text:
Talk:Portable Executable

Position-independent code
PE does support position-independent code, it's just that no compiler or linker does. Interix executables compiled with GCC are position-independent PEs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.48.66.164 (talk) 22:48, 21 November 2008 (UTC)

Errors
Much of this is inaccurate. The .NET CLR is NOT 'added after the PE/COFF headers' nor does the CLR itself contain the mscoree!_CorExeMain or mscoree!_CorDllMain reference. The CLR header, defined as IMAGE_COR20_HEADER, is referenced through a data directory (#14) in the PE/COFF header. This data directory points to the virtual address and size of the CLR header.

The normal PE/COFF IMPORT table contains the mscoree!_Cor*Main reference. The entry point has a single jmp far instruction into the IAT table entry for this single import.

The IMAGE_COR20_HEADER is used by the CLR when it is loaded into the process space through a .NET aware operating system (WindowsXP+) or through the mscoree!CorExeMain or mscoree!CoreDllMain APIs.

 * So I gather three things are wrong:

 * 1)The CLR header and data sections are not placed at some memory address after the PE/COFF header section.
 * 2)The reference to CorExeMain and mscoree are not in the CLR header or data sections, but instead the import table
 * 3)The CLR header is referenced/loaded by the CLR, not by the loader directly.

 * I've made changes accordingly. Thanks for the corrections.
 * Vector4F 21:49, 20 November 2005 (UTC)

Broken link in OpenRCE
The "PE File Format Diagram" is broken, I don't know the right link... FYI Gil_mo 07:25, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

"portable" refers to the format's portability across all 32-bit
(and by extension 64-bit) Windows operating systems.
 * That is to say, all 16 bit and 32-bit and 64-bit Windows and DOS operating systems? 150.101.166.15 02:21, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

 * No. That is to say, all 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems. Guy Harris 08:21, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

 * No, the format was designed to be portable to DOS operating systems. There were two (rare) uses for the DOS compatibility, and one common use. The common use was to include a stub that displayed "This program requires Windows" or words to that effect. The less common uses were to include a stub that restarted the program in a Windows system, or to include a separate DOS copy of the program in the same file. The format also supports and is compatible with 16 bit windows, as it was designed to be, but I never heard of anyone using it for that purpose.
 * Since the body of the article clearly discusses this, and the specification clearly discusses this, can we change the leading sentence? 150.101.166.15 (talk) 03:21, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

 * The specification also clearly says, in the abstract, "This specification describes the structure of executable (image) files and object files under the Microsoft® Windows® family of operating systems." and the article clearly says "The format has retained limited legacy support to bridge the gap between DOS-based and NT systems." Neither of these speak of it as a format intended for use on DOS or 16-bit Windows; the format happens to begin with a header in the format of an MS-DOS executable, but there's nothing in the article or the PE specification to indicate that there was any intent that MS-DOS should be able to execute the code in the PE sections of the file just as 32-bit and 64-bit Windows can.  Guy Harris (talk) 09:13, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
 * It "happens" to begin with a legacy format specifically so that it will be portable to legacy systems. It really looks like you are grasping at straws here!150.101.166.15 02:54, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

 * "Portable to legacy systems" in what sense? The legacy systems don't interpret the part that's new, so the only reason to run a PE binary on a legacy system, rather than just running an MZ binary, is to use PE as a fat binary format, with a single file containing both an old DOS binary and a new 32-bit or 64-bit Windows binary.  The code in the PE portion of the binary will not be executed on DOS, so it's not as if PE adds anything for DOS-only binaries.

 * As such, you're stretching rather a lot to try to speak of it as being portable to DOS or 16-bit Windows, or to change the first sentence to speak of it as a file format used on DOS or 16-bit Windows - yes, if you try to run a PE file on DOS or 16-bit Windows, it'll run the MZ binary at the beginning, but if you try to run a file consisting of, for example, an MZ binary followed by a copy of the US Constitution in ASCII, it'll run the MZ binary at the beginning of that file, too. I.e., DOS doesn't explicitly support PE - it explicitly supports MZ, and, as PE files look like MZ if you ignore stuff past the size specified in the MZ header, that means it also runs the stub portion of PE binaries. Guy Harris 03:30, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

 * Or, to put it another way, DOS can't execute PE binaries. It can, however, execute MZ binaries with extra cruft stuck at the end; that's what a PE binary is to DOS.  Saying it's used in DOS and 16-bit Windows is thus misleading; the only part that's used is the part that was there before PE was invented. Guy Harris 04:25, 4 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Yes, that's what Portable means. The Executable format is Portable to DOS etc. No, having a Portable Executable Format does not magically change BSD programs into Linux programs: There is a fairly clear distinction between having portable programs and having a portable executable format. Of course, having a portable executable format is a pre-requisite for having portable executables, which is why MS designed a PEF that was portable to DOS as well as Windows. 150.101.166.15 (talk) 01:38, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

Useless links
I didn't see any advantages of "yoda's LordPE Deluxe" and "PE Explorer" over "CFF Explorer" tool listed under "Related tools" section. The first one provides very limited set of features and the second one looks like advertisement. Hstab 02:52, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

 * Okay I look over it again and it's probably to much, "PE Explorer" looks nice + is actually the most useless of the three others. ...and it's commercial - so let's drop it!

 * I know LordPE is old and the initial mask let you edit only selected values in the PE-header, but if you go more in the deep like exploring directories, it show you also 'exotic' structures as TLS, DelayImport, LoadConfig - you normally don't find in the rest of the PE-Editors. Together with the dumper(that also come along the Imagesize mod and Virtualprotect trick as Armadillo uses) it's in my eyes still the best 'all-rounder'.
 * "CFF Explorer" is great addition to LordPE and may depending on what you're doing/trying to do a better choice.

 * That 'PEview' is more educational - but I find it fits good for that purpose. It show you the structures in a clean and simple way while showing the offsets and underlaying Hexdata.

 * A console app like PEDump as also it's advantages if you like to use its output as input for an other program like windiff (examdiff or other differ).

 * And maybe we should keep that online PE-Viewer, because you can use without installing. ... and kick out the rest.

 * @Hstab: Okay I see wikipedia is not meant to be a software collection. However regarding this subject some well selected links to free PE-Tools as great addition to make that article more practical and 'living'.

 * What are the reason/ya experiences, that makes you to be that strictly against this?

Djamana (talk) 03:51, 26 April 2009 (UTC)

Poor Quality!Needs Improving Badly!
This article is poorly written! anyone explain PE format more clearly? Visame (talk) 18:42, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Universal Binary?
What's the difference between Portable Executable and Universal Binary? If I've understood it right Portable Executable is single binary file which has built in binary code for several different architectures while Universal Binary is more like a container for different binaries for different architectures. Is that correct or are both the one and same thing? --Dekonega (talk) 13:23, 10 November 2009 (UTC)
 * Universal binary refers to a Mach-O file that contains compiled code for PowerPC and Intel architectures. A common compiler flag used in Mac OS X is  which compiles an application as 32 and 64-bit for both PowerPC and Intel (the resulting executable ending up with instructions for 4 architectures). Dread Lord CyberSkull ✎☠ 09:33, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

Xbox use a similar format?
I've been reading up on the likelihood that the Xbox console used a somewhat-modified form of the Portable Executable format for its .xbe executable files. Can anyone substantiate this supposition? Did the format translate over the to the Xbox 360? If either answer is affirmative, should those pieces of information be included in the article?—WhosAsking (talk) 18:40, 13 June 2010 (UTC)

Was PE proprietary at first?
Was PE specification open from the start or was it reverse-engineered and published post factum? 93.175.21.184 (talk) 16:15, 13 January 2011 (UTC)
 * http://www.csn.ul.ie/~caolan/publink/winresdump/winresdump/doc/pefile2.html

"The Windows NT version 3.1 operating system introduces a new executable file format called the Portable Executable (PE) file format. The Portable Executable File Format specification, though rather vague, has been made available to the public and is included on the Microsoft Developer Network CD (Specs and Strategy, Specifications, Windows NT File Format Specifications).

Yet this specification alone does not provide enough information to make it easy, or even reasonable, for developers to understand the PE file format."

