we do not agree with this characterization that we are an MLM. Primerica's independent representatives earn commissions based on personal sales and the sales of the team they recruit and train: representatives do not earn income from the recruitment of other representatives. Representatives expand their businesses by adding representatives to their teams to increase the number of clients they are able serve. Primerica's independent representatives must maintain proper state and federal training and licensing requirements to recommend financial products.
 * Really appreciate your help!! TermLifeOG (talk) 20:29, 20 September 2023 (UTC)
 * Hi, @Spintendojust wanting to make sure you had seen this. Wasn't sure if I needed to tag you. Thanks again for your consideration. TermLifeOG (talk) 16:22, 25 September 2023 (UTC)

Request edit on 16 February 2024
The point on where it says that over 100,000 people work here and make 5 thousand dollars yearly This page is very outdated. My father works here and makes more than 5 thousand dollars a year and I think it should be updated
 * What I think should be changed:
 * Why it should be changed:

 * References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

Comonbo (talk) 00:47, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

 * Please include a reliable source. Please also note that Wikipedia doesn't publish original research. Thanks. Grayfell (talk) 01:28, 23 February 2024 (UTC)

EDITS TO INFOBOX AND LEAD IN MARCH 2024
I see you changed the first sentence of the lead and added to the infobox industry to state that Primerica is a multi-level marketing company. I’m hoping we can discuss these edits. I have a COI as an employee of Primerica. I believe your new emphasis in the first sentence and infobox on MLM is not warranted under Wikipedia policy. First, regarding the lead sentence, most of the press coverage about this public company describes them as financial services and insurance provider, and does not even mention multi-level marketing. Wikipedia should reflect the characterizations of the majority of secondary sources and not overweight a characterization that may have negative stereotypes. WP:UNDUE. The lead should also reflect the body of the article and only a very small amount of the page is about MLM. WP:LEAD. The sources cited to support the use of MLM in the lead are  a passing mention of the company that makes no reference to multi-level marketing and appears to be based on reporting in an article from 1994; a passing mention in an article from 2017; and a highly critical 15-year old Business Insider article. By contrast, more recent Reliable Sources describe Primerica as an insurance and financial services company, without mention of MLM. These include Second, in the Infobox, Multi-level marketing is not an industry, it’s a marketing strategy. It does not appear in the Infoboxes of even companies that are the best known in the world for MLM  Amway and Avon Products. It should be removed.
 * A 2023 article from CBS News: “Health care costs are the top concern among middle-income American households for the first time since 2021, outpacing inflation, according to a national survey from financial service provider Primerica.”
 * A 2022 article from Investors Business Daily: “Primerica (PRI) is a newcomer among the top three of IBD's most trusted life insurers category. It soared to the top of this year's survey with an overall score of 83.4 by sticking to its niche of selling term life insurance to Main Street USA.…The company also took the No. 3 ranking on IBD's overall list of the 25 Most Trusted Financial Companies.”
 * A 2022 Wall Street Journal article: “Myrna Guerrero, a national sales director for Primerica Inc., one of the nation’s biggest sellers of term-life policies, said it was tragic last year to see young families hit with Covid-19 deaths.”
 * A 2024 article from the Houston Chronicle: “The life insurance and financial products company posted revenue of $726.32 million in this period.”
 * A 2023 article in the Atlanta Business Chronicle: “Successor named for longstanding Primerica CFO: A public metro Atlanta financial services company is planning for its future.

