text:
WashPost - As British Leave, Basra Deteriorates
Thread starter winnfield
Start date 7 Aug 2007
A wider political context to the 'Welcome to Basra' thread:
As British Leave, Basra Deteriorates
Violence Rises in Shiite City Once Called a Success Story
By Karen DeYoung and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 7, 2007; A01
As British forces pull back from Basra in southern Iraq, Shiite militias there have escalated a violent battle against each other for political supremacy and control over oil resources, deepening concerns among some U.S. officials in Baghdad that elements of Iraq's Shiite-dominated national government will turn on one another once U.S. troops begin to draw down.
Three major Shiite political groups are locked in a bloody conflict that has left the city in the hands of militias and criminal gangs, whose control extends to municipal offices and neighborhood streets. The city is plagued by "the systematic misuse of official institutions, political assassinations, tribal vendettas, neighborhood vigilantism and enforcement of social mores, together with the rise of criminal mafias that increasingly intermingle with political actors," a recent report by the International Crisis Group said.
After Saddam Hussein was overthrown in April 2003, British forces took control of the region, and the cosmopolitan port city of Basra thrived with trade, arts and universities. As recently as February, Vice President Cheney hailed Basra as a part of Iraq "where things are going pretty well."
But "it's hard now to paint Basra as a success story," said a senior U.S. official in Baghdad with long experience in the south. Instead, it has become a different model, one that U.S. officials with experience in the region are concerned will be replicated throughout the Iraqi Shiite homeland from Baghdad to the Persian Gulf. A recent series of war games commissioned by the Pentagon also warned of civil war among Shiites after a reduction in U.S. forces.
For the past four years, the administration's narrative of the Iraq war has centered on al-Qaeda, Iran and the sectarian violence they have promoted. But in the homogenous south -- where there are virtually no U.S. troops or al-Qaeda fighters, few Sunnis, and by most accounts limited influence by Iran -- Shiite militias fight one another as well as British troops. A British strategy launched last fall to reclaim Basra neighborhoods from violent actors -- similar to the current U.S. strategy in Baghdad -- brought no lasting success.
"The British have basically been defeated in the south," a senior U.S. intelligence official said recently in Baghdad. They are abandoning their former headquarters at Basra Palace, where a recent official visitor from London described them as "surrounded like cowboys and Indians" by militia fighters. An airport base outside the city, where a regional U.S. Embassy office and Britain's remaining 5,500 troops are barricaded behind building-high sandbags, has been attacked with mortars or rockets nearly 600 times over the past four months.
Britain sent about 40,000 troops to Iraq -- the second-largest contingent, after that of the United States, at the time of the March 2003 invasion -- and focused its efforts on the south. With few problems from outside terrorists or sectarian violence, the British began withdrawing, and by early 2005 only 9,000 troops remained. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced further drawdowns early this year before leaving office.
The administration has been reluctant to publicly criticize the British withdrawal. But a British defense expert serving as a consultant in Baghdad acknowledged in an e-mail that the United States "has been very concerned for some time now about a) the lawless situation in Basra and b) the political and military impact of the British pullback." The expert added that this "has been expressed at the highest levels" by the U.S. government to British authorities.
The government of new Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pointed to the current relative calm in three of the region's four provinces -- barring Basra -- as evidence of success. According to one British official, Brown told President Bush when they met last week at Camp David that Britain hopes to turn Basra over to Iraqi control in the next few months. Although a further drawdown of its forces is likely, Britain will coordinate its remaining presence with Washington after an assessment in September by Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq.
As it prepares to take control of Basra, the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has dispatched new generals to head the army and police forces there. But the warring militias are part of factions in the government itself, including radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr -- whose Mahdi Army is believed responsible for most of the recent attacks on the airport compound -- as well as the Fadhila, or Islamic Virtue Party, and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the country's largest Shiite party.
In March, Fadhila pulled out of Maliki's ruling alliance of Shiite parties in Baghdad after it lost control of the petroleum ministry to the Supreme Council. Last week, under pressure from the council, Maliki fired the Fadhila governor of Basra. Fadhila has refused to relinquish power over the governate or over Basra's lucrative oil refineries, calling the Maliki government "the new Baath" -- a reference to Hussein's Sunni-led political party -- and appealed the dismissal to Iraq's constitutional court.
Jockeying for political power in Baghdad has long since translated into shooting battles in Basra. The militias have shifted alliances with one another, as well as with the British and with Iran as they fight for control of neighborhoods and resources. With the escalation of street battles and assassinations, much of the population is confined to homes and is fearful of Islamic rules imposed by militias.
Although neighbor Iran's presence is pervasive -- with cultural influence, humanitarian aid, arms and money -- U.S. officials and outside experts think that the Iraqi parties are using Iran more than vice versa. Iraqis in the south have long memories of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, one U.S. official said, and when a southern Shiite "wants to tar someone, they call them an Iranian." He said the United States is "always very concerned about Iranian influence, as well we should be, but there is a difference between influence and control. It would be very difficult for the Iranians to establish control."
The ICG study described Iran, Britain and the United States as equally confused about what is happening in Basra. During a recent visit there, the U.S. official said, he was unable to meet with any local Iraqis outside the airport base or to travel beyond the secured route between the base and the palace. About 200 Americans are in and around the city, including those assigned to the embassy office, some civilian support personnel and contract security guards.
Basra's "security nightmare" has already had devastating effects on Iraq's economy, said Juan Cole, a Middle East specialist at the University of Michigan. Home to two-thirds of Iraq's oil resources, Basra is the country's sole dependable outlet for exporting oil, with a capacity of 1.8 million barrels a day. Much of Basra's violence is "over who gets what cut from Iraq's economic resources," a U.S. Army strategist in Iraq said.
Militias and criminal gangs are financed in part by stolen oil smuggled outside the country, even as Iraq lacks enough energy to provide electricity to many of its people. Both the oil industry and the port facilities -- providing Iraq's only maritime access -- have made Basra "a significant prize for local political actors," the ICG said.
The current U.S. security operation to "clear, hold and build" in Baghdad and its surroundings is almost a replica of Operation Sinbad, which British and Iraqi forces conducted in Basra from September 2006 to March of this year with a mission of "clear, hold and civil reconstruction." Although Operation Sinbad initially succeeded in lowering crime and political assassinations, attacks rose in the spring and British forces withdrew into their compounds.
In the early years of Iraq's occupation, British officials often disdained the U.S. use of armored patrols and heavily protected troops. The British approach of lightly armed foot patrols -- copied from counterinsurgency operations in Northern Ireland -- sought to avoid antagonizing the local population and encourage cooperation. A 2005 report by the defense committee of the House of Commons commended the British army's performance and urged the Ministry of Defense to "use its influence" to get the Americans to take a less aggressive approach.
In a recent BBC interview, Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the British defense staff, insisted that Basra has been a success. But he acknowledged that judgment depended on "what your interpretation of the mission was in the first place," adding: "I'm afraid people had, in many instances, unrealistic aspirations."
The mission, he said, was simply to "get the place and the people to a state where Iraqis could run this part of the country, if they chose to."
the_boy_syrup
The British have basically been defeated in the south," a senior U.S. intelligence official said recently in Baghdad
Dosen't take long for the fingers to be pointed does it?
Is this the excuses starting?
We could have held Iraq if it qasn't for the Brits
I think basically the septics will be defeated elsewhere to
The minute you hand over to the Iraqies it all goes Pete Tong so what will the US do?
Once they start handing over and pulling back they will be in the exact same position or are they staying there forever?
We should remember the tremendous contribution of the Queen Mother to the war effort:
As the BBC pointed out, she 'bravely remained in London beside her husband' during the war.
This contrasts sharply with the actions of my grandfather who, on the declaration of war immediately left his wife and children and pissed off, first to France, then North Africa, Italy, France (again) and finally Germany.