The first decent material on the subject was a famous MSDN Magazine article by Matt Pietrek in 1994. — Vano 23:57, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

Multiple binaries?
Does PE support multiple binaries like Mach-O does? It is not clear from the article whether it does or not. Dread Lord CyberSkull ✎☠ 09:34, 29 December 2011 (UTC)
 * No A PE executable is a DOS Executable with extra DATA unlike universal MAC binaries where you have an archive which contain other executable archive: See Below. 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 22:42, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

HISTORY section and efi citation
It should be mentioned that PE was originally developed by IBM and that the DOS executable was not as Stub message.

It was similar to Universal Binary. There was two executable for two different platform at same time. They both do the same thing. The latest know example is the windows 98SE installer. there are the same pictures with DOS and windows. OS/2 had no graphic interface in the beginning.

There is two formats on DOS: the first one is .com. It is an unformatted one. You can even boot on it if put one in a Boor sector. The second is .EXE. It is an archive which contain several files and allow relocatable sections. A PE executable is A DOS EXE with certain instructions for stopping the program before the beginning of the other. When windows explorer see a PE header with an icons it opens the archive go into a special folder an extract an .ico file then it display it. It is just for saying PE headers are archive based. It is an neglected aspect. Someone who read the article won't understand it.

When times goes by, DOS usage was decreasing. It didn't worth to develop application for DOS. It is at this time DOS executables started to be STUb message.

When DOS was dropped, they were implementations problems (ex:mingw) : it is impossible to have a PE header without a working DOS .exe format. So compiler still continue to generate Stub message. It is the failure of forced compatibility. A normal situation in another case (Other OS) would make the new executable don't work at all. On DOS running a DLL would normaly crash the system. Most people think Stub message were designed for 9x users. But it WRONG because it is no longer the case. It is caused by a design issue

I didn't find a efi file available directly for download. I think it is that should be used for the source. 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 22:39, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * You're confusing it with DOS MZ executable. Btw, there was New Executable in between too. A note about a full-fledged DOS program is worth noting, I've added it. — Vano 22:58, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I couldn't find any sources about PE format usage in OS/2 - they only talk about Linear Executables. So i'm removing that statement as plain confusion unless you find a reliable source saying otherwise. — Vano 23:39, 16 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I couldn"t find any source too but if you download ecomstation CD you'll see that every executable have a PE header. OS/2 was released before windows. Everybody who used OS/2 before windows know it is IBM that developed the nt kernel. Also don't forget first OS/2 (including 2.0) didn't use 32 bits and had their own type. 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 23:58, 16 July 2013 (UTC) Do not invisibly edit old or replied messages - this distorts the discussion history. Make changes clearly visible and timestamped (like this) or write a new message. — Vano 12:10, 18 July 2013 (UTC)
 * OS/2 was jointly developed by IBM and Microsoft, see Microsoft. eComStation, regardless of formats, looks like an OS/2 spin-off rather that the original IBM's product. Whether its use of PE format deserves mentioning in .exe depends of how notable that OS is. — Vano 00:27, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I found this. 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 22:17, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Pretty surprising. I didn't know there was (and more so, STILL was: check out the VS version) a publicly supported way to attach MS-DOS executables. — Vano 22:48, 17 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Not surprising at all: It is the same with number of MS products: you have parts of very old code that is not obsoleted (absent article on a Software development process part) and removed. The web documentation is probably automatically generated by their build systems. It says that it is limited to win32, but it work on every executable having a PE header (They talk of Vxd whereas 2012 version no longer alow building Vxd) . Sure, it still exist because nobody think to remove it. What if it is not a bug : It is designed in the case a developper want anticipating this kind of user idea: [[Image:Face-smile-big.svg|20px]]

 * I have a new computer. UEFI is super: there are applications files. After playing my games, I want to boot another OS without leaving DOS for rebooting. I'm taking my 64 bits EFI file (since there is 16 bit-code in 64 bits programs) . I'm renaming the extension to exe and try to see if there is the dos version included. Let's check...
 * Cooooooooooooooooool it work !!!!!!!!!!!!![[Image:Face-smile-big.svg|20px]] 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 00:38, 18 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I'm glad for you but please refrain from drifting off topic too much. Article talk pages in Wikipedia are supposed to support writing the article, general discussions are only good as long as they facilitate that goal. Specifically:
 * your MSDN link is good to support the "can be a full MS-DOS app" clause
 * the fact that PE is the format for EFI executables is already present (a link to a section of UEFI standard is desirable though). A working DOS version of the loader as the MZ stub may be a part of the UEFI standard, Microsoft's implementation detail or just your luck with this particular loader. Please check this out if you want to add this fact to the article. — Vano 11:43, 18 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I had already read EFI in article before writing this. This was just for joking on the choice of PE for EFI instead of another format. It shouldn't be on an article talk page, I won't do it again.
 * I recognize the process of citing source is difficult considering the method to check: first Buy VS 2012 or download 2013 preview version. Install it. Create a simple EFI application and link it with the appropriate /SUBSYSTEM switch. Link it with another DOS program. You can download one on FreeDos. If you want to create your own DOS application, I suggest OpenWatcom.
 * I'll never write in encyclopaedic style, so I'll never make major edit on a wikipedia article. 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 23:41, 18 July 2013 (UTC)
 * "Never say 'never'". Whatever. I looked through MSDN and UEFI specification as well as google. They both seem to ignore the MZ stub altogether - neither UEFI's LoadImage fn or EFI-related compiler info mention anything as do independent resources. So it seems to be you luck with this particular image or MS's undocumented feature (or, more likely, practice) that no one expressed much interest in so far. — Vano 18:45, 28 July 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes the MZ header is ignored in both case. Again what I was saying it that the stub message in the header is a regular DOS-Mz application which can be extracted by removing PE only content. It is kind of "Hello-World" written in assembly. This is because whatever it contains the MZ need to have DOS code. It doesn't matter if the code don't work or is invalid or if it is large. It just need to be present to be ignored.
 * It is no luck with a particular loader. It is implementation detail. PE loaders need a regular dos-mz as a header. You can't have a working executable without DOS-MZ . Since there is DOS code needed, the best program is a stub message. That Stub message could be replaced by other DOS executable. There something you can do with an hex editor: remove the DOS-MZ part; record the file. then append it to a true DOS-MZ executable. You'll still have two executable in one file but the DOS executable would be the app of your choice.
 * For a DOS operating system, you can append any data at the end of the file. You can even append a small mp3, it will not be "read" and not loaded in ram.

 * This all what you need to understand: In reality what it is called "Stub message" in Specs is a regular MZ application which can be replaced. More details here 2A02:8422:1191:6E00:56E6:FCFF:FEDB:2BBA (talk) 21:22, 31 August 2013 (UTC)

DataDirectory error in diagram depicting EXE file headers
This graphic https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Portable_Executable_32_bit_Structure_in_SVG.svg was so well done and professional looking, that I'd assumed that whoever made it really knew what they were talking about and had done their research. Apparently though, at least on one part of it, they had not. That part is the DataDirectory part. There are only 15 entries in it in the diagram in question. However there are actually supposed to be 16 entries in it, with the last one always blank (filled with 0x00 bytes). I was depending on this diagram for the specs of the PE format, and was using the info shown in this diagram in designing a piece of software I was making. I was trusting that diagram because it looked so well done, that I was assuming it was correct. But it wasn't, as have explained. I found that it was wrong, because my program always was failing to correctly extract data correctly from an EXE file. The section headers (which is what my program was designed to extract) are supposed to start immediately after the DataDirectory, but because your diagram that I was using for my info showed that directory to only have 15 entries, my program was always starting 8 bytes too soon when extracting section headers. I couldn't figure out why, but eventually I decided to scour the net, to see if maybe, just maybe, there was an error in this diagram. It turns out that indeed there is an error in it. It shows the DataDirectory holding only 15 entries, when in fact it should be 16 entries, just with the last entry always empty. After fixing this error, my program worked perfectly.