Regarding the claim that Primerica is an MLM. This statement is simply not true. In reference to a legal document submitted by the company to the SEC, the document clearly states "Our distribution model, which is based on a traditional insurance agency model and borrows aspects from franchising and direct sales, is designed to reach and serve middle-income consumers efficiently by selling to customers through our sales representatives." Statements such as MLM denote a negative public perception towards the company, its affiliates, and its sales force. This statement should be modified based on the company's true representation of its legal filings. Reference document - https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1475922/000156459018003151/pri-10k_20171231.htm#ITEM_1    — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:346:4300:15E0:C8BA:27A3:17E9:6228 (talk) 22:06, 29 March 2024 (UTC) Thanks for your willingness to engage in this conversation. TermLifeOG (talk) 19:24, 15 March 2024 (UTC)

 * Wikipedia isn't a platform for promotion or advocacy. Please also carefully review Conflict of interest, and Paid-contribution disclosure. Grayfell (talk) 21:30, 15 March 2024 (UTC)

Discussion about undue weight of minority viewpoint
I’d like to start a discussion among editors regarding a recent change made to the page. I have a COI as an employee of the company. The second sentence of the lead paragraph was recently removed by User:Greyfell as a WP:WEASEL, but the editor then incorrectly tried to fix the problem by changing a vague claim into a definitive one. The second sentence had been phrased vaguely in order to dodge conflicting characterizations of the company in the press. The second sentence used to read: Primerica has been described as a multi-level marketing company. After deleting the Weasel language, Greyfell edited the first sentence of the lead to definitively describe the company’s primary identifying characteristic as a multi-level marketer and made it the first and most prominent characterization of the company on the page. Here’s the before and after:

In actuality, sources conflict as to how they characterize the company. The cited sources used to justify describing the company as a MLM are a a passing mention of the company that makes no reference to multi-level marketing at all] (200 Years of Citi, Columbia Journalism Review, March 2012); a passing mention in an article from 2017 (The government is finally closing in on Herbalife, Slate, 2016) ;and a highly critical 15-year old Business Insider article (Meet Primerica, The New Wall Street IPO That's Really A Multi-Level Marketing Scheme, Business Insider, 2010). But the majority of recent sources describe Primerica as an insurance and financial services company. For example: The emphasis on an unflattering characterization of the company in the lead is not justified given that sources diverge in their description of the company, and the majority of recent press coverage does not even mention MLM. WP:UNDUE I’d suggest the lead be reverted to how it read before. I’d suggest something like the following be added as the third paragraph of the lead, which conveys the information without giving undue weight to the primary characterization of the company. A 2010 Business Insider article described Primerica as a multilevel marketing company. Or the information could be reserved for the rest of the page where it is already represented by one sentence. What do other editors think? TermLifeOG (talk) 16:31, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
 * A 2023 article from CBS News: “Health care costs are the top concern among middle-income American households for the first time since 2021, outpacing inflation, according to a national survey from financial service provider Primerica.”
 * A 2022 Wall Street Journal article: “Myrna Guerrero, a national sales director for Primerica Inc., one of the nation’s biggest sellers of term-life policies, said it was tragic last year to see young families hit with Covid-19 deaths.”
 * A 2024 article from the Houston Chronicle:“The life insurance and financial products company posted revenue of $726.32 million in this period.”

 * There are many reliable sources explaining how Primerica's MLM scheme works, and warning people of Primerica. I just added another one. It's an important aspect of the company and what reliable sources say about it. It should be mentioned in the first sentence, and it doesn't need weasel words. (Since you mention on your user page that you work for Primerica: Unless you're one of the higher-ups and have no conscience, it would probably be best for you to get out.) — Chrisahn (talk) 21:19, 12 May 2024 (UTC)
 * First, this was not a Request Edit and should not have been closed. I clearly stated I wished to start a discussion among editors. There was no Request Edit template added and the discussion is not formatted like a Request Edit. Chrisahn acted contrary to Wikipedia consensus building by unilaterally closing a discussion before anyone else could weigh in. Second, I didn’t say that there aren’t media sources that refer to the company as a multi-level marketer. I pointed out that there are many more reliable sources that refer to it as a financial services company and do not mention multi-level marketing.
 * Here are further examples of reliable sources that refer to Primerica as a financial services company, rather than a multi-level marketer:
 * Wall Street Journal,
 * Fox Business,
 * Bloomberg,
 * Fortune,
 * Yahoo Finance.
 * Third, the article itself has very little content about multi-level marketing. So while it’s fair to include the allegation somewhere in the lead, as had been done until recently, placing it in the first part of the first sentence violates WP: LEAD by dramatically overemphasizing a minor part of the page.
 * Thanks. TermLifeOG (talk) 15:33, 31 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Sources that are silent on a point (if the company is an MLM) cannot be construed to contradict the sources that comment on that point. These other citations you are presenting are irrelevant. There is no policy based reason to make this change.
 * We also should not over attribute it - because we must not render factual statements as mere opinions, just as we would not write 'According to NASA, the Earth is round.' MrOllie (talk) 17:38, 31 May 2024 (UTC)
 * PS: It is past the time you should have dropped the stick on this one. Making variations of this argument over and over is not going to work. MrOllie (talk) 17:41, 31 May 2024 (UTC)
 * We also should not over attribute it - because we must not render factual statements as mere opinions, just as we would not write 'According to NASA, the Earth is round.' MrOllie (talk) 17:38, 31 May 2024 (UTC)
 * PS: It is past the time you should have dropped the stick on this one. Making variations of this argument over and over is not going to work. MrOllie (talk) 17:41, 31 May 2024 (UTC)

