Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states of Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Hanau. Known for their discipline and martial prowess, around 30,000 Germans fought for the British during the war, around 25% of British land forces.

While regarded, both contemporaneously and historiographically, as mercenaries, Hessians were legally distinguished as auxiliaries: whereas mercenaries served a foreign government of their own accord, auxiliaries were soldiers hired out to a foreign party by their own government, to which they remained in service. Auxiliaries were a major source of income for many small and relatively poor German states, typically serving in wars in which their governments were neutral. Like most auxiliaries of this period, Hessians served with foreign armies as entire units, fighting under their own flags, commanded by their usual officers, and wearing their existing uniforms.

Hessians played an essential role in the Revolutionary War, particularly in the northern theater. They served with distinction in many battles, most notably at White Plains and Fort Washington. The added manpower and skill of German troops greatly sustained the British war effort, though it also outraged colonists and increased support for the Revolutionary cause. The use of "large armies of foreign mercenaries" was one of the 27 colonial grievances against King George III in the United States Declaration of Independence, while the Patriots used the deployment of Hessians to support their claims of British violations of the colonists' rights.

History
The use of foreign soldiers was not unusual in 18th-century Europe. In the two centuries leading up to the American Revolutionary War, the continent was characterized by constant warfare, and military manpower was in very high demand. Germany was not yet a unified nation, but a collection of several hundred states loosely organized under the Holy Roman Empire. Conflict between and among these states led to the creation of professional armies, which were consequently experienced and well trained. Many German societies became militarized, with most men undergoing annual training from adolescence well into adulthood, often serving for life or until they were too old. German states varied considerably in size and wealth, and several came to rely on their troops as an economic resource, especially since sustaining a standing army was costly.

When military conflict broke out, as it often did during this era in Europe, German states provided a ready supply of trained troops prepared to enter military action immediately. Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel soon emerged as the most prominent source of Hessian soldiers. To field a large professional army with a relatively small population, Hesse-Kassel became the most militarized state in Europe with approximately 5.2% to 6.7% of its population under arms in the 18th century and one in four households having someone serving in the army, representing a larger proportion than even heavily-militarized Prussia. Prussia relied partly on mercenaries from other German states, but Hesse-Kassel employed only Landeskinder (literally "children of the land", or native men). The military was the dominant force in the country. All Hessian males registered for military service at the age of seven, and from the age of 16 until 30 were required to present themselves annually to an official for possible recruitment. Only those whose occupation was considered vital to the country were exempted. Those deemed expendable, such as vagrants and the unemployed, could be conscripted at any time.

Hessian military service was notably strict and demanding, emphasizing iron discipline through draconian punishment. However, morale was generally high, and soldiers were said to take pride in their service. Officers were usually well-educated, and in contrast to most European armies, promoted on the basis of merit. Soldiers were paid relatively high wages, and their families were exempt from certain taxes. Although plunder was officially forbidden, it remained common practice (as in most military forces at the time), offering another incentive for service. Overall, Hessian troops were considered superb fighters, even by their opponents.

The Hessian military became a major source of economic strength. Hesse-Kassel manufactured its own weapons and uniforms, and its textile industry was so prosperous from supplying the military that workers could afford to buy meat and wine every day. The revenue from renting the army to the British equaled roughly 13 years' worth of taxes, allowing the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, Friedrich II, to reduce taxes by one-third between the 1760s and 1784. A self-styled enlightened despot, he also oversaw public-works projects, administered a public welfare system, and encouraged education. American historian Edward Jackson Lowell lauded Friedrich II for spending British money wisely, describing him as "one of the least disreputable of the princes who sent mercenaries to America".

Prior to the American Revolutionary War, Hessian soldiers were familiar in battlefields across 18th-century Europe.

In most of these wars, Hesse-Hanau was never formally a belligerent. While its troops remained members of the Hessian military, and even fought in their national uniform, they were hired out for service in other armies, without their government having any stake in the conflict. Thus, Hessians could serve on opposing sides of the same conflict. In the War of the Austrian Succession, both Britain and Bavaria employed Hessian soldiers against one another; in the Seven Years' War, the forces of Hesse-Kassel served with both the Anglo-Hanoverian and the Prussian armies against the French; although Hesse-Kassel was technically allied to Britain and Prussia, her troops were actually leased by the British.

The practice of lending out auxiliaries, however, did sometimes result in direct consequences. In July 1758, during the course of the Seven Years' War, most of Hesse-Kassel, including its capital, was occupied by a French army under Charles de Rohan, Prince of Soubise, which easily overcame the home defence force of 6,000 Hessian militiamen. Soubise ordered his troops to live off the land, take high-ranking hostages, and extort payments of cash and produce, with the intention of forcing Hessian troops to withdraw from the war. Hessian and allied forces attempted to liberate their homeland, but were repulsed at the Battle of Sandershausen on 23 July. Following two sieges of Cassel, in 1761 and 1762, the capital was retaken, which constituted the last military action of the war.

"Mercenaries" versus "auxiliaries"
The characterization of Hessian troops as "mercenaries" remains controversial over two centuries later. American history textbooks refer to them as "mercenaries", and they are still widely perceived as such in the popular imagination of the United States. American historian Charles Ingrao describes Hesse as a "mercenary state" whose prince rented out his regiments to fund his governmental expenditures. By contrast, British historian Stephen Conway referred to them as "auxiliaries". Military historians Dennis Showalter and Rodney Atwood note that Hessians would not have been legally considered mercenaries at the time, but rather auxiliaries. Whereas mercenaries served a foreign ruler in an individual capacity, auxiliaries forces were controlled by a state, and their foreign service was in direct competition to professional mercenaries. (Similarly, in the twentieth century, the Moroccan Goumiers were attached as auxiliaries to the French Army of Africa.)