I don't know how to edit SVG graphics or how to upload any files to Wikipedia. If I did, I'd correct this error myself. So can somebody please fix this? I don't want any other programmers out there to be looking at this diagram, depending on the info it presents when writing their program, and end up getting their program wrong, and then have to go and waste an hour debugging their program like I did, to fix an error that never should have been there to start with. Benhut1 (talk) 05:42, 10 January 2016 (UTC)

Ok, I finally ended up figuring out how to edit SVG files, and fixed the diagram myself. The new image on this Wiki article is now my edited version of the image. The direct link to the new image is: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Portable_Executable_32_bit_Structure_in_SVG_fixed.svg Benhut1 (talk) 18:54, 1 September 2016 (UTC)

Reference #3 is a dead link
Reference number 3: "Microsoft Portable Executable and Common Object File Format Specification, Microsoft Corporation, Revision 6.0 - February 1999" points to https://download.microsoft.com/download/e/b/a/eba1050f-a31d-436b-9281-92cdfeae4b45/pecoff.doc which is invalid. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.91.169.98 (talk) 18:41, 11 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done The dead link in reference 3 was replaced by the new link (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=19509). Luis150902 (talk | contribs) 21:26, 13 June 2017 (UTC)

Merge PE infection with this article and/or Malware
Propose merging PE infection with this article and/or Malware: PE infection is a stub with only two sentences and one reference, that can be merged with this article and/or Malware. Luis150902 (talk | contribs) 20:51, 13 June 2017 (UTC)

PE Infection has been merged into the Malware page. After review of the Portable Executable page, there is no way to fluidly incorporate the concept of PE Infection into the page because at no point does the article discuss security concerns of any kind. --Baumergrl (talk) 01:21, 22 October 2017 (UTC)

More broken links
Two references that point into oblivion, but I found alternatives An In-Depth Look into the Win32 Portable Executable File Format, Part 1 An In-Depth Look into the Win32 Portable Executable File Format, Part 2 --Dan Oom (talk) 20:45, 28 February 2019 (UTC)

title: Talk:Portable Executable


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Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton

Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton (May 1601 – 19 March 1643), styled Lord Compton from 1618 to 1630, was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He became a peer by writ of acceleration in 1626 and by inheritance in 1630. He fought in the Royalist army and was killed in action at the Battle of Hopton Heath.

Life
Northampton was the son of William Compton, 1st Earl of Northampton, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir John Spencer, Lord Mayor of London. He was created a Knight of the Bath on 3 November 1616. In 1621 he was elected Member of Parliament for Ludlow. Also in 1621, he was appointed Master of the Robes to the Prince of Wales and attended the latter in the adventure to Spain in 1623. He warmly supported the king in the Scottish expeditions, at the same time giving his advice for the summoning of the parliament, which "word of four syllables" he declared was "like the dew of heaven". In 1626, he became Baron Compton by writ of acceleration. In 1630 he inherited the Earldom on the death of his father in 1630 and assumed his duties as Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire and Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire.

Military career

On the outbreak of the English Civil War, Northampton was entrusted with the execution of the Commission of Array in Warwickshire. After varying success and failure in the English Midlands, he fought at the Battle of Edgehill and, after Charles I of England's return to Oxford, was given, in November 1642, the military supervision of Banbury and the neighbouring country. He was attacked in Banbury by the parliamentary forces on 22 December, but relieved by Prince Rupert of the Rhine the next day.

In March 1643, he marched from Banbury to relieve Lichfield and, having failed there, proceeded to Stafford, which he occupied. Thence on 19 March, accompanied by three of his sons, he marched out with his troops and engaged Sir John Gell, 1st Baronet and Sir William Brereton at the Battle of Hopton Heath.

He put to flight the enemy's cavalry and took eight guns, but in the moment of victory, while charging too far in advance, he was surrounded by the parliamentarian soldiers. To those who offered him a quarter, he answered that he scorned to take a quarter from such base rogues and rebels as they were, whereupon he was slain by a blow on the head. Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, describes his loss as a great one to the cause.

Personal life
Northampton married Mary, daughter of Sir Francis Beaumont, brother of Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham. Northampton and Mary had two daughters and six sons. The four eldest sons were Cavaliers in the Civil War, often seeing action together.
 * James (1622–1681) succeeded his father as 3rd Earl of Northampton
 * Charles (c. 1624–1661) MP for Northampton in 1661
 * William (c. 1625–1663) one of the original members of the Royalist organisation, The Sealed Knot
 * Spencer (c. 1629–1659), knighted in 1643 on the same day as Charles and William; died in Bruges
 * Francis (c. 1629–1716) MP for Warwick from 1664 to 1679
 * Henry (1632–1713) bishop of London from 1675 to 1713
 * Anne married Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 4th Baronet, MP for Northampton and Thirsk
 * Penelope married Sir John Nicholas, MP for Ripon from 1661 to 1679

Mary, Countess of Northampton, died on 18 March 1654 at Queen's Street in London.

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


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Jon and Vangelis

Jon and Vangelis was a music collaboration between British rock singer Jon Anderson (lead vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes) and Greek synthesiser musician Vangelis. The duo released four albums between 1980 and 1991.

History
In 1974, Vangelis was considered as a replacement for Rick Wakeman as keyboardist in Yes, and although the job went to Patrick Moraz, it led to several collaborations with Anderson, who contributed vocals to Vangelis' Heaven and Hell (1975) on the song "So Long Ago, So Clear", harp to Opera Sauvage (1979) on "Flamants Roses" and finally vocals to See You Later (1980) on "Suffocation" and "See You Later".

They recorded their first album together, Short Stories, in 1979, producing the major hit "I Hear You Now" as well as "One More Time". Anderson wrote the lyrics and Vangelis composed the music. In 1980, Anderson left Yes and released his second solo album, Song of Seven. Vangelis released his See You Later album the same year, with Anderson contributing vocals to two songs. The two reunited to record their second album, The Friends of Mr Cairo, in 1981, including the songs "Friends of Mr Cairo" and "State of Independence". Later pressings of the album included the UK top 10 hit "I'll Find My Way Home". In 1983, Anderson rejoined Yes and they released the album 90125. Jon and Vangelis released their own album, Private Collection, the same year.

In 1986, the duo made a few attempts at writing a new album, but much of this work was never officially released under the Jon and Vangelis name. Twelve tracks were compiled on 1991's Page of Life, while other songs from these sessions appeared in later works, including "Let's Pretend", the last song on the 1989 album Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Anderson ultimately took it upon himself to rework Page of Life, which was released in 1998 in the United States only with nine tracks. In 2011, Anderson approached Vangelis for a possible new collaboration but he did not receive a reply.

Vangelis died on May 17, 2022.

Singles
Notes:

title: Jon and Vangelis


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Alex Tabarrok

Alexander Taghi Tabarrok (born November 11, 1966) is a Canadian-American economist. Tabarrok is a professor at Virginia's George Mason University and Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the school's Mercatus Center.

With Tyler Cowen, he co-authors the economics blog Marginal Revolution. Tabarrok and Cowen have also ventured into online education with Marginal Revolution University.

From 1999 until 2013 he was director of research for the Oakland, California based think tank the Independent Institute.

He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria in Canada and received his Ph.D. from George Mason University in 1994.

He has done work on dominant assurance contracts, law and economics, and health economics.

In 2012, journalist David Brooks called Tabarrok one of the most influential bloggers on the political right, writing that he is among those who "start from broadly libertarian premises but do not apply them in a doctrinaire way."

title: Alex Tabarrok


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Bennie Thompson

Bennie Gordon Thompson (born January 28, 1948) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for MS's 2nd congressional district since 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Thompson served as the chair of the Committee on Homeland Security from 2007 to 2011 and from 2019 to 2023. He was both the first Democrat and the first African American to chair the committee. He is the dean of Mississippi's congressional delegation.

Since 2011, Thompson has been the only Democrat in Mississippi's congressional delegation. His district includes most of Jackson and is the only majority-black district in the state. It is about 275 mi long, 180 mi wide, and borders the Mississippi River. The Mississippi Delta comprises the vast majority of the district.

Early life, education, and career
Thompson was born in Bolton, Mississippi, the son of Will Thompson and Annie (Lauris) Thompson. He attended Hinds County public schools and graduated from Hinds County Agricultural High School. He then attended Tougaloo College, from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1968. He earned a Master of Science in educational administration from Jackson State University in 1972. Thompson was a schoolteacher in Madison, Mississippi. He served as an alderman (1969–1973) and then mayor of Bolton (1973–1980) before being elected to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, on which he served from 1980 to 1993.