Request edit on 12 April 2024

 * What I think should be changed: Primerica is not a MLM company.
 * Why it should be changed: This is misrepresentation of a company started in 1977 and has been a A+ graded insurance company thanks to Primerica's customer service. This could also be legal grounds for defamation by misrepresenting Primerica with a false statement that negatively influences all readers of this false statement at the top of this article.
 * References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

ARichter907 (talk) 06:30, 12 April 2024 (UTC)

 * How are you related to the subject of the article? Shadow311 (talk) 13:27, 12 April 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 April 2024
Primerica is registered with the FTC as a general agency not an MLM. To be an MLM it would be registered with the FTC as so. 47.186.116.98 (talk) 01:23, 19 April 2024 (UTC)

 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: Wikipedia doesn't publish original research. If you have a reliable source which explains this, please propose it here for discussion. Please note that in this case, an independent source would be much better. Grayfell (talk) 01:28, 19 April 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Primerica


text:
Category:Towns in Turkey

See also the Turkish cities category.

title: Category:Towns in Turkey


text:
Tattenham Corner line

The Tattenham Corner line is a 8 mile railway line in Surrey and Greater London, England. It runs from its western terminus at Tattenham Corner, near Epsom Downs Racecourse, to a junction with the Caterham line south of Purley. There are intermediate stations at Tadworth, Kingswood, Chipstead, Woodmansterne, Coulsdon Town and Reedham. All seven stations are managed by Southern, which operates all passenger trains. Most services run between Tattenham Corner and London Bridge via East Croydon.

The line was promoted in two parts by the Epsom Downs Extension Railway and the Chipstead Valley Railway companies. The first section, between Purley Junction and Kingswood, opened on 2 November 1897 as a single-track line. The South Eastern Railway (SER) operated all services from the outset. The SER took over the line in 1899 and was responsible for finishing its construction and the provision of double track. Tattenham Corner station finally opened on 4 June 1901, the day of the Epsom Derby. The Southern Railway electrified the line using the 750 V DC third-rail system in 1928.

Infrastructure and services
The Tattenham Corner line is a railway line in Surrey and Greater London, England. It runs for 8 mile from its terminus at Tattenham Corner station to an at-grade junction with the Caterham line, 15 mi down the line from London Charing Cross and 10 ch south of Purley station. The maximum speed permitted on the branch is 60 mph. The line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system and is double tracked throughout. Signalling is controlled from Three Bridges and Track Circuit Block is in operation. There are two tunnels on the line – the 310 yd Kingswood Tunnel and the 37 yd Hoppity Tunnel – both of which are to the east of Tadworth station. The steepest gradient on the line, between Chipstead Viaduct and the summit at Tadworth Street Bridge, is 1 in 80.