Hessians would not be categorized as mercenaries under modern international law. Protocol I (1977) to the Geneva Convention defines a mercenary as "any person who ... has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces." Hessian troops served in America on official duty from the armed forces of Hesse-Cassel and Hesse-Hanau.  Protocol I also requires a mercenary to be "promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party." While not formally incorporated into the British military, Hessian troops were paid the same wages as British soldiers.

American Revolutionary War

Great Britain maintained a relatively small standing army, so it found itself in great need of troops at the outset of the American Revolutionary War. Several German princes saw an opportunity to earn extra income by hiring out their regular army units for service in America. Their troops entered the British service not as individuals, but in entire units, with their usual uniforms, flags, equipment, and officers. Methods of recruitment varied according to the state of origin. The contingent from Waldeck was drawn from an army based on universal conscription, from which only students were exempt. Other German princes relied on long-service voluntary enlistment supplemented by conscription when numbers fell short. Many princes were closely related to the British House of Hanover and were comfortable placing their troops under British command.

A total of 29,875 German troops fought alongside British troops in the Revolutionary War, of which 16,992 came from Hesse-Kassel and 2,422 from Hesse-Hanau. Other contingents came from Brunswick (4,300), Ansbach-Bayreuth (2,353), Anhalt-Zerbst (1,119), and Waldeck (1,225). As the majority of the German troops came from Hesse, Americans use the term "Hessians" to refer to all German troops fighting on the British side.

Deployment

Hessian troops included Jägers, hussars, three artillery companies, and four battalions of grenadiers. Most infantrymen were chasseurs, including sharpshooters, musketeers, and fusiliers. Line infantry was armed with muskets, while the Hessian artillery used the three-pound cannon. The elite Jäger battalions used the Büchse, a short, large-caliber rifle well-suited to woodland combat. Initially, the typical regiment was made up of 500 to 600 men. Later in the war, due to death in battle, death by disease, and general desertion to settle in the Colonies, the regiments may have been reduced to only around 300 to 400 men.

The first Hessian troops to arrive in British America landed at Staten Island on August 15, 1776, and their first engagement was less than two weeks later in the Battle of Long Island, the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War. Hessians proved decisive to the British victory, and subsequently fought in almost every battle that year.

By 1777, the British used them mainly as garrison and patrol troops. Hessians fought at the Battle of Bennington, the turning point of the Saratoga campaign. At Saratoga, approximately 1,000 Hessians were defeated, killed, and captured by a raw, untrained militia force from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. General John Burgoyne lost 1,000 of his 8,000 soldiers at Bennington, and the loss of so many Hessians doomed his army later. An assortment of Hessians fought in the battles and campaigns in the southern states during 1778–1780, including at the Guilford Court House, and two regiments fought at the Siege of Yorktown in 1781. Hessians also served in Nova Scotia for five years (1778–1783), where they protected the colony from American privateers, such as during the 1782 Raid on Lunenburg.

Notwithstanding their reputation as skilled and disciplined fighters, many British soldiers shared the American distrust of Hessians, who often spoke little or no English and were perceived as crude and barbaric.

Numerous other incidents strained the relationship between the British and Hessians. In August 1779, Saxon nobleman Johann Philip von Krafft wrote that a group of "English soldiers" attacked and robbed a Hessian grenadier, fatally wounding him in the process; historian Steven Schwamenfeld noted that these soldiers were most likely members of the Volunteers of Ireland, a Loyalist military unit mostly consisting of deserters from the Continental Army. Another incident occurred on August 20, 1780, between British soldiers from the 54th Regiment of Foot and Hessian troops from the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. The 54th Regiment of Foot, which had cultivated several vegetable gardens, were relieved by the Hessians, who refused British demands to pay for the privilege of harvesting crops they had sown. In response, a number of British soldiers began pulling up the vegetables and carrying them off, which led to a skirmish breaking out before British and Hessian officers broke it up.

American attitudes

Americans, both Revolutionaries and Loyalists, often feared the Hessians, believing them to be rapacious and brutal mercenaries. The American Declaration of Independence, written roughly a year after hostilities broke out, condemned King George III of "transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to [complete] the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation." Throughout the war, reports of plundering by Hessians were said to have galvanized neutral colonists to join the Revolutionary side.

General Washington's Continental Army had crossed the Delaware River to make a surprise attack on the Hessians in the early morning of December 26, 1776. In the Battle of Trenton, the Hessian force of 1,400 was quickly overwhelmed by the Continentals, with only about 20 killed and 100 wounded, but 1,000 captured.

Hessians captured in the Battle of Trenton were paraded through the streets of Philadelphia to raise American morale; anger at their presence helped the Continental Army recruit new soldiers. Most of the prisoners were sent to work as farmhands.

By early 1778, negotiations for the exchange of prisoners between Washington and the British had begun in earnest. These included Nicholas Bahner(t), Jacob Trobe, George Geisler, and Conrad Grein (Konrad Krain), who were a few of the Hessian soldiers who deserted the British forces after being returned in exchange for American prisoners of war. These men were both hunted by the British for being deserters and by many of the colonists as a foreign enemy.

Throughout the Revolutionary War, Americans tried to entice Hessians to desert the British, emphasizing the large and prosperous German-American community. The U.S. Congress authorized the offer of land of up to 50 acres (roughly 20 hectares) to individual Hessian soldiers who switched sides. British soldiers were offered 50 to 800 acres, depending on rank.