Tenure
When Mike Espy resigned from the United States House of Representatives in MS's 2nd congressional district to become Secretary of Agriculture in 1993, Thompson ran in the special election to succeed him. With five other Democrats splitting the vote, he finished second, behind Republican Hayes Dent with 28% of the vote in the March 30, 1993, primary election. He then defeated Dent in the April 13 runoff with 55% of the vote. He won the seat again in 1994 and has been reelected 12 times. He has faced serious opposition only twice, when journalist Clinton LeSueur held him to 55% in 2002 and 58% in 2004.

Thompson became an outspoken advocate for the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit in 2005. From his position on the Homeland Security Committee, he pushed for accountability at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a careful review of the role of the Red Cross in the time of disaster. He also pursued waste, fraud, and abuse in hurricane contracting and called for preferences to be given to small and Gulf Coast businesses in the recovery and rebuilding of the affected states. Thompson is the founding member of the bipartisan Gulf Coast Recovery & Rebuilding Caucus in the House of Representatives.

Thompson's voting record has been decidedly liberal; he is by far the most liberal member of the Mississippi delegation and arguably one of the most liberal congressmen ever to represent the state. He is a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. His legislative platform focuses mainly on homeland security, civil rights, agriculture and rural issues, equal education, and health care reform. In 1975, he became one of the original plaintiffs in the Ayers Case, which concerned the adequate funding of predominantly black educational institutes in Mississippi. In 2000, Thompson wrote legislation that created the National Center for Minority Health and Health Care Disparities.

During his tenure as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Thompson focused on assuring that state and local officials, as well as first responders (fire, police, EMTs), got the resources they needed to protect their communities. Thompson was particularly concerned about local officials getting adequate resources, having been a volunteer firefighter and a local elected official for 24 years.

Thompson was one of 31 House Democrats to object to the certification of the results of the 2004 presidential election in Ohio. President George W. Bush won Ohio, the state the representatives objected to counting, by 118,457 votes. Democrats claimed the results were tainted by irregularities or fraud. These claims were investigated and rejected by journalists, and Democratic nominee John Kerry, who did not contest the election result. As of 2021, Thompson stands by his vote, claiming it was "based on what the issues are at that time. But again, I didn't tear up the place because I cast a vote."

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006 Thompson brought an action against George W. Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The case, Conyers v. Bush, was ultimately dismissed.

On January 5, 2007, Thompson introduced H.R.1, "Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007", the first bill of the 110th Congress. The bill, cosponsored by more than 100 House Members, provided for the implementation of the 9/11 Commission's remaining recommendations. It included provisions requiring major improvements in aviation security, border security, and infrastructure security; providing first responders the equipment and training they need; beefing up efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; and significantly expanding diplomatic, economic, educational, and other strategies designed to counter terrorism. The bill had bipartisan support and passed 299–128 on January 9, 2007. On July 27, 2007, the Conference Report on H.R. 1 passed the House overwhelmingly, 371–40. The previous day, it had passed the Senate 85–8. The President signed H.R. 1 into law on August 3, 2007.

With the passage of H.R. 1, Thompson is the first African-American Chairman of a House Committee to have a House–Senate Conference on the first bill introduced in either the House or the Senate in any given Congress.

On December 27, 2009, commenting on reports that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who had allegedly tried to set off a suicide bomb on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on December 25, 2009, had subsequently confessed to being trained and equipped in Yemen, Thompson called for a halt to all current plans with regard to Yemen in light of Abdulmutullab's ties there, including plans to repatriate approximately 80 Yemeni captives in Guantanamo.

Thompson is a supporter, and one of the proposers of, a bill to prevent auto insurance companies from using credit scores to set their rates, which supporters claim would lower rates for Americans in financial struggle. The bill proposed that auto insurance rates be based solely on factors related to "skills and responsibility behind the wheel", excluding factors such as debt or poor credit elsewhere. The bill has not been enacted.

Thompson has also been a supporter of a measure to increase screening and background checks for pilot trainees to reduce chances of terrorist exploitation. The bill, H.R. 6159, would require all applicants to go through a waiting period while they are screened and cleared by the Department of Homeland Security. Currently, only foreign-born trainees are required to go through this screening. The bill has not been enacted.

In July 2014, Thompson joined Senator Ron Wyden in introducing a bill to limit the number of documents that are classified and to overhaul the security clearance system. The bill stalled and was not passed.

On April 1, 2020, Thompson and other Democratic lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee introduced legislation that would create a commission tasked with "producing a full and complete accounting of the nation's preparedness and response to the coronavirus". He compared this to the 9/11 Commission, saying, "while we don't yet know the full impact the coronavirus will have on the nation," already "more Americans have been killed by the virus than died in the September 11, 2001, attacks". A bipartisan group of House lawmakers would appoint 25 commission members, and 18 months after its initial meeting, a "public report detailing recommendations for the development of a national plan to address public health and the economic and social impacts of future pandemics" would be published.

For his tenure as the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in the 116th Congress, Thompson earned an "A" grade from the non-partisan Lugar Center's Congressional Oversight Hearing Index.

On March 3, 2021, Thompson was the only House Democrat to vote against the For the People Act, a top legislative priority of House Democrats that would reform campaign finance and election laws and expand voting rights. Despite initially cosponsoring the bill, Thompson said his vote "was no accident", explaining, "My constituents opposed the redistricting portion of the bill as well as the section on public finances. I always listen and vote in the interest of my constituents."

In April 2024, Thompson was one of nine Democrats who introduced a bill to strip Secret Service protection from convicted felons, which would include former President Donald Trump after Trump was convicted in New York in May 2024.

On July 14, 2024, after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Jacqueline Marsaw, one of Thompson's staffers, was relieved of her duties after posting on social media "I don't condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time oops that wasn't me saying that".

Negotiating the January 6 Commission and chairing the Select Committee
On January 7, 2021, Thompson issued a statement about the January 6 United States Capitol attack. In the statement, he wrote, "There must be a thorough Congressional investigation into the clear and massive breakdowns in preparedness and response. My Committee has been examining the threat from domestic terrorism, right-wing extremism, and white nationalism for ten years and this will be at the top of our agenda for the new Congress."

On February 13, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans for a bicameral commission to investigate the attack on the Capitol, modeled after the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission), an independent panel that investigated the attacks of September 11, 2001. The 9/11 Commission was created in 2002 by Congress and issued a detailed report on its findings 15 months later. Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tasked Thompson and John Katko, the House Homeland Security Committee's highest-ranking members, with negotiating the commission's establishment resolution. Despite initial bipartisan support for a commission, by March, disputes between Democrats and Republicans over the proposed investigation's scope and whether the commission would have an equal number of members from each party stalled the commission's creation.

On May 14, 2021, Thompson and Katko announced H.R. 3233, The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act. The resolution introduced to the House on May 19 met all Republican objections; it contained an equal number of members from each party, required approval of both parties to issue subpoenas, and set a firm deadline of December 31, 2021, to complete the report. The bill to form the commission passed the House, 252–175, with 35 Republicans and every Democrat supporting it. On May 28, Senate Republicans used a filibuster to block taking up the bill. Thompson issued a statement denouncing Senate Republicans, calling it appalling that Mitch McConnell allowed the bill to be filibustered even after hearing from Officer Brian Sicknick's mother and her support for the bill.

On July 1, 2021, Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose Thompson to chair the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack. According to Thompson's friends and advisors, his national security expertise qualified him to chair the committee. As chair, Thompson had the sole authority to sign and issue a subpoena. According to a Congressional Research Service survey, this was the only active House committee with this authorization in the 117th Congress, found under Section 5: Procedures in H.Res 503, as most House committees can issue and authorize subpoenas only with a majority vote of the committee/subcommittee or by consulting the ranking minority member. Most House committees can have a member designated by the committee to authorize subpoenas.

Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:
 * Committee on Homeland Security (Ranking Member)
 * As Ranking Member of the committee, Rep. Thompson is entitled to sit as an ex officio member in any subcommittee hearing, per the committee's rules.

Caucus memberships

 * Congressional Black Caucus
 * Congressional Gaming Caucus
 * Congressional Rural Caucus
 * Congressional Sunbelt Caucus
 * Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucus
 * Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus
 * Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus
 * Congressional Children's Working Group
 * National Guard & Reserve Components Congressional Members Organization
 * Afterschool Caucuses

Legislation sponsored

 * Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2013 (H.R. 1204; 113th Congress) – Thompson introduced this bill on March 14, 2013. If it became law, the bill would direct the Transportation Security Administration to establish in the TSA an Aviation Security Advisory Committee and consult with it about matters of aviation security.
 * Thompson is also supporting a bill to prevent sleeping in United States Congress offices.