The shame will always be with us.
saintstone
Ask Ljonesy, he has an answer for everything and is quite adept at Brit bashing especially as the USofA are so good at everything.
The Knights Templar - Gods Own Special Forces, kicking arrse in the sandy places in days of yore.
Don't take any lip off him chef, make him have seconds - Unknown Scaley, Aldershot cookhouse dinner queue
No good asking him what's in the pies, he's ACC not CID - Anonymous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77ShnCW012s
MADE_IN_BRITAIN
the_boy_syrup said:
Maybe until the oil runs out... Then hopefully they'll crack on with slaughtering each other
OldSnowy
The article is pretty accurate, as far as I can tell - though I admit to being a bit out of touch with the local goings-on at least.
But - this is what happens when you try to fight 2 wars with 1 (small) Army. To maintain progress in Basra (and in Maysan Province as well) would have needed us to keep a Division there - which we cannot do. Now, we simply do not hae sufficient forces on the ground to impose our will. One big base = one big target, and an equally big lack of local knowledge. At least the Yanks are trying a 'surge' - we didn't, probably because we couldn't. Our Armed Forces are simply inadequate to complete the task while conducting a major campaign in Afghanistan..
themaadone
OSnowy - how very true, our forces have become a defence force not able to keep sustained action running. Thanks to the Blair legacy...
Utinam barbari spatioum proprium tuum invadant!
E D Ferreira
10 Regt RLC
I miss you Eddie
In Saddams time he maintained an entire Army Corps in Maysan, we maintained 500 people. Of course things aren't going to go well there!
In Basra, the problem lies with the local battle for control and influence. Short of killing all the locals and putting tame puppets in place, I fail to see how we can influence the locals. It is a lost cause for local reasons, not due to any lack of effort on HM Forces part.
Mikal
Politically yes, militarily no.
Papa_Lazarou
Gordon has got a plan, leave so few troops there they can effect nothing, and have difficulty protecting themselves while at the same time taking casualties daily for no discernable gain.
Labour Foreign "policy" , not utterly utterly useless, not one bit, I'd like to quash that rumour right now.
Hello Dave? Is that Dave? Ok, Is Dave there?
ghost_us
You have to remember too, since word got out that you guys were pulling out (and moving to Afghanistan, this American knows the deal) the insurgents amassed in Basra to do the ol' "we kicked em out" routine, which they did not succeed at.
Besides, how can you lose when you really had no objective in the first place?
You guys did a good job down there, and I for one would like to thank any of you that served there for sticking with us even in this current stupidity.
Don't let any journo, American or otherwise tell you different.
The current statements are simply American politicians. Remember there's an election next year, and if Obama gets in office, maybe we'll all meet in Pakistan this time next year.
Three things generally happen when you meet someone unlike yourself:
1. We try to clone them and make them like us.
2. We reject them and push them away.
3. We find common ground and a place of agreement.
Yet in all three we assert one fundamental concept, that we are right.
What if when we encounter someone unlike us we seek to see ourselves through their eyes and become open to the possibility that we are wrong?
Papa_Lazarou said:
Gordon has got a plan
I'd like to quash that rumour right now.
If your soldiers aren't coming off most weekends telling those who weren't there "shit mate, you dipped out" then time to cull your training team with prejudice.
Oots
It doesnt matter how long we stay there, the end outcome will be the same.
I wont compare this to OP banner, because that was in the uk..but it did last 38 years. This has been going on 4 years now ( Iraq) and is in the middle east...these people have been fighting forever for one thing or another.
The one thing I know though is that the place isnt worth any death of any coalition soldier and I really think now is the time to with draw..wheter we call it a win or not.
And if Gordoan Brown says we need to stay til the job is done, well bloody well send him and the rest of the 'Failure' party and see if they can get the job done any quicker.
Mr_Bridger
Smacks to me of trying to shame us (or similar) into staying in Iraq. It would be cynical to suggest that this article was politically motivated
"Well, I hope he likes spaghetti.. they serve it four times a day in the Italian prisons"
Unsworth
ghost_us said:
So, maybe there some common ground here. Apparently American politicians are untrustworthy and will say anything to stay in power or win an election.
And there's me thinking it was a purely British phenomenon....
Khyros
Unsworth said:
Alas we have crappy politicians in commen... once in a blue moon an actual leader comes forward but most of the time, we have to make do with identical except for rhetoric idiots that are presented to us for voting by the two major parties.
"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."
Psypher
No it is much worse in the US than Britain.
Here's one example that really made my jaw drop a couple of weeks ago; Senator Lugar is now advocating a withdrawal from Iraq but had originally voted yes to the war. In a TV interview (Charlie Rose, July 5, 2007) he said he only voted for the war because he did not know the history of Iraq, that he was not briefed properly, that he had no idea the Shia, Sunni and Kurdish factions would end up fighting each other and that the Iraq mess is all the fault of Britain and France because of their previous diplomacy there!!!
Basically it was everyone else's fault that he voted for the war. But you would think that if you are voting on whether to invade a country or not you would have at least a most basic understanding of the country's history and culture?
woodyb
Unfortunately true!
I first got to Basrah in Sept 03, and all were harking on about how great the Brits were, how the policy of 'softly softly' was so much better.
What a crock. A 'cheers easy' policy more like....we allowed the scrotes to sneak in and pull the rug from under us.
The local populace of Basrah/Umm Q etc are renowned throughout Iraq for being a bit......'simple' shall we say. Also a history of 'ali-baba ism' as well. The ability for the public that you've spent months winning over to turn on you on the clerics say so was gobsmacking. At least the yanks have won over some tribes (a huge part of Basrah/Maysan life) particulary in Anbar.
Equally gobsmacking was the extent of no 10's influence at Div HQ. Nothing like dictating policy and turning the blokes (and girls as well) into fig 11's..the whole place really is a giant puzzle palace and shame on the headshed for allowing themselves to be led by the nose...
I read people slating the yanks for over-zealousness (especially on counter-IDF batterys) on the boards. Those of us that have been there recently know what a crock of sh1t the whole thing is. This is an open forum so am not going to give incidents, but there's a lot to be said for shooting back instead of just sitting there day after day taking it and putting people in bags/filling up the BMH.
Someone slagged of a yank guy for suggesting that we have UAV's up 24/7 on search & destroy missions for MBP's........why? What do yu think are above Baghdad all the time (with fast air on call)? And they get results as well.
The reason WHY they ain't above Basrah is the same why britmil are still using snatch wagons etc etc-MONEY.
When the planned draw back happens, it'll be stated that this was intended all along. JAM etc will then state that they alone have driven the British from Basrah City (and you watch the IDF at the COB get REALLY outrageous), and that they will now drive them from Iraq itself.
Who'd you think the ordinary public in Basrah will believe?
What a mess.
Britain sent about 40,000 troops to Iraq -- the second-largest contingent, after that of the United States,
At least we ****ing bothered.
Jailorinummqasr
Woody,
Excellent post I concur with much of what you say. However three points:
Politically, and footprint wise, the US and UK are out of Sync and have been since the inception of the plan, this without a clear end-state and diminishing support are the root causes of this mission's failure - it is failing and will be seen as such with 20.20 applied.
Basrah is and has been different to the rest of S.IZ because of Fadhila, their presence has marginalised Sadr's lot and SCIRI....when we pull back to the COB the 'civil war' begins........ only if it enhances a factoins power or position will we (the COB) be attacked.....what will happen I suspect is that we will become awash with actionable Intel from the groups hoping that we do their dirty work for them.
What ever the right or wrong way to counter IDF is we urgently need to assess both the defensive and offensive measure we take, learn from IZ and damn well make sure we apply it to AFG.
My greatest concern, having never support the IZ campagin, is that our (UK) perceived defeat in Iraq will prevent our calls for assistance in AFG being heard in Washington.....since we have cut and run once we will cut and run again this tiem from Helmand
The Military Wing of the Kennington Pool Committee.
Jailorinummqasr,
some fair points yourself mate. I see that the Basrah Governor is just holding on to power by his finger tips-once he goes then Fadilah lose their main power in the city-just as well they have the olifields/OPF. I wonder if he still has the a/c unit from Camp Abu Naji in his office? That was a rumour going round..
Once we leave The Palace etc and move to the COB, we'll never be able to get back into the city lets face it. It'll be 'Blackhawk Down' syndrome where you get dicked the minute you start rolling out those gates (DBE-bless em DBETT wake the fcuk up!!! ).
But then agan we have the RAF Police 'anti-dicking patrols' to stop the rot- 'I'm going forward'...to the car park. Bless.
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text:
.. currentmodule:: dppy.finite_dpps