Many Hessian prisoners were held in camps at the interior city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to a large German community known as the Pennsylvania Dutch. German prisoners were subsequently treated well, with some volunteering for extra work assignments, helping to replace local men serving in the Continental Army. After the Revolutionary War, many Hessian prisoners of war never returned to Germany and instead chose to accept American offers of religious freedom and free land, becoming permanent settlers. By contrast, British prisoners were also held in Lancaster, but these men did not respond favorably to good treatment and often tried to escape.

After the war ended in 1783, some 17,313 German soldiers returned to their homelands. Of the 12,526 who did not return, about 7,700 were killed in action or died; some 1,200 were killed in action, and 6,354 died from illnesses or accidents, mostly the former. About 5,000 German troops, most of whom had been press-ganged or conscripted in their countries of origin, opted to settle in either the United States or Canada.

Commanding officers

 Wilhelm von Knyphausen
 Oberst Franz Carl Erdmann Freiherr (Baron) von Seitz – led the regiment in the Battle of Fort Washington
 Oberst Johann Rall, commanding officer of the Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton
 Lieutenant General Friedrich Wilhelm von Lossberg, as Colonel led the von Lossberg Regiment (Alt) at the Battle of White Plains and Fort Washington. He served in Newport from 1776 until 1779 and played a decisive role at the Battle of Rhode Island. In May 1782 upon the departure of Lieutenant General Knyphausen, Lossberg replaced him as the commander of the Hessian troops in North America.

Units

Infantry
Hesse-Cassel Jäger Corps ()
Fusilier Regiment von Ditfurth ()
Fusilier Regiment Erbprinz, later (1780) Musketeer Regiment Erbprinz (; )
Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen ()
Fusilier Regiment von Lossberg ()
Grenadier Regiment von Rall, later (1777) von Woellwarth; (1779) von Trümbach; (1781) d'Angelelli (; ; ; )
 Hesse-Hanau Free Corps
 Hesse-Hanau Jägers
Hesse-Hanau Regiment
Merged grenadier battalions (from grenadier companies of several fusilier and musketeer regiments):
1st Battalion Grenadiers von Linsing
2nd Battalion Grenadiers von Block (later von Lengerke)
3rd Battalion Grenadiers von Minnigerode (later von Löwenstein)
4th Battalion Grenadiers von Köhler (later von Graf; von Platte)
Garrison Regiment von Bünau ()
Garrison Regiment von Huyn (later von Benning)
Garrison Regiment von Stein (later von Seitz; von Porbeck)
Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach (later von Knoblauch)
Leib Infantry Regiment (Leib-Infanterie-Regiment)
Musketeer Regiment von Donop
Musketeer Regiment von Trümbach (later von Bose (1779))
Musketeer Regiment von Mirbach (later Jung von Lossberg (1780))
Musketeer Regiment Prinz Carl
Musketeer Regiment von Wutgenau (later Landgraf (1777))
 First Light Infantry Battalion
 Second Light Infantry Battalion
 First Formation Infantry Battalion
 Second Infantry Battalion
 Third Formation Infantry Battalion
 Fourth Formation Infantry Battalion
 Fifth Formation Infantry Battalion
 Sixth Formation Infantry Battalion
 Seventh Formation Infantry Battalion
 Eighth Formation Infantry Battalion

Cavalry
 First Dragoon Cavalry Regiment (1804–1812, red jacket); change to the First Light Dragoon Cavalry Regiment (1812–1816, blue jacket)
 Second Dragoon Cavalry Regiment (1805–1812, red jacket); change to the Second Light Dragoon Cavalry Regiment (1812–1816, blue jacket)
 First Hussar Regiment
 Second Hussar Regiment
 Third Hussar Regiment

Artillery and engineers
 Hesse-Cassel Artillery corps ()
 Hesse-Hanau Artillery
 King of England and German engineers

In popular culture
 The Hessian fly, a significant pest of cereal crops, was named after its supposed arrival in North America in Hessian soldiers' straw bedding.
 Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1820) includes a celebrated figure known as the "Headless Horseman" who is "the ghost of a Hessian trooper, whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball, in some nameless battle during the Revolutionary War". He has been portrayed in many dramatic adaptations of the story.
 D. W. Griffith co-wrote and directed the short film, The Hessian Renegades (1909), about the early stages of the American Revolution.
 In the Merrie Melodies short Bunker Hill Bunny (1950), set during the Revolutionary War, Bugs Bunny faces off against Hessian soldier Sam von Schamm. At the end, a Sam resigns with the line "I'm a Hessian without no aggression."
 The final episode of the cartoon series The Super 6 (1967) features Capt. Zammo in "The Hessians Are Coming" where, after a parody of Paul Revere's midnight ride, Captain Zammo and Private Hammo are dispatched to zip back in time to 1776 and report to General George Washington to foil the malicious machinations of the marauding invaders.
 The 1972 novel The Hessian, by Howard Fast, concerns a young Hessian drummer who is executed in reprisal for the mistaken hanging of an autistic villager by his officer.
 In the television series Turn: Washington's Spies, Hessians are depicted in season one as participating in the Battle of Trenton and meet Abraham Woodhull in New York.
 The PBS cartoon series, Liberty's Kids, featured Hessians as members of the British Army in several episodes, with the episode, "The Hessians Are Coming" ending with several Hessian troops deserting to the American side.
 In Empire: Total War, the player can recruit up to five regiments of Hessians in their American colonies if playing as Great Britain.
 In Assassin's Creed III, if Ratonhnaké:ton has maximum notoriety, Hessians will be sent after him and are notably more skilled then other types of soldiers in the game.