National politics
Thompson was the Permanent Chair of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Lawsuit against Trump
On February 16, 2021, on behalf of Thompson, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a federal lawsuit accusing Donald Trump of inciting violence on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol assault. The suit came three days after Trump was acquitted in the second Senate impeachment trial for inciting the riot. After the acquittal, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said in a speech he voted to acquit Trump because he believes the Senate cannot try a former president, but encouraged litigation against Trump, saying: "We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being accountable by either one." Included in the lawsuit as defendants are Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and the two organizations the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. The lawsuit alleges that, by preventing Congress "by the use of force, intimidation, and threat" from carrying out its constitutional duties (the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count) Trump, Giuliani and the two hate groups violated the 1871 Third Enforcement Act (also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act).

Personal life
Thompson is married to London Johnson of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and has a daughter, BendaLonne, a granddaughter, Jeanna, and a grandson, Thomas. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (Gamma Rho – Tougaloo College) and a lifetime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton.

title: Bennie Thompson


text:
John Harbison

John Harris Harbison (born December 20, 1938) is an American composer and academic.

Life
John Harris Harbison was born on December 20, 1938, in Orange, New Jersey, to the historian Elmore Harris Harbison and Janet German Harbison. The Harbisons were a musical family; Elmore had studied composition in his youth and Janet wrote songs. Harbison's sisters Helen and Margaret were musicians as well. He won the prestigious BMI Foundation's Student Composer Awards for composition at the age of 16 in 1954. He studied music at Harvard University (BA 1960), where he sang with the Harvard Glee Club, and later at the Berlin Musikhochschule and at Princeton (MFA 1963). He is an Institute Professor of music at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a former student of Walter Piston and Roger Sessions. His works include several symphonies, string quartets, and concerti for violin, viola, and double bass.

Harbison won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1987 for The Flight into Egypt, and in 1989 he received a $305,000 MacArthur Fellowship. In 1998, he received the 4th annual Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities. He was awarded the Harvard Arts Medal in 2000. In 2006, a recording of his Mottetti di Montale was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category.

The Metropolitan Opera commissioned Harbison's The Great Gatsby to celebrate James Levine's 25th anniversary with the company. The opera premiered on December 20, 1999, conducted by Levine, with Jerry Hadley, Dawn Upshaw, Susan Graham, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Mark Baker, Dwayne Croft, and Richard Paul Fink among the cast.

In 1991, Harbison was the music director of the Ojai Music Festival in conjunction with Peter Maxwell Davies. He has served as principal guest conductor for Emmanuel Music in Boston. After founding director Craig Smith's death in 2007, Harbison was named acting artistic director. Harbison and his wife, Rose Mary Harbison, a violinist, ran the Token Creek Chamber Music Festival from 1989 to 2022.

Partial discography

 * Mirabai Songs / Variations (1987). Northeastern Records NR 230-CD. Performed by Janice Felty, mezzo-soprano, Collage New Music Ensemble, conducted by John Harbison — Rose Mary Harbison, violin; David Satz, clarinet; Ursula Oppens, piano. Tracks 1-6: Mirabai Songs, text from Mirabai Versions by Robert Bly. Tracks 7-10: Variations, for violin, clarinet, and piano. Track listing:
 * 1) I. It's True, I Went to the Market
 * 2) II. All I Was Doing Was Breathing
 * 3) III. Why Mira Can't Go Back to Her Old House
 * 4) IV. Where Did You Go?
 * 5) V. The Clouds
 * 6) VI. Don't Go, Don't Go
 * 7) Variations i–v
 * 8) Variations vi–x
 * 9) Variations xi–xv
 * 10) Finale and Epilogue
 * The Flight into Egypt and other works by John Harbison (1990). New World Records 80395-2. Performed by The Cantata Singers and Ensemble, The Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, and The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Conducted by David Hoose, John Harbison, and André Previn. Tracks:
 * 1) The Flight into Egypt, text from the King James translation of the story of the Flight into Egypt in the Gospel of Matthew
 * 2) The Natural World: Prelude
 * 3) Where We Must Look for Help, text from Robert Bly
 * 4) On the Road Home, text from Wallace Stevens
 * 5) Milkweed, text from James Wright
 * 6) Concerto for Double Brass Choir and Orchestra: I. Invention on a Motif: Tempo giusto
 * 7) II. Invention on a Chord: Cantabile
 * 8) III. Invention on a Cadence: Molto allegro
 * At First Light (1998). Archetype Records 60106. Performed by Lorraine Hunt, mezzo-soprano, Dawn Upshaw, soprano, Greenleaf Chamber Players, and Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Scott Yoo. Tracks:
 * 1) Due Libri dei Mottetti di Montale
 * 2) Snow Country
 * 3) Chorale Cantata
 * 4) Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet, and Strings
 * John Harbison: Ulysses' Bow / Samuel Chapter (2004). First Edition ASIN: B0002RQ35C. Tracks:
 * 1) Ulysses' Bow ballet performed by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and conducted by André Previn
 * 2) Samuel Chapter performed by Susan Larson (soprano) and conducted by John Harbison
 * The Reawakening, String Quartet No. 3, Fantasia on a Ground, Thanks Victor (2001). Musica Omnia om0110. Lydian String Quartet, Dominique Labelle, soprano.
 * World Premiere Recordings: Violin Concerto, Recordare, Seven Motets (1997). Koch 3-7310-2-H1. Emmanuel Music, Craig Smith, conductor, Rose-Mary Harbison, violin.
 * Sessions: Symphony No. 2; Harbison: Symphony No. 2, Oboe Concerto (1994). London 443 376-2. San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt, conductor, William Bennet, oboe.
 * String Quartet No.1/String Quartet No. 2/November 19, 1828 (1992). Lydian String Quartet, Yehudi Wyner, piano.
 * Simple Daylight/Words from Patterson/Piano Quintet, (1999). Electra Nonesuch 79189-2. Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Gilbert Kalish, piano, Sanford Sylvan, baritone, Dawn Upshaw, soprano.
 * Four Psalms/Emerson (2004). New World Records 80613-2. Cantata Singers and Ensemble, David Hoose, conductor.
 * Mottetti di Montale (2005). Koch KIC-CD-7545. Collage New Music; David Hoose, music director; Janice Felty and Margaret Lattimore, mezzo-sopranos.
 * Four Songs of Solitude/Variations/Twilight Music (2003) Naxos. Daniel Blumenthal, Jannine Jansen, Lars Wouters van der Oudenweijer, Bernhard Krug, Spectrum Concerts Berlin.

Operas

 * Full Moon in March (1977) – chamber opera
 * Winter's Tale (1979) – based on the play by William Shakespeare
 * The Great Gatsby (1999) – based on the 1925 novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera

Ballet

 * Ulysses (1983)

Orchestral

 * Incidental Music from The Merchant of Venice (1971), for string orchestra
 * Elegiac Songs (1974), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation
 * Diotima (1976)
 * commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress
 * Piano Concerto (1978), for piano and chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra for Robert Miller
 * Snow Country (1979), for oboe and string orchestra
 * commissioned by Dr. Maurice Pechet, New England arts patron
 * Violin Concerto (1978–80), for violin and chamber orchestra