The seven stations on the branch are managed by Southern, which operates all services. Tattenham Corner has three operational platforms, but the other six stations have two platforms each. The buffer stops at Tattenham Corner are 23 mile down the line from London Charing Cross, when measured via Norwood Junction.

The off-peak service pattern is two trains per hour in each direction between Tattenham Corner and London Bridge. At Purley, trains join with or split from a train travelling to or from Caterham. Most trains serve all stations between East Croydon and Tattenham Corner, but run non-stop between London Bridge and East Croydon. Off-peak trains from Tattenham Corner typically reach Purley on the Brighton Main Line in around 23 minutes and arrive at London Bridge in about an hour. The entirety of the Tattenham Corner line is in Zone 6 of the London fare zones.

Proposals and authorisations
The first proposals for a railway serving Tattenham Corner and Tadworth were drawn up in 1891 and a private bill was presented to Parliament in December 1891. The line, called the Epsom Downs Extension Railway (EDER), was to run from a station near Walton-on-the-Hill northwards to a junction with the Epsom Downs Branch near the Drift Bridge. The driving force behind the scheme was a group of local landowners, including Cosmo Bonsor, later the chairman of the South Eastern Railway (SER). Although the  (55 & 56 Vict. c. cxlv) was passed, there were several objectors including the Epsom Grand Stand Association, who feared that their plans to extend the racecourse would be jeopardised by the construction of the line. The Surrey Advertiser and County Times reported a formal ceremony on 6 June 1892 marking the start of construction, although royal assent was not granted until 27 June.

A second line, the Chipstead Valley Railway (CVR), running from the southern terminus of the EDER to a junction with the SER Caterham line south of Purley, was proposed in 1893. Authorisation was granted by an act of Parliament, the  (56 & 57 Vict. c. cliii), on 27 July of that year. In proposing this second scheme, Bonsor had intended that the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) would take over both the CVR and the EDER, and combine them into a single railway that it would then operate. The LBSCR refused and the CVR began to purchase the necessary land to construct their line. In October 1896, the SER agreed to seek parliamentary approval to take over both lines, which were by then under construction. The following year, the EDER was given approval in the  (60 & 61 Vict. c. xlii) to abandon its plans to build the section of its line north of Tattenham Corner. The SER formally absorbed the CVR and EDER in 1899.

Construction and openings
As initially surveyed, the CVR was to have been a single-track railway costing £11,000 per mile to build. The SER was unhappy with the proposals and provided an additional £3000 per mile to widen the formation for two tracks and to reduce the maximum gradient from 1 in 60 to 1 in 80. On 2 November 1897, the section between Purley Junction and Kingswood opened as a single-track line with a passing loop at Chipstead, the only intermediate station. From the outset, the line was worked by the SER. The section to Tadworth was opened as a single line on 1 July 1900. Double track was commissioned between Purley and Kingswood the following day and to Tadworth in November of the same year. All three CVR stations were provided with goods yards.

The final section of the line, between Tadworth and Tattenham Corner stations, opened on 4 June 1901, the day of the Epsom Derby. The terminus was laid out to cope with the volume of passengers travelling to the racecourse and had six operational platforms. Between 1902 and 1928, it saw no regular timetabled services and only opened for race day and summer excursion specials. Trains taking horses to the racecourse also used the station and the Epsom Grand Stand Association erected stables for 100 horses nearby.

Later 20th century developments
Detailed plans for Smitham station (now Coulsdon Town) had been drawn up in 1898 and 1899, but it was not opened until 1 January 1904. It was very close to Coulsdon North station on the Brighton Main Line, which had opened on 5 November 1899 and closed on 1 October 1983. Reedham station opened on 1 March 1911 as a halt. It closed for two years between 1 January 1917 and 1 January 1919, and became a staffed station on 5 July 1936.

During the First World War, racing at Epsom Downs was suspended and the area was used for military training camps. The line was used extensively for transport of troops and supplies. Following the end of the war, sidings at Tattenham Corner station were used to store surplus War Department locomotives. During the Second World War, casualties from the liberation of France were transported to a field hospital at Epsom Downs Racecourse via the line.