References

Further reading

 Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 1980), the standard scholarly history
 Baer, Friederike. Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War (Oxford University Press, 2022). Website
 Crytzer, Brady J. Hessians: Mercenaries, Rebels, and the War for British North America (2015). excerpt

 Fetter, Frank Whitson. "Who Were the Foreign Mercenaries of the Declaration of Independence?" Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 104, no. 4, 1980, pp. 508–513. online

 Ingrao, Charles. "'Barbarous Strangers': Hessian State and Society during the American Revolution", American Historical Review (1982) 87#4 pp. 954–976 in JSTOR
 Ingrao, Charles W. The Hessian mercenary state: ideas, institutions, and reform under Frederick II, 1760–1785 (Cambridge University Press, 2003)
 Krebs, Daniel. "Useful Enemies: The Treatment of German Prisoners of War during the American War of Independence," Journal of Military History (2013), 77#1 pp 9–39.

 Mauch, Christof. "Images of America – Political Myths – Historiography: 'Hessians' in the War of Independence", Amerikastudien (2003) 48#3 pp 411–423

 Miller, Ken, Dangerous Guests: Enemy Captives and Revolutionary Communities during the War for Independence (Cornell Univ. Press, 2014) online review
 Neimeyer, Charles Patrick. America Goes to War: A Social History of the Continental Army (1995) complete text online
 Rogers, Alec D. "The Hessians: Journal Of The Johannes Schwalm Historical Association" Journal of the American Revolution (2018) Online

Primary sources
 Winthrop P. Bell, ed. "A Hessian conscript's account of life in garrison at Halifax at the time of the American Revolution". Collections of the Nova Scotia Historical Society, Volume 27, 1947
 Johann Conrad Döhla. A Hessian Diary of the American Revolution (1993)

 Valentine C. Hubbs, ed. Hessian journals: unpublished documents of the American Revolution (Camden House, 1981), translation of the Von Jungkenn manuscripts.

 Huth, Hans, Carl Emil Curt von Donop, and C. V. Easum. "Letters from a Hessian mercenary." Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 62.4 (1938): 488–501. online

External links

 American Revolution.org – The Hessians
 Johannes Schwalm Historical Association website
 Historical Project: Letters by a Hessian Officer, Marburg University
 Diary and letters covering the role of Hessian troops in America

 Soldatenhandel under Friedrich I of Hessen-Kassel (German Wikipedia)
 "Hessians:" German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. Academic blog with original German sources, English translations, and commentary.

American Revolutionary War
Combat occupations
German units in British service in the American Revolutionary War
Hesse
Hessian military personnel of the American Revolutionary War
Infantry

Hessian (soldier)


Hollerich-Bonnevoie () was the legal name of a part, formally section (), of the then-commune of Hollerich, in southern Luxembourg.  It covered the neighbourhoods of Hollerich, Bonnevoie, and Gare, which formed the urbanised part of the commune, separated from Luxembourg City by the Pétrusse.

City status was conferred upon Hollerich-Bonnevoie on 7 April 1914.  The city, with the rest of the commune, merged into Luxembourg City on 26 March 1920, when the city status lapsed.

Footnotes

History of Luxembourg City
Cities in Luxembourg
History of Luxembourg (1890–1945)

Hollerich-Bonnevoie


The Cape Girardeau Missouri River Front Park in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is located in front of the levee wall that protects the town from high water of the Mississippi River. The park has a stepped concrete seating platform that will allow viewing of the river by visitors.  Along with the visitor viewing platform, it has docking facilities for riverboats such as the Delta Queen that travels between St. Louis and New Orleans. Two levee gates that can be closed during high water are the entries to the park. Murals are painted on the wall, welcoming river visitors to the area.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Riverfront Park of Cape Girardeau Missouri


Dov Alan Lipman (, born 9 September 1971) is an Israeli former politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid between 2013 and 2015.

Biography
Lipman was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he attended the Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington and the Yeshiva of Greater Washington where he was captain of the varsity basketball team and president of the student council.  He also served as an intern for Congressman John Dingell. After high school, he studied at Mercaz HaTorah in Jerusalem for two years including during the Gulf War where he was in charge of the yeshiva's sealed room. Lipman continued his studies at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland where he received rabbinic ordination while studying at Johns Hopkins University where he received a master's degree in education.

Lipman and his wife, Dena, were among the founding families of the Cincinnati Community Kollel.  They spent three years in Cincinnati before moving back to Silver Spring where Rabbi Lipman became a teacher of Judaic Studies at his alma mater, the Yeshiva of Greater Washington.

In July 2004, the Lipman family immigrated to Israel, and moved to Bet Shemesh where Lipman taught in post-high school yeshivot and seminaries Yesodei HaTorah, Machon Maayan, Tiferet and Reishit Yerushalayim. Tensions between other religious elements and the broader population in the city brought Lipman into community activism and he led the battle against the extremism, most notably during the beginning of the 2011 school year at the Orot girls school.

Political career

In December 2012, Yair Lapid named Lipman number 17 on the electoral list for Knesset of his new Yesh Atid party. The party won 19 seats in the January 2013 elections and Lipman was elected to Knesset, becoming its first American-born member in nearly 30 years. He renounced US citizenship to take the position, as Israeli law does not allow dual citizens to serve in the Knesset.

During the 19th Knesset, Lipman served on the Finance Committee, the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee, the Knesset House Committee and the special committee for the legislation drafting the Haredim into military and national service.  He chaired the Knesset task force to help Haredim enter the work force, the Knesset task force for dialogue between religious and secular, and held the party's portfolio for the environment, public health, and preventing the suffering of animals. Lipman also headed the Knesset's delegation to the parliaments of South Africa and England. He took part in diplomatic missions to South Africa (including attending Nelson Mandela's funeral), England, Germany, Hungary, and the United States.