 * written for Rose Mary Harbison
 * Symphony No. 1 (1981)
 * commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
 * Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet and String Orchestra (1985)
 * commissioned by the National Endowment of the Arts for the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the International Chamber Soloists, the Wall Street Chamber Players, the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, the Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
 * Remembering Gatsby (1985)
 * commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
 * Symphony No. 2 (1987)
 * commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony in celebration of the orchestra's seventy-fifth anniversary season
 * Concerto for Double Brass Choir and Orchestra (1988), for twelve brass soli and chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic
 * Viola Concerto (1988), for viola and orchestra
 * commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony
 * Symphony No. 3 (1990)
 * commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
 * David's Fascinating Rhythm Method (1991), for chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
 * Three City Blocks (1991), for concert band
 * commissioned by the concert bands of the New England Conservatory, University of Cincinnati, Florida State University, U.S. Air Force, Ohio State University, University of Michigan and University of Southern California.
 * Oboe Concerto (1991), for oboe and orchestra
 * commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony
 * Cello Concerto (1993), for cello and orchestra
 * commissioned by Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
 * The Most Often Used Chords (1993), for chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
 * Flute Concerto (1994), for flute and orchestra
 * commissioned by Ransom Wilson and the American Composers Orchestra
 * Olympic Dances (1996), for concert band
 * commissioned by the College Band Directors National Association
 * Partita (2001)
 * commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra
 * Symphony No. 4 (2003)
 * commissioned by the Seattle Symphony
 * Crane Sightings (2004), for violin and string orchestra
 * written for Rose Mary Harbison, the composer's wife
 * Darkbloom: Overture for an Imagined Opera (2004)
 * commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
 * Canonical American Songbook (2005)
 * commissioned by the Albany Symphony Orchestra
 * Concerto for Bass Viol (2005), for double bass and chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the International Society of Bassists
 * Milosz Songs (2006), for soprano and orchestra
 * commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for Dawn Upshaw
 * Rubies (after Thelonius Monk's "Ruby, My Dear") (2006)
 * commissioned by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony
 * The Great Gatsby – Suite (2007)
 * commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival and School
 * Symphony No. 5 (2007), for mezzo-soprano, baritone soli and orchestra
 * commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
 * Mary Lou (Four Symphonic Memories of Mary Lou Williams) (2008)
 * commissioned by the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony
 * Double Concerto for Violin and Cello (2009), for violin, cello and orchestra
 * commissioned by the Friends of the Dresden Music Foundation for the Boston Symphony Orchestra
 * Closer to My Own Life (2011), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra
 * Symphony No. 6 (2011), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
 * commissioned by James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra
 * Crossroads (2012), for soprano/mezzo-soprano, oboe and string orchestra or oboe, two violins, viola, cello and double bass
 * Koussevitzky Said (2012), for S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
 * What Do We Make of Bach? (2018), for organ obbligato and orchestra
 * commissioned by Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony and Northrop at the University of Minnesota

Choral

 * In Spiritu: Prayer (1955), for a cappella male-voice choir
 * Ave Maria (1959), for a cappella S.S.A.A. choir
 * He Shall Not Cry (1959), for S.A. choir and organ
 * Five Songs of Experience (1971), for S.A.T.B. choir, two percussion and string quartet
 * commissioned by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston for the Cantata Singers
 * Music When Soft Voices Die (1966), for S.A.T.B. choir and harpsichord or organ
 * commissioned by the Cantata Singers
 * Nunc Dimittis (1975), for T.B. choir and piano
 * commissioned by the Harvard Glee Club
 * The Flower-Fed Buffaloes (1976), for baritone solo, S.S.A.T.B.B. choir and instrumental ensemble
 * commissioned by the New York State Bar Association
 * The Flight into Egypt (1986), for soprano, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and chamber orchestra
 * commissioned by the Cantata Singers
 * Two Emmanuel Motets (1990), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * commissioned by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston
 * Ave Verum Corpus (1991), for a cappella S.S.A.T.B. choir
 * commissioned by the Emmanuel Choir, Boston and the Ojai Festival
 * O Magnum Mysterium (1991/92), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * commissioned by Saturday Evening Brass
 * Veni Creator Spiritus (1992), for a cappella T.B. choir
 * commissioned by the Rosalind Denny Lewis Music Library at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * Communion Words (1994), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * Concerning Them Which Are Asleep (1994), for a cappella S.S.A.T.B.B. choir
 * Emerson (1995), a cappella S.A.T.B. double choir
 * commissioned by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Music for their 100th anniversary (1995)
 * Juste Judex (1995), for mezzo-soprano, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
 * commissioned as part of the Requiem of Reconciliation
 * Evening (Der Abend) (1997), for a cappella S.A.T.B. double choir
 * Four Psalms (1998), for S.A.T.B. soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
 * commissioned by the Israeli Consulate for the Chicago Symphony
 * Psalm 137 (1998), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * Requiem (1985–2002), for S.A.T.B. soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
 * commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra
 * We do not live to ourselves (2002), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * Abraham (2004), for double S.A.T.B. choir and two large brass choirs
 * commissioned for the Papal Concert of Reconciliation in Rome for the Ankara Polyphonic Choir, London Philharmonic Choir, Krakow Philharmonic Choir and musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony
 * Charity Never Faileth (2004), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled (2004), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * My Little Children, Let Us Not Love in Word (2004), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir
 * commissioned by the Cantata Singers
 * But Mary Stood (2005), for soprano solo, choir and string orchestra
 * commissioned by the Cantata Singers
 * Umbrian Landscape with Saint (2005), for optional choir and chamber ensemble
 * commissioned by the Chicago Chamber Musicians
 * A Clear Midnight (2007), for T.T.B.B. choir and five strings
 * commissioned by the Georgina Joshi Foundation for Indiana University and the Pro Arte Singers
 * Madrigal (2007), for a cappella S.A.T.B.B. choir
 * commissioned by the New York Virtuoso Singers
 * The Pool (2010), for S.A.T.B. choir and piano
 * Koussevitzky Said: Choral Scherzo with Orchestra (2012), for S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra: commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Tanglewood Music Festival
 * The Supper at Emmaus (2013), for S.A.T.B. choir, two oboes, bassoon, organ and string orchestra
 * Never Time (2015), for jazz choir and jazz band
 * Psalm 116 (2016), for a cappella S.S.S.A.A.A.T.T.T.B.B.B. choir
 * commissioned by Chanticleer