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling:

MCMC sampling
*************

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_add_exchange_delete:

Add/exchange/delete
===================

:cite:`AnGhRe16`, :cite:`LiJeSr16c` and :cite:`LiJeSr16d` derived variants of a Metropolis sampler having for stationary distribution :math:`\operatorname{DPP}(\mathbf{L})` :eq:`eq:likelihood_DPP_L`.
The proposal mechanism works as follows.

At state :math:`S\subset [N]`, propose :math:`S'` different from :math:`S` by at most 2 elements by picking

.. math::

  s \sim \mathcal{U}_{S}
  \quad \text{and} \quad
  t \sim \mathcal{U}_{[N]\setminus S}.

Then perform

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_E:

Exchange
--------

Pure exchange moves

.. math::

  S' \leftrightarrow S \setminus s \cup t.

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_AD:

Add-Delete
----------

Pure addition/deletion moves

  - Add :math:`S' \leftrightarrow S \cup t`
  - Delete :math:`S' \leftrightarrow S \setminus s`

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_AED:

Add-Exchange-Delete
-------------------

Mix of exchange and add-delete moves

  - Delete :math:`S' \leftrightarrow S \setminus s`
  - Exchange :math:`S' \leftrightarrow S \setminus s \cup t`
  - Add :math:`S' \leftrightarrow S \cup t`

.. hint::

  Because moves are allowed between subsets having at most 2 different elements, transitions are very local inducing correlation, however *fast* mixing was proved.

.. testcode::

  import numpy as np
  from dppy.finite_dpps import FiniteDPP

  rng = np.random.RandomState(413121)

  r, N = 4, 10

  # Random feature vectors
  Phi = rng.randn(r, N)
  L = Phi.T.dot(Phi)
  DPP = FiniteDPP('likelihood', **{'L': L})

  DPP.sample_mcmc('AED', random_state=rng)  # AED, AD, E
  print(DPP.list_of_samples)  # list of trajectories, here there's only one

.. testoutput::

  [[[0, 2, 3, 6], [0, 2, 3, 6], [0, 2, 3, 6], [0, 2, 3, 6], [0, 2, 3, 6], [0, 2, 3, 6], [0, 2, 6, 9], [0, 2, 6, 9], [2, 6, 9], [2, 6, 9]]]

.. seealso::

  - :py:meth:`~FiniteDPP.sample_mcmc`
  - :cite:`AnGhRe16`, :cite:`LiJeSr16c` and :cite:`LiJeSr16d`
  - :ref:`Exact samplers for DPPs <finite_dpps_exact_sampling>`

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_zonotope:

Zonotope
========

:cite:`GaBaVa17` target a *projection* :math:`\operatorname{DPP}(\mathbf{K})` with

.. math::

  \mathbf{K} = \Phi^{\top} [\Phi \Phi^{\top}]^{-1} \Phi,

where :math:`\Phi`, is the underlying :math:`r\times N` feature matrix satisfying :math:`\operatorname{rank}(\Phi)=\operatorname{rank}(\mathbf{K})=r`.

In this setting the :ref:`continuous_dpps_number_of_points` is almost surely equal to :math:`r` and we have

.. math::
  :label: eq:zonotope_marginal

  \mathbb{P}[\mathcal{X}=S]
  = \det \mathbf{K}_S 1_{|S|=r}
  = \frac{\det^2\Phi_{:S}}{\det\Phi \Phi^{\top}} 1_{|S|=r}
  = \frac{\operatorname{Vol}^2 \{\phi_s\}_{s\in S}}
      {\det\Phi \Phi^{\top}} 1_{|S|=r}.

The original finite ground set is embedded into a continuous domain called a zonotope.
The hit-and-run procedure is used to move across this polytope and visit the different tiles.
To recover the finite DPP samples one needs to identify the tile in which the successive points lie, this is done by solving linear programs (LPs).

.. hint::

  Sampling from a *projection* DPP boils down to solving randomized linear programs (LPs).

.. important::

  For its LPs solving needs DPPy uses the :code:`cvxopt` library, but :code:`cvxopt` is not installed by default when installing DPPy. Please refer to the `installation instructions <https://github.com/guilgautier/DPPy#installation>`_ on GitHub for more details on how to install the necessary dependencies.

.. testcode::

  from numpy.random import RandomState
  from dppy.finite_dpps import FiniteDPP

  rng = RandomState(413121)

  r, N = 4, 10
  A = rng.randn(r, N)

  DPP = FiniteDPP('correlation', projection=True, **{'A_zono': A})

  DPP.sample_mcmc('zonotope', random_state=rng)
  print(DPP.list_of_samples)  # list of trajectories, here there's only one

.. testoutput::

  [[[2, 4, 5, 7], [2, 4, 5, 7], [2, 4, 5, 7], [1, 4, 5, 7], [1, 4, 5, 7], [1, 4, 5, 7], [0, 4, 7, 8], [0, 2, 7, 9], [0, 2, 7, 9], [2, 4, 5, 7]]]

.. note::

  On the one hand, the :ref:`finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_zonotope` perspective on sampling *projection* DPPs yields a better exploration of the state space.
  Using hit-and-run, moving to any other state is possible but at the cost of solving LPs at each step.
  On the other hand, the :ref:`finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_add_exchange_delete` view allows to perform cheap but local moves.

.. seealso::

  - :py:meth:`~FiniteDPP.sample_mcmc`
  - :cite:`GaBaVa17`

.. _finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_k_dpps:

k-DPPs
======

To preserve the size :math:`k` of the samples of :math:`k\!\operatorname{-DPP}(\mathbf{L})`, only :ref:`finite_dpps_mcmc_sampling_E` moves can be performed.

.. caution::

  :math:`k` must satisfy :math:`k \leq \operatorname{rank}(L)`

.. testcode::

  from numpy.random import RandomState
  from dppy.finite_dpps import FiniteDPP

  rng = RandomState(123)

  r, N = 5, 10

  # Random feature vectors
  Phi = rng.randn(r, N)
  L = Phi.T.dot(Phi)
  DPP = FiniteDPP('likelihood', **{'L': L})

  k = 3
  DPP.sample_mcmc_k_dpp(size=k, random_state=rng)
  print(DPP.list_of_samples)  # list of trajectories, here there's only one

.. testoutput::

  [[[7, 2, 5], [7, 2, 5], [7, 2, 9], [7, 8, 9], [7, 8, 9], [7, 8, 2], [7, 8, 2], [6, 8, 2], [1, 8, 2], [1, 8, 2]]]

.. seealso::

  - :py:meth:`~FiniteDPP.sample_mcmc_k_dpp`
  - :cite:`LiJeSr16a` for a core-set perspective
  - :ref:`Exact sampling of k-DPPs <finite_dpps_exact_sampling_k_dpps>`

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text:
Сергей Владимирович Фролов (; род. 1 июля 1959, с. Игоревка, Сумская область) — украинский композитор, музыковед.

Биография
Родился 1 июля 1959 года в селе Игоревка Бурынского района Сумской области (Украинская ССР).
Закончил Сумское музыкальное училище, курсы повышения квалификации при Министерстве культуры УССР, музыкально-педагогический факультет Сумского пединститута им. А. С. Макаренко, учился в теоретической аспирантуре  БГИКиИ - (научный руководитель — доктор философских наук, профессор РГПУ им. А. И. Герцена А. С. Клюев).

Трудовую деятельность начал в 15-ти летнем возрасте в учреждениях культуры.
 1989 — концертмейстер, артист оркестра Государственного ансамбля песни и танца Коми АССР «Асъя Кыа»
 1993 — концертмейстер ансамбля песни и танца «Визерунок», (г.Харьков)
 1994—2004 — концертмейстер, артист профессионального ансамбля песни и танца «Завалинка», (город Старый Оскол, Белгородская область)
 2009—2010 — преподаватель, концертмейстер Белгородского института культуры и искусств
 2006 - член Национального Союза композиторов Украины, (),
 2016 - член Международного союза композиторов "XXI век", (г. Москва).
 2021 - член Российского музыкального союза (РМС).
C 1982 года  написано около 240 сочинений различных жанров — песни, инструментальные произведения для баяна, оркестра русских народных инструментов.