Lipman was placed seventeenth on the Yesh Atid list for the 2015 elections, which saw him lose his seat as the party won only eleven seats. After the elections he continued his public work as the Chairman of Anglo and Diaspora Affairs for Yesh Atid. However, in May 2018, he left the party due to "personal reasons".

In June 2017 Lipman's son was attacked by a mob when he entered an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem dressed in his army fatigues.

He hosts a weekly radio show on Voice of Israel called "One Nation with Dov Lipman," serves as a political correspondent for i24news, and writes columns for The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel.

Lipman was appointed as the secretary-general of the World Confederation of United Zionists in 2020. However he was removed from his position after a dispute over harassment allegations from many years earlier appeared in the news, although he stated he had not been sacked, saying he had decided to step down as he was busy in helping Jews immigrating to Israel. In June 2021, Lipman established Yad L'Olim, and NGO which provides services for new immigrants, their families and global Jewry.

Views and opinions
Lipman advocates basic secular education for all schools in Israel wanting to receive government funding, increased employment opportunities for those among the Orthodox population who want to join the work force and some form of national service, be it military or social, for every citizen. He believes his task is to be "a conduit of tolerance and acceptance" between the Haredi and secular world.

In the wake of Lipman's argument that Haredi boys' schools in Israel should teach math and English, Rabbi Aharon Feldman, the dean of the rabbinical college Lipman attended, called him a "wicked apostate". Later, after receiving a letter from Lipman explaining his views, Rabbi Feldman retracted that statement, describing him as an "unintentional sinner".

In November 2014, rabbinic students who were visiting the Knesset were denied access to the Knesset Synagogue because they are not Orthodox. Lipman found himself serving as an intermediary between the group and the Knesset speaker's office during the ensuing back-and-forth. He said, "There's no doubt we need to work to find a solution to this problem, and I intend to address it with the speaker of the Knesset.  After all, I'm heavily invested in making sure all Jews feel at home in Israel and certainly in the Knesset. Personally, I have absolutely no problem with the same synagogue being used at different times by different groups." He also noted that a factor was that many Knesset workers are unfamiliar with non-Orthodox and American practices and would view "an egalitarian service in the synagogue as an affront".

Lipman has been very supportive of the Polish government and its history policy, which focuses on highlighting the story of Polish Righteous Among the Nations. He publicly expressed his appreciation for the Redemptorist priest Tadeusz Rydzyk, the founder of Poland's Radio Maryja, and was a keynote speaker at the Remembrance and Hope ceremony that Rydyzk organized in November 2017 in Torun. Writing in The Times of Israel after the event, Lipman stressed: "Today, with the love for Israel that exudes from the Polish leadership and citizenry, it is incumbent upon Israel to focus its attention on the Righteous Gentiles, especially those who were killed for their acts of heroism. We should teach their stories to our children, and delegations to Poland should not only visit the extermination camps but also such memorials as the one we saw in Torun."

Lipman was attacked for his support for Rydzyk in the Israeli media as the "useful idiot" of Rydzyk, but defended himself rejecting that accusation, arguing that he had "educated myself on all sides of the equation, and made a very deliberate decision in complete consonance with Israel's foreign affairs policy".

References

External links

1971 births
People from Silver Spring, Maryland
American Orthodox rabbis
American emigrants to Israel
Israeli Orthodox rabbis
Yesh Atid politicians
Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015)
Living people
Former United States citizens
People from Beit Shemesh
21st-century American rabbis

Dov Lipman


The Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin () was a state in the Weimar Republic that was established on 14 November 1918 upon the abdication of the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin following the German Revolution. In 1933, after the onset of Nazi rule, it was united with the smaller neighbouring Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz to form the new united state of Mecklenburg on 1 January 1934.

Government
The state parliament consisted of a landtag of a varying number of members but not fewer than 50, elected for a term of three years by universal suffrage. The state administration, headed by a Minister-President was responsible to the landtag and could be removed by a vote of no confidence. For most of the Weimar period, the state governments were headed by either a Social Democrat or a Nationalist. However, in the June 1932 landtag election, the Nazi Party became the largest party with 49% of the vote and a Nazi, Walter Granzow, became Minister-President on 13 July. Thus, Mecklenburg-Schwerin was one of only five states to have installed a Nazi-led government before the Nazis came to power nationally.

Following their seizure of power at the national level, the Nazi government enacted the "Second Law on the Coordination of the States with the Reich" that established more direct control over the states by means of the new powerful position of Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor). Friedrich Hildebrandt was installed in this post on 26 May 1933. By the end of the year, Hildebrandt, who was also Reichsstatthalter of the neighboring Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, moved to consolidate his domains and merged the two states into a new united state of Mecklenburg, effective 1 January 1934. And with that, the brief fifteen-year existence of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin passed into history.

Rulers of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

President of the State Ministry
Hugo Wendorff (DDP) 1918–1919

Minister-Presidents
Hugo Wendorff (DDP) 1919–1920
Hermann Reincke-Bloch (DVP) 1920–1921
Johannes Stelling (SPD) 1921–1924
Joachim Freiherr von Brandenstein (DNVP) 1924–1926
Paul Schröder (SPD) 1926–1929
Karl Eschenburg (Consortium of National Mecklenburgers) 1929–1932
Walter Granzow (NSDAP) 1932–1933
Hans Egon Engell (NSDAP) 1933

Reichsstatthalter
Friedrich Hildebrandt (NSDAP) 1933

See also
Mecklenburg-Schwerin Landtag elections in the Weimar Republic

References

External links
States of Germany since 1918

1918 establishments in Germany
1933 disestablishments in Germany
Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
States of the Weimar Republic

Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin


Howard P. Boyd  (November 2, 1914 – December 20, 2011) was an entomologist, botanist, editor, teacher, photographer, filmmaker, writer, and naturalist, best known for his close association with the Pine Barrens of New Jersey spanning more than 70 years.