Electrification was first proposed in 1913 by the LBSCR. The company offered to install its overhead 6,700 V system, on the condition that it could lease the line from the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR, the successor to the SER) and operate all services. Following the end of the First World War, the SECR engineer, Alfred Raworth, recommended that the LBSCR scheme should be adopted. The plans were not pursued and under the Railways Act 1921, the Tattenham Corner line became part of the London Central Division of the Southern Railway in 1923. A new proposal to electrify the line using the 750 V DC third-rail system was authorised in August 1926. Electric services started running between Purley and Tadworth on 25 March 1928 and the platforms at Reedham, Chipstead and Kingswood were lengthened to accommodate the new rolling stock. Initially the new trains used the same timings as their steam-hauled predecessors, but on 17 June 1928 a new, accelerated timetable was introduced, which also restored regular services to Tattenham Corner.

Woodmansterne station opened on 17 July 1932. Taking the form of an island platform, linked by a concrete bridge to both sides of the line, it served a new area of semi-detached and terraced housing. The necessary land was donated by the developers, who also contributed around a fifth of the cost of construction. Woodmansterne signal box opened on 13 April 1932 and closed on 12 May 1963. Kingswood signal box closed on 2 December 1962.

A major resignalling project, in which colour light signals were installed, was commissioned on in the second half of 1970. Smitham signal box closed on 16 August, followed by the box at Tadworth on 29 November that year.

The track layout at Tattenham Corner was altered in 1971, reducing the number of operational platforms to three. The redundant land no longer required for the terminus was sold in 1979 and 1980 for housebuilding. The current single-storey ticket office was constructed in the mid-1990s, following an accident on 1 December 1993, in which a train crashed through the buffer stops, severely damaging the original wooden station building.

21st century
Smitham station was renamed "Coulsdon Town" in May 2011, following a consultation with local residents. A new building had been constructed at the station the previous year.

Under the Thameslink Programme, the Tattenham Corner line was to have been served by 8-car Class 700 trains to destinations north of the River Thames via London Blackfriars. However, in late 2017, these plans were altered and the line was dropped from the programme in favour of running Thameslink trains to Rainham, Kent. The following May, Southern introduced 10-car trains to the Tattenham Corner line and reduced journey times to London. In 2022, the Sunday service on the route was reduced to a shuttle between Tattenham Corner and Purley, requiring passengers to change trains to continue their journeys to London.

title: Tattenham Corner line


text:
Ganei Tal (Israeli settlement)

Ganei Tal (גַּנֵּי טַל) was an Israeli settlement in the south of the Gaza Strip, located in the Gush Katif settlement bloc. It was under the jurisdiction of Hof Aza Regional Council.

History
Ganei Tal was established as a moshav in 1979 with a primarily agricultural purpose; exporting geraniums and tomatoes to Europe. It had a population of some 75 families, or 500 people.

Lined with stucco buildings and greenhouses, it sat next to the Palestinian city of Khan Yunis, which was the source of many rocket attacks against the settlement.

Unilateral disengagement
The residents of Ganei Tal were forcibly evicted from their homes on 17 August 2005 as part of the unilateral disengagement plan, decided on by the Israeli government in 2004. Their houses were destroyed once the evictions were complete. A new village called Ganei Tal was later established in central Israel by the former settlers.

Palestinian plans
In 2007, Hamas announced plans to build a "media city" on the site.

title: Ganei Tal (Israeli settlement)


text:
Anthems for the Could've Bin Pills

Anthems for the Could've Bin Pills is a 2000 album by KC Accidental. It is a companion album to Captured Anthems for an Empty Bathtub, with tracks 1–6 on one album and 7–12 on the other.

Many of the musicians involved went on to record Feel Good Lost the following year under the name Broken Social Scene.

Track listing
When Captured Anthems was reissued by Noise Factory in 2003, the order was reversed so that the six music tracks were followed by the six blank tracks.

title: Anthems for the Could've Bin Pills