В настоящее время проживает в Белгородской области.

Список основных произведений
 1994 — «Интермеццо» — конкурсная пьеса международного композиторского конкурса, посвященного 75-летию оркестра им. Н.Осипова для оркестра русских народных инструментов (Москва).
 1998 — песенный цикл «Рождественская сказка» на стихи поэтов серебряного века
 1999 — песенный цикл «Путник» на стихи Р. Горевича
 2001 — песенный цикл «Птицы России» на стихи В. Щиголева
 2002 — Концерт для баяна с оркестром
 2004 — кантата «Плач Ярославны в Путивле»
Автор ряда публикаций по вопросам баянного исполнительства, участник международных конференций.
 2012 год - монография «Формирование аккомпаниаторских навыков баяниста», (ВВП «Мрія-I») г. Сумы, под редакцией профессора Национальной музыкальной академии Украины им. П. И. Чайковского, доктора искусствоведения Н. А. Давыдова.
 2015 год — сборник вокальных произведений «У матери моей», под редакцией заслуженного деятеля искусств Украины, профессора Сумского государственного педагогического университета им. А. С. Макаренко И. П. Заболотного.
 2017 год -  сборник инструментальных пьес.
 2018 год -  сборник детских произведений "Не исчезают в жизни чудеса", (ВВП «Мрія-I») г. Сумы, редактор, заслуженный деятель искусств Украины, профессор И.П.Заболотный;
 2019 год - "Концертні п'єси для баяна", (ВВП «Мрія-I») г. Сумы, редактор - кандидат искусствоведения, доцент БГИиК   М.И.Шарабарин.
 2020 год - "Азбука баяниста-концертмейстера", учебное пособие; (ВВП «Мрія-I») г. Сумы, рецензенты: профессор И.П.Заболотный, доцент И.И.Мартыненко.
Наиболее известные произведения: — «У матери моей» — на стихи В. Щиголева, «К памяти умерших» — на стихи Р. Горевича, «Ива» — на стихи Н.Карпеко, «Родная Белгородчина» — на стихи В.Молчанова,"Баллада о Прохоровском поле" - на стихи Г.Лагздынь, другие.

Дискография
 2002 — «Да будет мирен их покой», из песенного цикла «Путник» — двойной альбом хора «Благозвонница» Патриаршего подворья Заиконоспасского монастыря, художественный руководитель и регент — Иеромонах Петр, хормейстр — заслуженный артист России Е. Коротеев (г.Москва), хора подворья Городокского Свято-Николаевского женского монастыря (г. Ровно.)
 2005—2012 отдельные песни и хоры в исполнении ансамбля песни и танца «Завалинка», ансамбля песни и танца ассоциации «Промагро» (г. Старый Оскол).

Ссылки
 http://vecherka.donetsk.ua/index.php?id=4647&show=news&newsid=56865#.U6FonPW6CSo
 http://salda.ws/video.php?id=4EA-hg4spYU
 http://media.wix.com/ugd/827dae_33810c43afc040ffbb195c7c148659d5.pdf
 https://811002cd-d838-4755-b9f1-53117d21f7a1.filesusr.com/ugd/827dae_23e8f610399745f5b9f3fbd12bf4ffa4.pdf
Канал Сергея Фролова на Youtube

Примечания

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Quadflow is designed with a unique 4 way drainage allowing the water to escape and prevent the build-up grime and fungi. Quadflow offers great slip resistance and comfort underfoot making workplaces and recreational environments safer and more comfortable. Provides a great anti-slip surface for wet areas. Multi-Directional drainage allowing easy drainage and cleaning. The grid structure with a rippled surface provides anti-slip surface from all directions. Available with anti-trip bevelled edging for around the mat. Quadflow is made from a flexible PVC making it extremely versatile in heavy traffic areas.


Sun xVM Server: A cross-platform open source hypervisor capable of hosting multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux and Solaris guest operating systems. It was built using technology from the Xen open source project as well as Sun's Logical Domains.
Sun xVM Ops Center: A highly scalable data center automation tool that offers simplified discovery, provisioning, updates and management of physical and virtualized assets in cross-platform Linux and Solaris OS-based x86 and SPARC environments.


We can wait decades. Sometimes more. Hoping, praying, begging that God would make a thing come true. And you pray, and you wait. And sometimes you recall some sweet blessing, or some specific prayer that was answered in the past, and you faith is boosted a bit–just enough to keep you hoping, even when it all seems to fall on deaf ears.
Other times the seeming silence makes you feel you might crumble right down to nothing but dust. And sometimes dust is just what you wish you could be.
For the waiting, and the longing, they can work away like long years of labor on tender heart, leaving you just . . . tired. And the world, with all it's beautiful places and beautiful faces can begin to seem like the only comfort you're going get. And sin is drug-like, and it smiles so sweet, and the lies it tells you never look like lies at all.
Sin can begin to look more beautiful than . . . well, than God himself. And you find yourself wondering if He really is so good.
But I'm here to tell you–as I'm here to tell myself–that whatever it is the world is offering you, it will never bring you the peace and fulfillment you desire. Whatever it is you're being tempted by, God is better. He is BETTER. And He is GOOD.
Yes, I'm waiting. Long, long waits. And I'm asking God so many Whys–about family, and relationships, and these books, which I've written but have yet to land in a reader's hands. And it's ever-so-hard when a burning desire–an ability, a gift–we think God has given us, seems to bounce off the ceiling and land right back in our laps.
And I can't give the answer to that for my own life, as I can't give the answer to that for yours. But I am determined to choose what is BEST. No matter what the outcome, no matter if I go to my deathbed still whispering these prayers, I am determined to trust the One who gives me breath. The One who made me and placed me just as and where I am. The One who calls me His own.
May God give you the strength to do the same. For the dear ones in your life. For your own self. For the glory of Christ. May you determine to walk the narrow path of life. To "set your face like flint, determined to do His will." Isaiah 50:7.
He met the Queen, my husband, John, did. As in Her Majesty, The Queen. Elizabeth II. Mother of Prince Charles. Grandmother to Princes William and Harry. Great-grandmother to the little royals. John grew up in a small fishing community in the Northeast of Scotland, far from the gilded elegance of London. But it's one of those things, I suppose, that the longer one lives in the United Kingdom, the more likely one is to meet, bump into, or at least see one of them–a member of the royal family.
It's like being an American in L.A. Sooner or later you'll recognize someone from the Silver Screen. Two of my siblings lived there, and seemed to post weekly pics of famous people they'd helped in their retail jobs. Jackie Chan, Helena Bonham Carter, and the list goes on. My brother ended up with a part in a YouTube video with Richard Simmons (which thankfully didn't involve exercise). My sister made a friend who lives in the same gated community as Reese Witherspoon. He let my sister use his house for her birthday party one year (which I got to attend!). We all chuckled at the story of Reese coming to his house trick-or-treating with her kids. He handed out Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and in her sweet Southern voice, she replied, "Very funny." I can just hear it.
There's something just a bit different, though–a little more magical and surreal–about meeting The Queen and all her family. And stories, both magical and surreal, are what I mean to tell.
Wouldn't we all have loved to be a university student at St Andrews, where Prince William and Catherine met and fell in love? The daughter of a minister at a church we attended was a student there, and one day got a lovely surprise when Prince William himself opened a door for her. Always the gentleman. Sigh.
And wouldn't the scenery in the hills of the Scottish highlands have seemed all the more green and glorious had a group of poshly dressed people come along the trail–and one of the them was Prince Charles, who bid you good day? That's exactly what happened to a woman from our church.
But not all of my stories are of chance encounters.
John met the Queen at 14. He was active in the Boys' Brigade, a sort of Boy Scouts with Christian roots, and one summer his troop was on parade at Windsor Castle. As the Queen inspected the ranks, she stopped every so often to speak with one of the boys. I like to think it was my husband's bright crop of ginger hair that caught the Queen's attention.
"And where have you traveled from?" she asked him, in the way only the Queen could.
He answered, all earnestness and Scottish brogue.
It wasn't the lengthiest of interactions, but quite special none-the-less, and a story I surmise we'll pass down to our grandchildren.
My sister got to see the Queen and Prince Charles. John's great aunt had secured tickets for the Royal Highland Games (think bagpipes, and kilted men tossing large logs called cabers). The games were held at Balmoral Castle, the Queen's highland residence, which first belonged to Queen Victoria. John and I had only been married a year, and as he had the day off, I decided to forego Balmoral and stay home with him. Ah, young love. And so I missed my chance to see the Queen, although my sister showed me her photos!
And what of the younger royals? University friends of ours attended a charity event and got near enough to Prince William and Catherine Middleton to snap some close-ups (which they kindly shared with me–hope you like them!).
But my stories don't end here. Next time–your personal invite inside the gates of Buckingham Palace for The Queen's Garden Party, and even more up-close and personal stories of the Royal Family.
And if you didn't catch the story of the weekend I spent in England with some almost royals and totally embarrassed myself, you can find that here.
This is the picture I'm holding with me as I go through the day–the picture of my Father, who is Ruler of the Universe, yet who has stooped to hold onto my hand.