Background

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1914, Boyd spent much of his early life on small farms in three suburban communities northeast of the city. An avid Boy Scout, by the time of his graduation from high school in Billerica, Massachusetts, in 1932, he had earned every nature merit badge in the Boy Scout Handbook.

He attended the University of New Hampshire for two years before transferring to Boston University, where he received a bachelor of science degree in biological sciences with an emphasis in botany (1938). A lifelong learner with a fascination for the biological and natural sciences, he later earned a master of science degree in entomology from the University of Delaware (1979).

Career
Shortly after his graduation from Boston University, Boyd went to work for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), moving with his wife, Doris (nee Fowler), to the Philadelphia area in 1938. He had his first exposure to the New Jersey Pine Barrens through numerous insect collecting trips in the fall of that year. In 1969, after 31 years as an executive with BSA, he retired, at which time he became increasingly active in his two primary areas of interest: the Pine Barrens and entomology.

Following his retirement, Boyd became prolific as an educator, conservationist, and writer. With Doris as photographer, from 1966–1976 the Boyds produced and presented films through the National Audubon Society Wildlife Film Tours. From 1970-1990, he was an instructor at the Conservation and Environmental Studies Center (now known as the Pinelands Institute for Natural and Environmental Studies) at historic Whitesbog Village, then sponsored by Glassboro State College. In the late 1980s and early '90s, he was an adjunct instructor at the college, developing and teaching a course on the ecology of the Pine Barrens. He was a lecturer on Pine Barrens ecology for both Burlington County College (1990s) and the Pinelands Teacher Institute run by Pinelands Preservation Alliance (PPA; late 1990s to early 2000s). He was renowned and sought after for his workshops and field trips focusing on diverse aspects of Pine Barrens biology, ecology, and conservation.

Boyd's reputation as an educator and conservationist was closely tied to his work as a scientist and researcher. Beginning in 1974, he spent nearly 30 years as the editor of the serial scientific publication, Entomological News, published by the American Entomological Society (AES), and he served as president of the AES from 1977–1981. For much of his adult life he was considered one of the U.S.'s leading experts on tiger beetles, a significant focus of his entomological research. He served as vice president and executive board member of the New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) from 1975–1983, and as chair of NJAS's Advisory Committee for the Rancocas Nature Center, which he helped establish, from 1977–1980. He was president of the Burlington County Natural Sciences Club from 1988–1990. Beginning in 1989 he served as a trustee of PPA.

In 1980, Boyd was presented with the Paul S. Battersby Award by the Audubon Wildlife Society. In 1989, he was presented with the Silver Beaver Award by the Camden County Council, BSA. In 2002, he was presented with the Medal of the Garden Club of New Jersey (GCNJ), the organization's highest honor. In 2004, he was one of two premiere inductees into the Pine Barrens Hall of Fame, established by PPA to honor heroes of Pine Barrens protection. In 2009 he was honored for his leadership in New Jersey Pinelands conservation and education at the 4th annual Lines in the Pines symposium.

Howard and Doris Boyd, who predeceased him in 2009 at age 94, were married for over 70 years and were survived by two children, five grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. The couple were longtime residents of Tabernacle, New Jersey, Burlington County, within the Protection Area of the Pinelands National Reserve. At the time of his death at age 97, on December 20, 2011, Howard P. Boyd was celebrated for his influential work in educating the public on the importance of protecting the New Jersey Pine Barrens from the dangers of human development.

Books by Howard P. Boyd
Boyd was the author of four books about the New Jersey Pine Barrens. His first book, A Field Guide to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey: Its Flora, Fauna, Ecology and Historic Sites (Plexus Publishing, Inc., 1991), with illustrations by Mary Pat Finelli, is currently in its sixth printing and is recognized as the most authoritative and widely referenced field guide to New Jersey Pinelands flora and fauna.

His other books are A Pine Barrens Odyssey: A Naturalist's Year in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (Plexus, 1997), Wildflowers of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (Plexus, 2001), and The Ecological Pine Barrens of New Jersey: An Ecosystem Threatened by Fragmentation (Plexus, 2008). The impact of Boyd's books in raising awareness of the New Jersey Pine Barrens ecosystem both regionally and nationally has been significant.

A Field Guide to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey: Its Flora, Fauna, Ecology and Historic Sites (1991)
A Pine Barrens Odyssey: A Naturalist's Year in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (1997)
Wildflowers of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey (2001)
The Ecological Pine Barrens of New Jersey: An Ecosystem Threatened by Fragmentation (2008) Hardback:  Softback:

Articles and scientific papers by Howard P. Boyd

Collecting Tiger Beetles in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Cicindela 5(1): 1-12; 3/1973

Stalking the "Tigers" of the Delaware Valley. Frontiers 37(3):  12-17; 4/1973

Overlapping Ranges of Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis and C. d. media. with notes on the Calvert Cliffs area, Maryland.  Cicindela 7(3):  55-60; 9/1975

A Bird Lore Primer. Scouting 64(2):  26-27, 56-58; 3/4/76

Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera:  Cicindelidae) of New Jersey, with special reference to their Ecological Relationships. Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 104(2): 191-242; 8/1978