Chamber

 * Andante con moto (1955), for cello and piano
 * Duo (1961), for flute and piano
 * Canzonetta (1962), for bassoon quartet
 * Confinement (1965), for twelve players
 * written for the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and Arthur Weisberg
 * Four Preludes from "December Music" (1967), for flexible instrumentation: 3 instruments – flute, violin, oboe, clarinet
 * Serenade (1968), for flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, viola and cello
 * Piano Trio (1969), for violin, cello and piano
 * Bermuda Triangle (1970), for tenor saxophone, electric organ and amplified cello
 * commissioned by the New York Camerata
 * Die Kurze (1970), for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello
 * commissioned by the New York Composer's Forum
 * Snow Country (1979), for oboe and string quintet
 * commissioned by Dr. Maurice Pechet
 * Wind Quintet (1979), for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon
 * commissioned by the Naumburg Foundation
 * Due Libri (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players
 * commissioned by the New York Philomusica and Robert Levin
 * Mottetti di Montale (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players or piano
 * commissioned by New York Philomusica, the University of Oregon and Collage
 * Organum for Paul Fromm (1981), for glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, harpsichord and piano
 * commissioned by the University of Chicago
 * Piano Quintet (1981), for two violins, viola, cello and piano
 * commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
 * Exequien for Calvin Simmons (1982), for seven players
 * Overture: Michael Kohlhaas (1982), for twelve brass
 * Variations (1982), for clarinet, violin and piano
 * commissioned by Frank Taplin for the Token Creek Festival, Wisconsin
 * String Quartet No. 1 (1985), for two violins, viola and cello
 * commissioned by the Cleveland Quartet
 * Twilight Music (1985), for horn, violin and piano
 * commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
 * Fanfare for Foley's (1986), for twelve brass and two percussion
 * Music for Eighteen Winds (1986)
 * commissioned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * String Quartet No. 2 (1987), for two violins, viola and cello
 * Two Chorale Preludes for Advent (from "Christmas Vespers") (1987), for brass quintet
 * Fantasy-Duo (1988), for violin and piano
 * commissioned by the McKim Fund in the Library of Congress for David Abel and Julie Steinberg
 * Little Fantasy on "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (1988), for brass quintet
 * November 19, 1828 (1988), for violin, viola, cello and piano
 * commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts for the Atlanta Chamber Players, the Da Capo Chamber Players and Voices of Change
 * Fanfares and Reflection (1990), for two violins
 * commissioned by Token Creek Festival
 * Fourteen Fabled Folksongs (1992), for violin and marimba
 * Prelude (1993), for cello and piano
 * String Quartet No. 3 (1993), for two violins, viola and cello
 * San Antonio (1994), for alto saxophone and piano
 * Thanks Victor (1994), for string quartet
 * commissioned by the Lydian Quartet
 * Trio Sonata (1994), for three clarinets or three saxophones or oboe, cor Anglais and bassoon or string trio
 * Fanfare for a Free Man (1997), for three oboes and three bassoons
 * La Primavera di Sottoripa (1998), for mezzo-soprano and nine players
 * commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
 * North and South (2000), for soprano/mezzo-soprano and seven players
 * written for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
 * Six American Painters (2000), for flute/oboe, violin, viola and cello
 * commissioned by the radio station WGUC Cincinnati
 * Chaconne (2001), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
 * String Quartet No. 4 (2002), for two violins, viola and cello
 * commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
 * Cucaraccia and Fugue (2003), for four violas
 * commissioned by the Token Creek Festival
 * Trio II. (2003), for violin, cello and piano
 * commissioned by the Harris Foundation, Chamber Music America and Meet the Composer for the Amelia Trio
 * Songs America Loves to Sing (2004), for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello
 * commissioned by the Atlanta Chamber Players and the Da Capo Chamber Players
 * Abu Ghraib (2006), for cello and piano
 * commissioned by the Rockport Festival for Rhonda Rider and David Deveau
 * Deep Dances (2006), for cello and double bass
 * commissioned by the Bank of America Celebrity Series for Rebecca Rice
 * French Horn Suite (2006), for four French horns
 * commissioned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * Cortège: in memoriam Donald Sur (2008), for percussion sextet
 * commissioned by the New England Conservatory Percussion Ensemble
 * Diamond Watch (2010), for two pianos
 * commissioned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Priscilla Myrick Diamond for Peter Diamond and pianist Robert Levin
 * Finale, Presto (2011), for two violins, viola and cello
 * Sonata No. 1 (2011), for violin and piano
 * String Quartet No. 5 (2011), for two violins, viola and cello
 * written in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Pro Arte Quartet
 * Crossroads (2012), for soprano or mezzo-soprano, oboe, two violins, viola, cello and double bass or oboe and string orchestra
 * Invention on a Theme of William Shakespeare (2012), for solo cello, two violins, viola and double bass
 * The Right to Pleasure (2013), for mezzo-soprano, two violins, viola, cello and double bass or piano
 * String Trio (2013), for violin, viola and cello
 * commissioned by Camerata Pacifica audience members
 * The Cross of Snow (2015), for countertenor and four violas da gamba or two violins, viola and cello
 * commissioned by William John Wartmann in memory of Joyce Frances Wartmann
 * Presences (2015), for cello solo, two violins, viola, cello and double bass
 * commissioned by Charles Felsenthal in memory of David Anderson
 * Mark the Date (2016), for flute and piano
 * commissioned by Asadour Santourian
 * The Nine Rasas (2016), for clarinet, viola and piano
 * String Quartet No. 6 (2016), for two violins, viola and cello
 * commissioned by the Lark Quartet, Telegraph Quartet and Tanglewood Music Center
 * IF (monodrama for soprano and ensemble) (2017), for soprano and eight players
 * commissioned by Boston Musica Viva for the 50th anniversary of Boston Musica Viva, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
 * Sonata for Viola and Piano (2018), for viola and piano
 * commissioned anonymously in honor of John Harbison's 80th birthday

Vocal

 * Autumnal (1964), for alto and piano
 * Cantata III (1968), for soprano, two violins, viola and cello
 * Moments of Vision (1975), for soprano and tenor doubling handbells, alto recorder/sopranino recorder/bass recorder/alto krumhorn, lute/hurdy-gurdy/dulcimer and gamba
 * Samuel Chapter (1978), for high voice (woman or boy) and six players
 * Due Libri (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players
 * commissioned by the New York Philomusica and Robert Levin
 * Mottetti di Montale (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players or piano
 * commissioned by New York Philomusica, the University of Oregon and Collage
 * Mirabai Songs (1982), for soprano/mezzo-soprano and eight players or piano
 *  The Rewaking (1991), for soprano and string quartet (text of William Carlos Williams)
 * December 1 (1995), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra
 * La Primavera di Sottoripa (1998), for mezzo-soprano and nine players
 * commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
 * Il Saliscendi Bianco (1999), for mezzo-soprano and nine players
 * commissioned by Collage
 * North and South (2000), for soprano/mezzo-soprano and seven players
 * written for Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
 * Ain't Goin' to Study War No More (2003), for baritone, two trumpets, snare drum and string orchestra
 * Milosz Songs (2006), for soprano and orchestra
 * Closer to My Own Life (2011), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra
 * Crossroads (2012), for soprano or mezzo-soprano, oboe, two violins, viola, cello and double bass or oboe and string orchestra
 * commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for Dawn Upshaw
 * Seven Poems of Lorine Niedecker (2015), for soprano and piano
 * composed in honor of the Tanglewood Music Center's 75th anniversary
 * IF (monodrama for soprano and ensemble) (2017), for soprano and eight players
 * commissioned by Boston Musica Viva in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Boston Musica Viva, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Solo

 * Sonata for Viola Alone (1961)
 * Amazing Grace (1972), for oboe
 * commissioned by oboist Philip West
 * Four Occasional Pieces (1978), for piano
 * written for André Previn, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and in memory of John Boros, respectively
 * Parody-Fantasia (1980), for piano
 * adapted from December Music
 * Four Songs of Solitude (1985), for violin
 * written for the composer's wife, Rose Mary Harbison
 * Four More Occasional Pieces (1987), for piano
 * written for Joan Tower, Harriet Thiele, Rose Mary Harbison and Milo Feinberg, respectively
 * Sonata No. 1 – In Memoriam Roger Sessions (1987), for piano
 * commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts for Robert Shannon, Ursula Oppens and Alan Feinberg
 * Suite (1993), for cello
 * Trio Sonata (1994), for piano or harpsichord or fortepiano or electric keyboard
 * commissioned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 * Gatsby Etudes (1999), for piano
 * A Violist's Notebook, Book 1 (1998–2000), for viola
 * Sonata No. 2 (2001), for piano
 * commissioned by G. Schirmer Associated Music for Robert Levin, to whom the work is dedicated
 * A Violist's Notebook, Book 2 (2002), for viola
 * Montale Sketches (2002), for piano
 * after three poems by Eugenio Montale
 * Ten Micro-Waltzes (2004), for piano
 * Leonard Stein Anagrams (2009)
 * written for Leonard Stein
 * For Violin Alone (2014), for violin
 * commissioned by 92nd Street Y
 * Painting the Flowers Blue (2015), for violin
 * A Bag of Tails (2016), for piano
 * Nocturne (2018), for piano
 * commissioned in honor of Linda Reichert’s tenure as Artistic Director of Network for New Music
 * Passage (2019), for piano
 * Suite for Solo Violin, on soggetti cavati (2019), for violin

title: John Harbison


text:
Gene Taylor (Mississippi politician)

Gary Eugene Taylor (born September 17, 1953) is an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 2011 and previously a member of the Mississippi Senate from 1983 to 1989. He was defeated for re-election in 2010 by State Representative Steven Palazzo. In 2014, he changed his long-time membership from the Democratic Party, becoming a Republican. The same year, he ran for election against Palazzo to return to the House of Representatives. Securing only 43 percent of the vote, Taylor lost in the primary.

Following his congressional career, Taylor served on the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission until 2014. He consulted for the defense industry before becoming a director for Overseas Shipholding Group in 2018.

Early life, education and career
Taylor was born in New Orleans on September 17, 1953. He attended De La Salle High School, graduating in 1971. He graduated from Tulane University in 1976 where he majored in political science and history. He completed additional post-graduate work in business and economics at the University of Southern Mississippi from 1978 through 1980.

Taylor worked as a sales representative for Stone Container Corporation, working a territory from New Orleans to the Florida panhandle, from 1977 through 1989.

From 1971 through 1984, Taylor served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, where he attained the rank petty officer first class. While in the coast guard, he commanded a search and rescue boat and earned several commendations.

Early political career
Taylor was elected to the Bay St. Louis City Council in 1981, and then to a vacant seat in the Mississippi State Senate in 1983. As a State Senator, Taylor and fellow Senator Steven Hale filed a lawsuit challenging the Senate powers of Democratic Lieutenant Governor Brad Dye. Taylor and Hale claimed that Dye's control of committee appointments violated the state constitution's separation of powers. The Supreme Court of Mississippi sided with Dye, but the suit against a powerful leader from his own party helped establish Taylor's reputation for political independence.