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DEF LEPPARD RELEASE "FACTS" VIDEO ABOUT 1981'S "HIGH N' DRY"
July 13, 2020Dana 4 Comments
Def Leppard have released a "facts" video for their 1981 album High N' Dry, watch it here.
During its formative years in the late 1970s, Def Leppard became one of the hottest properties to emerge from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.
For its sophomore release, High N' Dry, the Sheffield quintet turned to a new producer, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, whose credits included AC/DC's multi-platinum Back In Black
"It was almost like army discipline, but he got great performances out of everyone that we'd never have got otherwise," said vocalist Joe Elliott. "We were rudderless and he gave us a direction, which was what we desperately needed."
During the course of the album's sessions, the band and their new producer painstakingly dissected, rearranged and even significantly re-wrote the material they'd prepared, marking the arrival of Def Leppard's distinctive, arena-slaying sound.
High N' Dry subsequently peaked at No. 38 in the U.S. and No. 26 in the U.K., offering Def Leppard a first taste of the sustained mainstream success they would experience throughout their career.
‹ DAVID LEE ROTH ON WHETHER VAN HALEN WILL EVER TOUR AGAIN, "I DON'T KNOW THAT EDDIE [VAN HALEN] IS EVER REALLY GOING TO RALLY FOR THE RIGORS OF THE ROAD AGAIN"
MEDIA CRITICIZES "GREAT WHITE" FOR LIVE NORTH DAKOTA SHOW, FORMER SINGER JACK RUSSELL, CLARIFIES HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE PERFORMANCE ›
Dana on July 13, 2020 at 2:28 pm
Great album…
Doug R. on July 13, 2020 at 3:34 pm
THAT'S THE FACT, JACK! 😉 LOL!!! – sorry, Stripes came out the same year ~ 1981! 🙂
Charles Clinchot on July 13, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Boom, chakalaka, boom ,chakalakalak, boom chakalaka, boom.
Great album and great movie.
You said it, Charles! 😉 1981 was a great year!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Why NB?
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NBEDC NEWS
Hopes Grow for Hotel in New Bedford
Natalie Myers
Providence Business News
After nearly 40 years without a hotel downtown or along the nearby waterfront, it looks as though New Bedford might finally get one.
Lafrance Hospitality Co. is in the process of negotiating a purchase and sale agreement for the Finicky Cat Food property at 16 Front St. on the city's waterfront.
"We haven't finalized anything at this point," said Richard Lafrance, CEO of the Westport-based hospitality company, which owns and operates four Hampton Inn hotels in Massachusetts and one Comfort Inn in New Hampshire. "In a month we can probably announce the whole thing."
But LaFrance did say the plan is to build a 90- to 100-room hotel on the 2-acre property. The company hopes to start construction by next spring. Lafrance said he estimates it will be a $9- to $10-million project.
If it happens, the hotel deal would come none too soon for the small seaport city.
New Bedford needs a hotel closer to downtown, said Matt Morrissey, executive director of the New Bedford Economic Development Council. The number of tourists visiting the city has increased 11 percent from 2005 to 2006 to a total of 800,000. Morrissey said, however, the there has been a 25 percent growth in the number of visitors in the past few years.
A surge of arts and cultural events and organizations is attracting people, and with that more restaurants and new businesses are opening.
But there is no place for out-of-town visitors to stay, unless they want to stay at the Days Inn off Interstate 195, about four miles from the heart of downtown, or the Comfort Inn, the extended-stay Marriott Residence Inn or the Dartmouth Motor Inn, all of which are about five miles away from the city's attractions.
The property on Front Street, on the other hand, sits about 300 yards away from historic downtown New Bedford, Morrissey said.
"[The hotel] will be a tremendous asset to overall economic development in the city," he said. "It's the missing link."
Katherine Knowles, executive director of the Zeiterion Theater, which is about 500 yards from where the hotel would be located, used other words to describe the hotel's contribution to economic development.
Especially from an arts and culture organization's perspective, Knowles said, a hotel within walking distance is "vitally important" to the economic health of the city.
About 20 percent of the theater's audience comes from Providence, she said. A smaller percent comes from Connecticut and upstate New York. But Knowles thinks more would come and stay the night of the show if there were a more accessible hotel.
"There is a whole day of activities available downtown," she said, listing the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the New Bedford Art Museum and a number of galleries, restaurants and the working waterfront. "The hotel would change the dynamic. More people would come for the day."
In addition, Morrissey said, 33 percent more people are taking the fast ferry from New Bedford to Martha's Vineyard. He hopes the hotel would sway them to stay in the city a bit longer before or after they take the ferry.
"We have to explain why we don't have [a hotel] at this point," he said. "Individuals coming to the city, they look for the hotel … and not having a national brand hotel like a Hilton or Marriott or a high-end boutique hotel … it doesn't accurately reflect our development activity."
Since 2000, New Bedford has experienced more than $80 million in renovations to commercial and residential property downtown, though some projects are under way or in pre-construction.
Other hotel deals had been announced and then fell through since then, Morrissey said. But he would not comment as to why.
He did say, however, that Mayor Scott Lang made attracting a hotel developer to the downtown a priority shortly after taking office in January last year.
Around the same time, the NBEDC commissioned a hotel market demand study with Pinnacle Advisory Group. The study concluded that New Bedford is "an emerging market that's clearly expanding," Morrissey said. "It said a hotel downtown/waterfront is warranted."
The NBEDC used the results of the study to attract about a dozen hotel developers to visit the city.
"Lafrance was the most aggressive in creating a sense of understanding of the market," Morrissey said. "And in understanding what we were hoping would be developed."
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Our War DVDs category is the home of all your favourite war classic movies on DVD and new to dvd war DVDs. This is always a favourite gift shopping location for Dads and Husbands. Whether you're looking for a World War 2 DVD or an Aussie War DVD like Gallipoli DVDs or Anzacs or something more recent like War Horse, we have them all in our War DVDs area of our website. You'll love these great War DVDs, cause what's better than sitting back and enjoying a war movie from DVDLand. Keep checking back as our website is updated every hour with new releases.
War DVDs are always great, whether they're classic War movies like Bridge On The River Kwai, The Great Escape or Hell Is For Heroes or more recent War movies like Anzacs, The Pacific or Band Of Brothers, or the latest and greatest War movies on DVD released this month. We have them all here. Hundreds and hundreds of amazing war movies here that you're bound to enjoy and will make a wonderful gift.


132H-106-020 Offices of the board of trustees.
132H-106-030 Meetings of the board of trustees.
132H-106-040 Officers of the board.
132H-106-050 Seal and name of the college.
132H-106-060 Bylaws of the board of trustees.
Offices of the board of trustees.
The board of trustees shall maintain an office at Bellevue College, 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E., Bellevue, Washington 98007-6484, where all records, minutes and the official college seal shall be kept.
Persons may obtain information from and submit written comments or requests to the secretary of the board who is located in this office.
Seal and name of the college.
The board of trustees of Community College District VIII shall maintain an official seal for use upon any or all official documents of the board. The seal shall have inscribed upon it the name of the college which shall be: Bellevue College.
Bylaws of the board may be revised by majority vote of the board.