Flying Tigers. New Jersey Audubon 5(1): 11-14; W/1979

Insect Calendar.  New Jersey Audubon 5(1): 21; W/1979

Insect Calendar.  New Jersey Audubon 5(2):  18; Sp/1979

Insect Calendar.  New Jersey Audubon 5(3): 22; Su/1979

Insect Calendar.  New Jersey Audubon 5(4): 21; A/1979

Arthropods of the (N.J.) Pine Barrens (with P.E. Marucci). In:  Forman, R.T.T. (ed.), Pine Barrens Ecosystem and Landscape. Chap. 29, pp. 505–525. Academic Press; Sp/1979

Intraspecific and Geographic Variations in Cicindela dorsalis Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) (with R.W. Rust). Coleop. Bull. 36(2): 221-239; 6/1982

Annotated Checklist of Cicindelidae. The Tiger Beetles of North and Central America and the West Indies (with Assoc's). Plexus Publishing, Inc., 31 pp.; 3/1982

Library of The American Entomological Society and a Brief Review of the Society's Association with The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Entomol. News 95(4): 131-136; 9/10/84

Pitfall Trapping Cicindelidae (Coleoptera) and Abundance of Megacephala virginica and Cicindela unipunctata in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.  Entomol. News 96(3): 105-108; 5/6/85

The Birth of "Entomological News" and a Century of Editors. Entomol. News 100(5): 207-211; 11/12/89

Twenty Year Index to the Quarterly Journal, "Cicindela" Vols. 1-20. 1969-1988; 2/1990

Arthropods Taken in Pitfall Traps in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Entomol. News 106(1): 45-56; 1/1995

Re-establishing the Validity of Cicindela scutellaris (Coleoptera:  Cicindelidae). Entomol. News 111(3): 224-226; 5/2000

References

External links
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Howard P. Boyd - The Piney
The Pinelands National Reserve

Pine Barrens (New Jersey)
Audubon movement
American ecologists
1914 births
2011 deaths
People from Billerica, Massachusetts
People from Tabernacle Township, New Jersey
University of Delaware alumni
20th-century American writers

Howard P. Boyd


Alfie is a 2004 American romantic comedy-drama film inspired by the 1966 British film of the same name and its 1975 sequel, starring Jude Law as the title character, originally played by Michael Caine in the 1966 film and Alan Price in the 1975 sequel. The film was co-written, directed, and produced by Charles Shyer.

Plot
Alfie Elkins is a Cockney limo driver in Manhattan. A sex addict, he regularly beds women on one-night stands. In addition, he maintains a casual relationship with single mother Julie, his "semi-regular-quasi-sort-of-girlfriend thing", and unhappily married Dorie. Once Dorie wants more than casual sex, he stops calling.

Alfie and his coworker and best friend Marlon want to open a company together, but Marlon needs to get back with his ex, Lonette. When Alfie goes to put in a good word for him, he finds her at her bar. But after getting drunk, they have sex. Alfie meets Marlon the next day, terrified he knows about it, but is relieved when Marlon says he and Lonette got back together and are getting married.

When Alfie goes to Julie's for a booty call, she throws him out, confronting him as she had discovered Dorie's panties in her rubbish bin—he had discarded them after finding them in his pocket. Intending to reconcile with her at her son's birthday, Alfie sees Julie has returned to her estranged husband. He later discovers Lonette is pregnant with his child, and (without telling Marlon) they go to a clinic for an abortion. Soon afterward, Marlon and Lonette unexpectedly move upstate, without saying goodbye.

Following repeated failures to achieve an erection, Alfie sees a doctor, who tells him he is perfectly healthy, and his impotence is due to stress. However, he finds a lump on Alfie's penis. They immediately run a test at the clinic and he spends a few anxious days awaiting the results. On a trip to the hospital, Alfie meets Joe, a widower, in the bathroom. Joe gives life advice to the depressed Alfie: "Find somebody to love, and live every day like it's your last". Soon afterward, Alfie finds out he's cancer-free.

Believing he's been given a second chance, Alfie decides to "aim higher" in his love life. He meets Nikki, a beautiful but unstable woman, and they quickly embark on a passionate, turbulent relationship. Moving in together, Alfie finds it hard to put up with her mood swings, especially after she goes off her medication. Distancing himself, he focuses on an older woman, Liz. A sultry cosmetics mogul, she inspires him to "aim higher". He becomes infatuated, but she wants to keep it strictly sexual. Alfie then ends it with Nikki.

Running into Julie in a coffee shop, Alfie realizes he has feelings for her; however, she's now with someone else. On a trip upstate to visit Marlon and his now-wife, Lonette, she reveals she never had the abortion, and, Marlon knows Alfie is the father, but nonetheless decided to stay. Upon seeing Marlon with hurt in his eyes, Alfie visits Joe, who tells him to get his life together. Alfie turns to Liz for comfort but is crushed that she has an even younger man in her life.

Alfie has a chance meeting with Dorie late one night. As he tries to get back into her life, she wants no part of him. Apologizing for not calling, he admits he has trouble expressing himself, running from relationships when they become too serious. She wishes him luck. The film ends with Alfie talking about genuinely changing his ways.

Cast

A black and white photograph of Michael Caine representing Alfie Elkins Sr. appears during the film's credits.

Production

The film was shot throughout England, mostly locations doubling for New York City, along with on-set shooting in Manhattan.
 Liverpool, England
 Manchester, England
 Port of Tilbury, England (some dock scenes)
 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, US
 Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Manhattan, New York City, US

Music

The music score was composed by Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart and John Powell, featuring 13 original songs and a remake of the original 1966 title song. Further songs are by Wyclef Jean and The Isley Brothers.