Tenure
Taylor was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, and his voting record was one of the most conservative among Democrats in the House. According to a 2011 survey by the National Journal, Taylor was the most conservative Democrat in the House.

He represented a district that had turned almost solidly Republican at the national level, though as late as 2010 most local offices were split between the two parties. The 4th has not supported the official Democratic presidential candidate since 1956 (when the Democrats nominated Adlai Stevenson). During Taylor's final term, it was the most Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+20. In 2000, 2004, and 2008, it gave the Republican presidential candidate his best total in the state. It was a foregone conclusion that Taylor would be succeeded by a Republican once he retired.

A leading Democratic Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Taylor led committee and floor fights to improve the medical benefits of military retirees and extend TRICARE health insurance to members of the National Guard and Reserves. Taylor also focused on U.S. policy in Latin America, sponsoring the successful cap on the number of U.S. troops that can be sent to Colombia without explicit Congressional authorization. Taylor also was a leading critic of the Base Realignment and Closure process, accusing the Department of Defense of smuggling in policy changes that were unrelated to excess capacity or facilities. Taylor served as the Ranking Democrat on the Projection Forces Subcommittee in the 109th Congress, and became chairman of the renamed Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces in the 110th Congress. He and the previous subcommittee chairman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), who became the ranking member of the subcommittee, advocate for more nuclear-powered surface ships in order to reduce the Navy's dependence on imported oil. Taylor was also a member of the Readiness subcommittee of the Armed Services committee in the 110th Congress.

In House Armed Services Committee hearings, Taylor was sharply critical of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other administration witnesses, particularly regarding shortages of armor for troops and vehicles in Iraq. He decried the lack of urgency to speed up production and procurement of armored vehicles and jammers to block the signals of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

He voted for all four articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton in 1998—the only Democrat in Congress to do so. He was one of just five Democrats to support at least one article of impeachment. He refused to endorse Clinton's reelection bid in 1996, but refused to switch parties despite numerous overtures from the Republicans. In the 2004 Democratic primaries, Taylor endorsed Wesley Clark. He voted for John McCain in 2008. The Christian Coalition gave Taylor an overall rating of 76% and he has endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Taylor was a strong critic of the Bush Administration's fiscal policy. He voted against the tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003, claiming that the cuts contained in those bills would only increase the national debt. He derided the prescription drug plan passed in 2003 as a giveaway to companies that donate to the Republican Party. He was one of the House's most vehement opponents of free trade agreements and was strongly opposed to the Bush administration's proposals for reforming Social Security. He also voted at times with more liberal members of the House with regards to Cuba. Since coming to the House, he voted in favor of most campaign finance laws and other laws favored by more progressive elements of the Democratic Party to reform politics.

Taylor was a staunch and consistent opponent of most free trade agreements. He voted against NAFTA and GATT. He voted against fast-track authority in 1998 and 2002. He also opposed Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with China in 2000.

Taylor has a mixed voting record on environmental issues; he has voted repeatedly against the ban on drilling in Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), while voting at other times with the mainstream of his party. He has also denounced Vice President Dick Cheney's ties to Halliburton.

In 2006, Taylor was the only Democrat to support all four amendments to the bill to renew the Voting Rights Act. However, Taylor did vote in favor of final passage of the unamended bill, as did all House Democrats.

Taylor has been a staunch advocate of maintaining the "Buy American" requirements in Defense contracting, and of maintaining the Jones Act requirements that vessels operating between U.S. ports must be American-flagged, American-made, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens. In February 2007, he was one of two Democrats to oppose H CON RES 63, which expressed opposition to a troop surge in the Iraq War.

Much of Taylor's district took a direct hit from Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed his home in Bay St. Louis (27 miles west of Biloxi) as well as Lott's home in Pascagoula. He moved to Kiln while he rebuilt his home in Bay St. Louis. When former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Michael D. Brown appeared before the committee, Taylor reacted angrily to Brown's attempts to put primary responsibility for the failed response at the state and local level. Taylor seemed particularly upset that several first responders in Hancock County, his home county, were forced to loot a Wal-Mart to get food and supplies. They also had to wait several days after the storm before they got any help from FEMA workers. He told Brown that FEMA "fell on (its) face" in its response to Katrina, which he said rated "an F-minus in my book."

In April 2009, Taylor voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Committee assignments

 * Committee on Armed Services
 * Subcommittee on Readiness
 * Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces (Chairman)
 * Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
 * Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
 * Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Caucus memberships

 * Co-chair of the Coast Guard Caucus
 * Co-chair of the National Guard and Reserve Caucus
 * Co-chair of the Shipbuilding Caucus

1988
After one term in the State Senate, Taylor ran as the Democratic candidate to succeed Republican incumbent and House Minority Whip Trent Lott in what was then the 5th District when Lott made a successful run for the Senate. He lost to Harrison County Sheriff Larkin I. Smith by almost 10 points. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee offered very little help to Taylor, believing the district to be too heavily Republican. Vice President George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis by approximately a 70 to 30 margin in the district, and Lott beat Wayne Dowdy by a similar margin in the Senate race. Although about 30,000 Bush and Lott voters split their tickets to vote for Taylor, he could not overcome the Republican tide in the district.

1989
Smith died in a plane crash eight months later. In the special election to fill Smith's seat, Taylor picked up 42 percent of the vote to lead Republican Thomas H. Anderson, Jr. and Democrat Mike Moore in the first round. Some leading Democrats had tried to convince Taylor to stand aside and not seek the position in deference to Moore, who was the state's Attorney General and who was also a Gulf Coast resident, but Taylor doubled Moore's vote total on the first ballot. Two weeks later, Taylor beat Anderson, Lott's Chief of Staff, with 65 percent of the vote. Taylor took office on October 24, 1989.

1990 through 2008
Taylor won a full term in 1990 with 81 percent of the vote against realtor Sheila Smith, the widow of his predecessor in the House. He easily turned back spirited reelection challenges in 1992, 1994 and 1996, taking over 60 percent of the vote each time. However, he was reelected in 1998 with 77 percent of the vote and was reelected five more times after that by an average of 70 percent of the vote. His district was renumbered the 4th after the 2000 redistricting cost Mississippi a congressional seat.

2010
Taylor was defeated by Republican state representative Steven Palazzo on November 2, 2010. His vote against Barack Obama for president in 2008 became a campaign issue when Taylor released campaign ads pointing to his support of McCain as evidence of his bipartisanship. However, Palazzo attacked Taylor for supporting Pelosi as Speaker and claimed Taylor voted with his party's leadership 82 percent of the time. Taylor was endorsed by the National Right to Life Committee.

In the following lame duck session of Congress, Taylor dropped his opposition to the Navy's plan to buy both classes of Littoral combat ship, even though this greatly reduced the chances that a shipyard in his former district would then be able to bid for follow on contracts.

Proving just how Republican this district had become, no Democrat running in the district has cleared the 40 percent mark since Taylor left office, and only one has even cleared 30 percent.

2014
Taylor opposed Palazzo in the Republican primary in the June 2014 election. Taylor was seeking to become the first Mississippi U.S. Representative since 1884 to return to the House of Representatives after losing reelection. In an op-ed that ran in The Sun-Herald, the largest newspaper in the district, Taylor said that when he began seriously considering a bid for his own seat, he never even considered running as a Democrat because he had always considered himself a conservative, and the Democrats' turn to the left made him realize that "my views and vision naturally fit in the Republican Party.

Taylor, who was out-raised by Palazzo by almost 6-to-1 and out-spent by over 10-to 1, ran a grassroots campaign, emphasizing his work to secure funding for the district in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and his efforts to support veterans and funding for military bases in the district. He contrasted this with Palazzo's vote against funding for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts and supporting sequestration which cut the defense budget. Taylor narrowly lost the primary, securing 43 percent of the vote to Palazzo's 50.5 percent.

Post-congressional career
Taylor was appointed to the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission by District 3 Supervisor Lisa Cowand in March 2012 and served on the commission until 2014; he provided oversight for Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park. From September 2011 to December 2013, Taylor was a consultant at Navistar Defense, a defense firm.

Taylor has worked as a director for Overseas Shipholding Group since 2018.

Personal life
Taylor and his wife Margaret have three children. He holds a black belt in Taekwondo. Taylor is Roman Catholic.

title: Gene Taylor (Mississippi politician)