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Energy & Sustainability Washington Update — August 2022
By R. Neal Martin
Build Back Better No More – Welcome to the Inflation Reduction Act
Starting as a $3.5 trillion legislative proposal to tackle climate change and shore up the social safety net, the Build Back Better Act was eventually scaled back to $2.2 trillion before passage by the House of Representatives in November 2021. That still-ambitious plan hit a wall in the Senate when Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) refused to support it, denying Democrats the 50 votes they needed to advance the bill under the budget reconciliation rules without Republican support.
After many fits and starts and intense negotiation, Sen. Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) surprised most of Washington on July 27 when they announced an agreement on a compromise measure – the Inflation Reduction Act – that will make $369 billion in investments in energy security and addressing climate change along with $64 billion for an extension of subsidies for low- and middle-income households under the Affordable Care Act that are set to sunset at the end of the year. The bill would raise $739 billion in revenue through a new 15% corporate minimum tax, prescription drug pricing reform, IRS tax enforcement, and narrowing the carried interest loophole. Together, these new investments and increased revenue would result in more than $300 billion in deficit reduction.
Although significantly smaller in scope than what President Biden had called for and House Democrats had passed, the Inflation Reduction Act is still a hugely significant piece of legislation and, if enacted, will be the most far-reaching climate legislation enacted in the United States.
Full legislative text can be found by clicking HERE.
Click HERE for a summary of the energy security and climate change provisions, which would:
lower consumer energy costs and make homes more energy efficient,
support clean energy production and domestic manufacturing,
decarbonize the economy by reducing emissions from various sectors,
invest in environmental justice and disadvantaged communities, and
support farmers, forestland owners, and rural communities.
The legislative calendar is increasingly tight as we approach the midterm elections in November, leaving congressional Democrats limited time to advance the Inflation Reduction Act. The Senate is scheduled to leave Washington for the annual August recess on August 5, but Majority Leader Schumer has told the Democratic caucus to plan for an intense week of late hours as he seeks to pass the bill before adjourning. The proposed legislative text has been sent to the Senate parliamentarian, who will determine whether the various provisions meet the requirements for budget reconciliation. Once approved by the Senate, the bill will go to the House for consideration. Many House members will be disappointed in the smaller scale of the legislation, but most are expected to recognize it as the best option available and support the bill. The House is not officially scheduled to return until after Labor Day, but if the bill is approved by the Senate, there is word that the House will cut short the August recess to return to Washington for votes.
President Biden has indicated his full support for the Inflation Reduction Act, saying, "This is the strongest bill you can pass to lower inflation, cut the deficit, reduce healthcare costs, tackle the climate crisis, and promote energy security, all the time while reducing the burdens facing working-class and middle-class families."
Click HERE to read the White House statement on the Inflation Reduction Act.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Opportunities
The Department of Energy continues to roll out Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) opportunities and, in July, announced the following:
Advanced Equity Through Workforce Partnerships (Funding Opportunity Announcement) supporting the development of workforce programs and partnerships that will facilitate the continued deployment of solar energy technologies while supporting an inclusive workforce with opportunities for career advancement, including through union membership. The deadline for a letter of intent is August 13, with concept papers due August 20 and full applications due by December 6.
Building Codes Implementation for Efficiency and Resilience (Notice of Intent) announcing a future funding opportunity focused on efforts relating to the implementation of more efficient building codes, as well as encouraging more resilient buildings, including grid-flexibility and stability, storage, durability, and better protection against extreme weather events.
FY22 Photovoltaics Research and Development (Funding Opportunity Announcement) to fund projects to reduce photovoltaics hardware costs and environmental impacts and increase perovskite module performance. These research areas will support increased photovoltaics deployment needed to meet the Biden administration's goal of a carbon emissions–free electricity sector by 2035. The deadline for a letter of intent is August 3, with concept papers due by August 12 and full applications due by October 17.
Carbon Capture Demonstrations Program (Notice of Intent) announcing a future funding opportunity focused on Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration projects.
Vehicle Technologies Office Program (Funding Opportunity Announcement) supporting research projects to address priorities in the following areas: the cost-effective deployment of EV charging for those without easy home charging, innovative solutions to improve mobility options for underserved communities, community engagement to accelerate clean transportation options in underserved communities, batteries and electrification, materials technologies, energy-efficient commercial off-road vehicle technologies, medium-- and heavy-duty vehicle corridor charging and advanced engine and fuel technologies to improve fuel economy and reduce GHG emissions. The deadline to submit concept papers is August 25, with full applications due November 10.
R. Neal Martin
Lobbying & Public Policy
ML Strategies - Senior Director of Government Relations
R. Neal Martin is a Senior Director of Government Relations at ML Strategies. He focuses on transportation, infrastructure, clean energy, trade, and federal appropriations, leveraging his many years of experience in government and government relations.


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text:
CA: Proposed State Firearms Legislation for 2002
Submitted by: Doug Charette
AB22 - Residential firearms dealers
AB126 - Funds "DISARM" project (Those prohibited from owning firearms would checked up on by govt.)
AB324 - Increase fines for firearms violations (relating to dealers)
AB566 - Assault weapon "buyback"
AB1219 (sitting in senate since last year) - "Smart-gun" technology required by Jan 1, 2006
Second Amendment Phonies
Submitted by: Bob Beatty
"With the Academy Awards behind us, we now turn our attention to the SAP Awards, honoring the biggest Second Amendment Phoney. And the nominees are:..."
FL: Lawmakers to allow guns locked in cars on school grounds
Submitted by: Rick Schwartz
"Legislators refused Wednesday to outlaw students from keeping guns locked in cars on school property - but it was close. By a 19-19 vote, the state Senate defeated a proposal that would have prohibited school boards from allowing students to bring guns to school if the firearms were locked in their cars."
The Sidestep Shuffle
Submitted by: LFA Editor
Website: http://www.libertyforall.net
"Since 9-11 freedom invasion policies and federal surveillance of law-abiding citizens has escalated to a previously unimaginable scale in America and is reaching the point where our domestic policy is beginning to resemble that of the Nazi Germany era. We are already at a point where the Constitution and the average citizen are under siege. A watched people are NOT free. Program after program is being rapidly implemented under the pretext of fighting terrorism."
Only 'Politically-Correct' Flags Welcome in Government Schools
Submitted by: Jed Harris
"In recent weeks flags of foreign countries, such as North Korea and Mexico, have been celebrated in several of our nations public schools. Meanwhile, the Confederate [battle] flag is again underfire, from the NAACP."
KABA NOTE: The NAACP obviously preferrs tyranny to free speech.
OH: Cincinnati agrees to curbs on Police
Submitted by: serinde
Website: http://www.progunwomen.com
"A year after riots erupted over the police shooting of a black man, the city agreed Wednesday to restrictions on the use of force and announced plans to establish an agency to investigate police brutality complaints.
The moves are intended to satisfy U.S. Justice Department concerns and settle a lawsuit accusing the police force of harassing blacks for the past 30 years. The settlement of the lawsuit must still be approved by the various parties by Tuesday to avoid a trial."
Scores of INS workers switch to Air Marshals
"Some U.S. border agents and immigration inspectors are trading their badges for the undercover clothes of federal air marshals. The moves are stirring concern among immigration experts who say the losses will harm the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service."
"The prospect of higher pay and the prestige associated with the air marshal program ... Declining morale and the problems of implementing controversial laws can provide additional impetus to make the switch ..."
OK: Panel oks powers for Governor, 'health officials'
"A state Senate committee passed a bill Wednesday giving broad powers to the governor and public health officials in the event of a public health emergency, including a bioterrorism attack."
"Sen. Frank Shurden, D-Henryetta, expressed concerns about people's civil liberties being violated ... He said he would hate to see the Legislature overreact and harm the people's freedoms." "I can remember an ol' boy named Hitler and what he did in the name of security," Shurden said.
When Words are the Weapons (Book Review: 'Why We Fight')
Submitted by: Jim Sr
"The fight at hand is not only about weapons of steel and explosives, but about words and historical concepts. Young people raised in an intellectual climate governed by politically correct, multicultural, relativistic post-modern opinion suffer from a deficit of arms - the understanding of how we got where we are."
Fawning Critics Don't Say Book Was Fraud
"Bellesiles turns out to have quoted sources out of context, to have falsely reported data, and to have claimed to have used documents that have not existed since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. One historian familiar with Bellesiles� work called it a case of "bona fide academic fraud." Emory University is investigating."
"It is, I suppose, conceivable that Bellesiles will manage to convince people that he was merely guilty of extraordinary sloppiness and not outright fraud, but regardless of his state of mind, his book is now well-established as untrustworthy."
OH: Gun 'debate' rages
"The Smith and Wesson 9mm semiautomatic is a well-balanced firearm with smooth action, a light recoil and enough stopping power to drop anything on two legs."
"Bill Spencer, who spent part of Thursday afternoon practicing his shooting with that bad boy at an indoor firing range in Warren, said he would feel much safer if the state allowed him to carry the gun on him."
FL: 'Safety' replaces firearm 'Buyback'
"...But then interest sagged. Fewer guns were turned in. The program sucked money and manpower from local police departments that helped to run it."
"Now, organizers of the Tampa Bay gun buyback program have decided to cancel this year's trade-ins. Instead, the group will focus its efforts on gun safety education and awareness, which includes a billboard campaign, firearms safety classes and giving away free gun locks at local police departments."
UK: British Hunters Plan 'Summer of Discontent'
"The U.K.'s main pro-hunting group set forth its strategy Wednesday for a six-month consultation period that could decide the future of foxhunting in Britain. A rural "summer of discontent" organized by the Countryside Alliance will begin with the lobbying of local offices of the U.K. Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs next week, and will culminate in a massive march on London."
CA: Assembly panel kills GOP terrorist death penalty bill
"A Republican-sponsored measure to allow the death penalty for terrorists who kill Californians was rejected yesterday in an Assembly committee, prompting GOP charges that Democrats dumped Sept. 11-inspired unity for party politics. Assembly Democrats snuffed out the death penalty bill and two other related GOP measures in what observers called a preview of partisan battles to come. There are nearly 100 terrorism bills in the legislative pipeline during this election year."
NE: Sportsmen, Senators Join for new Caucus
"A group of state senators and Nebraska sportsmen club representatives announced the formation of the Unicameral Sportsmen Caucus to promote and educate the Legislature and the hunting-fishing public on issues involving outdoor activates in the state."
"The state group is modeled after the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus that was founded in 1989. All five members of Nebraska's congressional delegation are members of that group, which acts as a liaison between Congress and sportsmen's clubs."
FL: Districts could set school weapons rules (Lee says No Way)
"School students could be allowed to bring guns to school, locked in their cars, under the rewrite of the rules governing Florida�s schools. Lee school board members, however, said they have no plans to change the district�s zero-tolerance policy banning weapons on campuses."
IN: Glenwood changes gun ordinance (gun sales to resume near schools)
"The Glenwood Village Board this week approved two ordinances governing the way gun shops do business in the community. By a 4-2 margin, the board approved changes to its zoning laws and its Firearms and Assault Weapons Control ordinance, opening the door for the village's only gun shop to once again sell firearms. Trustees Larry Williams and Ronald Clark voted against the ordinances."
MN: Firearms safety is valuable instruction for Kittson County youth
"What are the three basic rules of firearms safety?"
"Twenty-six kids in the Hallock area will be able to answer that and a whole lot more after completing a firearms safety course in Hallock this spring."
"This is Gary Johnson�s 32nd year as an instructor of firearms safety. He tells the kids hunting can be safer than riding a bike or riding in a car, as long as safety is the number one priority."
Support For Government Surveillance Slips � Harris Poll
"Support for expanded high-tech government surveillance gradually has diminished during the six months following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, new Harris Poll figures show."
"While a majority of Americans continue to favor expanded surveillance by law agents in the war against terror, the poll shows that support has declined modestly. In one category � expanded government surveillance of cell phone and email traffic � supporters now are in the minority, the poll indicates."
Newslinks Director Sidenote: This poll actually does represent real people's answers (I was in it!) -- but that in itself doesn't prove how accurate or inaccurate the results are.
Canada: Gun bureaucrats label MP 'moron'
"Canadian Alliance MP Grant Hill is no moron - unless you listen to the bureaucrats at Ottawa's firearms registry office. Hill, an Alberta MP and firearm owner, got the shock of his life recently when the gun registration people issued him a firearm licence. Hill's full name is Norman Grant Hill. But his newly issued gun licence read "Moron Grant Hill."
P.C. Nuttiness Invades Medical Schools
"Would you rather your doctor know which side your liver is on or be sensitive to your concepts of "social justice"? If "reformers" of Western medical education have their way, the latter skill might be given equal weight with the former."
Panel faults restrictions imposed since Sept. 11
"A panel that spanned a range of opinions from U.S. Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) to ACLU President Nadine Strossen -- with authorities on law enforcement and the media in between -- Wednesday condemned legal restrictions adopted by the Bush administration and Congress after Sept. 11."
Canada Post shoots down 'phone book protest' by angry gun owners
"Frustrated gun owners call it Operation Phone Book. Those upset with the federal firearms registry are mailing their old telephone directories to the Canadian Firearms Centre in Ottawa in the hopes the government will have to pick up the cost of the postage."
"But officials at Canada Post say the protest has backfired. The books aren't getting through and the Crown corporation - not the Justice Department - has to pick up the tab."
For shooting straight, take simple steps
"For some young hunters, learning to turkey hunt can be very exasperating. Misjudging distance, shaking and too much movement can ruin a day�s hunt. One of the first things I tell a young hunter who has a problem with getting the shakes is they need to hunt more to get used to seeing turkeys. Many times when I am hunting and call up a good, mature bird, I still get the shakes."
Can consumer data profile terrorists?
Submitted by: Mike McCafferty
If you buy gasoline, fertilizer, a GUN, or even a PLANE TICKET, you will probably fit the profile of a terrorist. And then some stormtroopers will crash thorough your door and shoot you in the middle of the night because you "fit" this profile.
OR: Gun dealer specializes in heavy-duty weapons
"Is there really a store where you can walk in and buy a machine gun? Yes, there is, and Fairly Honest Don's Machine Gun Parlor in Hillsboro is the place. Look for the Hummer parked out front."
"Oregon allows citizens to possess machine guns. California and Washington do not. These fully automatic weapons deliver multiple rounds (from 500 to 1,200 per minute) with a single pull of the trigger."
AZ: Bureaucrats' self-inflicted foot wounds
Submitted by: Michael Lewis
"The problem with gun nuts is that they're not nutty 100% of the time. This would apply to Rick DeStephens, a self-proclaimed "gunnie" who has taken up the cause of Shannon Flynn, a state employee who has been told by her bosses at the Department of Revenue that she cannot bring the firearm she carries for self-protection into the building where she works."
He added, "Killian is more interested in protecting his building from protest signs than protecting his employees from crime."
Charlie Puckett turns himself in to local law enforcement
Submitted by: William Bolt
Website: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/stats/team/team_114000.html
"Former Kentucky State Militia Commander Charlie Puckett has turned himself in and is on his way to the Lexington Correctional Center with his attorney and local law enforcement." "He wants to go to court to prove his innocence," said Norman Davis, a friend of Puckett's. "He is safe. Friendly and honest law enforcement picked him up to ensure his safety."
LATEST UPDATE AS OF 4/4/02 11:20PM EST:
"The fugitive commander of the Kentucky State Militia surrendered to police Thursday after nearly three weeks in hiding. He met with a family friend and Jessamine County Sheriff Joe Walker before turning himself in at the Fayette County Detention Center, said Puckett's attorney, Gatewood Galbraith." "Puckett has called the seizure a theft of private property and a violation of his rights."
Australia: Huge trade in illegal handguns
"Know the right person, have the right cash and you can buy an illegal handgun in suburban Sydney in less than an hour."
"At a certain hotel in the city's west, three separate locations around Cabramatta, another business in Bankstown and on the streets of Kings Cross hundreds of handguns are bought and sold daily."
KABA NOTE: Of course. That's what happens when you make things "illegal".
NC: Jacksonville Daily News: Our Opinion (of frivolous lawsuits)
"Not nearly so amusing ... lawsuits that attempt to shift blame for one�s own bad decisions or for mishaps due to others� negligence � to a guiltless third party with deep pockets."
"These third-party lawsuits are usually attempts to get some type of payment from a company or companies whose products were misused; nowadays, they�re often firearms manufacturers."
CA: 'Gun-safety training couldn't save boy'
"Twelve-year-old Justin Kosinski of Foresthill knew all about gun safety, his father said. Justin had taken a hunters-training course and he had his own weapon, but he kept it locked up and unloaded, said John Kosinski. "He knew that you don't play with guns," Kosinski said."
"But Justin's knowledge about gun safety couldn't save his life Friday, when a teenage boy allegedly brandished a gun that discharged, fatally wounding Justin."
FL: Man gets 2 years probation on 'gun charges'
"A Florida man who allegedly tried to sell a pistol at a city business received probation on one of two weapons charges. The other charge was dropped Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court."
"Charles Dankworth, 50, of 11653 Ridge Road, Largo, Fla., pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle before Judge Patrick Clifford. After being convicted on the charge, Clifford gave Dankworth a two-year suspended sentence and two years of probation, according to court documents."
Sarah Brady 'Speaks' at King Center's Annual Observance
KABA NOTE: More repeats of her usual lies.
"Speaking on the topic of violence in the U.S., Brady said, "I believe that Martin Luther King would be proud of the many things that have been accomplished in the last 34 years. He would be proud of the Brady law, which has prevented more than 700,000 criminals and other prohibited purchasers from buying guns. He would be proud of the assault weapons ban, which has drastically reduced the number of military-style weapons that are on the streets..."
TN: American Legion Gun, Knife, Coin Show
"The 25th annual Mule Day Weekend Gun, Knife and Coin Show will be held Saturday-Sunday, April 6-7, at the Post 19 home on Nashville Highway. Show hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Buying, selling and trading will take place throughout the two-day event. A free appraisal of all items will be offered. Lots of good home cooking will also be available."
MO: Gun bill splits area legislators
- Northland House members split evenly on a party vote over "allowing" motorists to carry concealed weapons in vehicles -
"The Democrat-controlled House approved House bill 1344 on a bipartisan basis, 107-46 vote March 20. Reps. Bill Skaggs, Phil Willoughby and Meg Harding - all Northland Democrats - opposed the bill."
"I own guns and shoot, hunt and do those things, but I don't need a loaded gun in my glove box or under my front seat," Skaggs said. Road rage cases are heard regularly on area police scanners. Skaggs said road rage makes "concealed-carry" in cars undesirable."
KABA NOTE: What a moron!
Falun Gong Followers In the U.S. Sue China
Submitted by: Lawrence Miller
"More than 50 followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement sued the Chinese government in U.S. District Court yesterday, charging that Chinese embassies and consulates across the country were directing a "continuing criminal enterprise" of death threats, break-ins, beatings, arson and wiretappings against them."
-- If these are U.S. citizens being attacked, they should learn to exercise their inherent rights, as supported by the U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights. RKBA!
FDA: Chip Implants Cleared for U.S. Market
"The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for Applied Digital Solutions Inc. to begin selling an implantable chip that would contain personal identification and medical data, the company said Thursday. Applied Digital, Palm Beach, said it had received a letter indicating that the FDA does not consider the chip a medical device under its jurisdiction."
Intruder stopped by sword
Submitted by: Jerry Rowe
"A 49-year-old Marion resident found his cane came in handy Tuesday night as he used the sword concealed inside it to ward off a man who entered his home."
"Nobody has any right to walk right into a man's house like that," said Larry Scott, 1014 S. Branson St.
Note: this is only 12 blocks or so from the main Police HQ. buildings for the city and county.
CO: Groups Rally Against Concealed-Gun Permit Bill
"A bill touted as a compromise on concealed gun permits is a wish list for gun supporters that would allow people to carry concealed handguns into sports arenas, parks and other public venues, opponents said Thursday."
"A coalition of groups in opposition to House Bill 1410 said the measure would strip local governments of their control over concealed-gun permits. "We fundamentally don't agree that more guns will make for safer communities," said Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver."
OR: Officer fires at man armed with Chinese food
Submitted by: John Fansler
'It's too early to say whether Anderson correctly followed the sheriff's department firearms policy, Capt. Ed Mayer said.'
-- They've got a firearm policy that covers someone throwing Chinese food at you? Whew! Talk about covering all the bases in your policemans manual. What about Hungarian food?
No kingdom can be secured otherwise than by arming the people. The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave. He, who has nothing, and who himself belongs to another, must be defended by him, whose property he is, and needs no arms. But he, who thinks he is his own master, and has what he can call his own, ought to have arms to defend himself, and what he possesses; else he lives precariously, and at discretion. � James Burgh, Political Disquisitions: Or, an Enquiry into Public Errors, Defects, and Abuses [London, 1774-1775].


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The shirt remains clean and beautiful bur has a small stain on the back. Overall it is in excellent condition.


[STICKY] Do you love Λucifer?
It's been pretty quiet here at Silent Melody lately with me and GN-0015 busy with life and other things.
What I originally envisioned this site to be was the go-to place for all sorts of news concerning the Λucifer members' recent happenings, whether it be new releases, projects or anything else that'd interest Λucifer's fans. While I'm obviously still a fan of the band, there are other things that have stolen my attention in recent times which hasn't given me much time to keep up on Λucifer news so I could run this site properly.
You don't have a post quota to reach per month and if you don't have previous experience with blogging, I can help you with any technical questions you might have. The only two requirements are that you need to be able to write "okay" English — you don't have to be a native level speaker, just passable — and more importantly, you need to feel passionate enough about Λucifer to be willing to seek out news of what the members are doing lately so you can post about it on Silent Melody. That's all.
If you want to join, or if you're thinking you might like to give it a try but aren't sure, just contact me and I'll get back to you.
This offer stands for as long as this post is still viewable on the site.


text:
Q: How to move data in sheet1 to sheet2 in excel I am writing contents to an excel file through c#. I am having 4 columns and many rows in excel. When the application runs, I need to check if whether data is present in sheet1, then it should be moved to sheet2. If sheet2 also contains data, then it should be appended with sheet2 data. I am using interop dll for accessing excel. I have done with writing contents, but how I can move it programmatically? This is what I tried.
  Excel.Workbook xlwb;
  Excel.Application excelApp = new Excel.Application();
  Excel.Worksheet xlssheet1;
  Excel.Worksheet xlssheet2;
 xlwb = excelApp.Workbooks.Open(myPath, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing,
                                    objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing);
            int rowIndex = 2; int colIndex = 1;
            if (excelApp.Cells[rowIndex, colIndex] != null)
            {
                xlssheet1 = (Worksheet)xlwb.Worksheets[1];
                xlssheet2 = (Worksheet)xlwb.Worksheets[2];

                xlwb.Sheets.Move(System.Reflection.Missing.Value, xlssheet2);
                xlwb.Save();

            }

A: First of all I'd define a function to find out the last used row of a worksheet:
private int LastUsedRow(Excel.Worksheet aSheet)
{
    object hmissing = System.Reflection.Missing.Value;
    string usedAddress = aSheet.UsedRange.get_Address(hmissing, hmissing, Excel.XlReferenceStyle.xlA1, hmissing, hmissing);
    return int.Parse(usedAddress.Substring(usedAddress.LastIndexOf('$') + 1));
}

Then your code can iteratively copy the cells from one worksheet to the other in this way:
Excel.Workbook xlwb;
Excel.Application excelApp = new Excel.Application();
Excel.Worksheet xlssheet1;
Excel.Worksheet xlssheet2;
xlwb = excelApp.Workbooks.Open(myPath, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing, objMissing);
xlssheet1 = (Worksheet)xlwb.Worksheets[1];
xlssheet2 = (Worksheet)xlwb.Worksheets[2];
int lastRow1 = LastUsedRow(xlssheet1);
int lastRow2 = LastUsedRow(xlssheet2);
int curRow = lastRow2 + 1;
for (int i = 1; i <= lastRow1; i++)
{
    object toCopy = xlsheet1.getRange("A"+i, "D" + i).get_Value(null);
    xlsheet2.getRange("A"+curRow, "D" + curRow).set_Value(null, toCopy);
    curRow++;
}
xlwb.Save();

A: If you can't find a way to "Move" the data, move it manually:

*

*Copy the values over

*Ensure the copies worked

*Make the original cell blanks

*Save

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