For the song "Old Habits Die Hard", Jagger and Stewart won the BFCA Award, the Golden Globe, a Sierra Award and the World Soundtrack Award.

Reception

Box office
Alfie grossed $13,399,812 in the US and $21,750,734 in other countries for a worldwide total of $35,150,546 on a $60 million budget. The film opened on November 5, 2004 in the United States and grossed $2,206,738 on the first day. That weekend, the film was #5 in the box office with $6,218,335 behind The Incredibles opening weekend, Rays second, The Grudges third, and Saws second. When compared to its $60 million budget, Alfie was a box office bomb.

Critical reception
Alfie received mixed reviews. Based on 155 reviews collected by the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 48% of critics gave Alfie a positive review, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's consensus states: "This unnecessary remake wants Alfie to have his cake and eat it, too, but a lack of sexual fizz and a sour performance by Jude Law conspire to deliver audiences a romantic comedy that isn't romantic or funny."

Todd McCarthy from Variety  describes the film as  "a breezy, sexy romp with a conscience that reflects in obvious but interesting ways on societal changes over the intervening 38 years."

Roger Ebert enjoyed the film, praising Law's performance and saying that "on its own terms, it's funny at times and finally sad and sweet."

Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B−", praising the actresses and Law, but also noting "Jude Law would appear to have all the attributes of a movie star: looks, humor, rogue charm. Yet there's one he could use more of — an anger that might ignite his smooth presence."

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times states:

Unlike the 1966 British film on which it is based, with its abrasive star-making turn from Michael Caine, the new Alfie doesn't chase social significance - it just wants us to have a good time. The story's observations about male behavior aren't earth shattering...but what gives it its kick is how Alfie takes the film audience into his confidence. In both films, the character talks directly into the camera, a disarming strategy that brings us closer to this serial seducer than we might want. Playing narrator turns Alfie into a tour guide and something of his own defense attorney; it also means he has to enrapture the audience along with his conquests.

References

 Original Literary Source: Bill Naughton, Alfie, (London, UK), ,

External links

2004 films
2004 romantic comedy-drama films
2000s English-language films
2000s sex comedy films
American films based on plays
American remakes of British films
American romantic comedy-drama films
American sex comedy films
British films based on plays
British romantic comedy-drama films
British sex comedy films
Casual sex in films
Films about abortion
Films about adultery in the United States
Films about narcissism
Films directed by Charles Shyer
Films scored by John Powell
Films set in New York City
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films shot in Essex
Films shot in Greater Manchester
Films shot in Merseyside
Films shot in New York City
Films with screenplays by Charles Shyer
Paramount Pictures films
2000s American films
2000s British films

Alfie (2004 film)


WCCT-TV (channel 20), branded on-air as CW 20, is a television station licensed to Waterbury, Connecticut, United States, serving the Hartford–New Haven market as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Hartford-licensed Fox affiliate WTIC-TV (channel 61). Both stations share studios on Broad Street in downtown Hartford, while WCCT-TV's transmitter is located on Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington, Connecticut.

Established in 1953 as WATR-TV, a television station for the Waterbury area, the station changed to a regional independent in 1982, becoming Connecticut's UPN affiliate in 1995 and switching to The WB in 2001. It has been managed by WTIC-TV since 1998.

History

WATR (1953–1966)
The station commenced operations on September 10, 1953, as WATR-TV on channel 53, the second UHF station in Connecticut. It was owned by the Thomas and Gilmore families, along with WATR radio (1320 AM). The station's studios and transmitter were located on West Peak in Meriden. At the time, the station's signal only covered Waterbury, New Haven and the southern portion of the state.

WATR-TV was originally a dual secondary affiliate of both DuMont and ABC, sharing them with New Haven-based WNHC-TV (channel 8, now WTNH). DuMont ceased operations in 1956, and shortly afterward, WNHC-TV became an exclusive ABC affiliate, as did WATR-TV. Both stations carried ABC programming through Connecticut.

In 1962, the station relocated to UHF channel 20 and moved to a new studio and transmitter site in Prospect, south of Waterbury. Channel 53 was later occupied by WEDN, Connecticut Public Television's outlet in Norwich.

NBC affiliate (1966–1982)
In August 1966, WATR-TV joined NBC. At the time, the network's primary affiliate in Connecticut, WHNB-TV (channel 30) in New Britain, was hampered by a weak signal in New Haven and the southwestern portions of the state. In the 1970s, the station offered limited local news and instead aired older syndicated programs and religious shows such as The PTL Club when NBC programs were not offered. A notable local production was Journeys to the Mind, a half-hour talk show with host Joel Dobbin, which approached topics of the occult with a serious and sober tone. Journeys ran from 1976 to 1981.

The original Viacom bought WHNB-TV in 1978 and changed its call letters to WVIT. Two years later, after WVIT more than doubled its transmission power to cover New Haven, it became clear that WATR-TV's NBC affiliation was now in jeopardy. In 1981, the Thomas/Gilmore interests opted to sell channel 20 to a joint venture of Odyssey Television Partners (later to become Renaissance Broadcasting) and Oppenheimer and Company. The sale was announced in May 1981 and gained FCC approval that December.

WTXX: independent (1982–1995)
The new owners of channel 20 ultimately opted to drop NBC and convert the station into an independent outlet (though NBC was considering ending its affiliation in any event). NBC programming aired on channel 20 for the last time on April 10, 1982. On the next day (Easter Sunday), the station stayed off the air, preparing to relaunch as an independent. On April 12—two days after the NBC affiliation ended—channel 20 returned to the air as WTXX (for "Television XX", with "XX" referring to 20 in Roman numerals), and subsequently became Connecticut's first full-service independent station since Hartford's WHCT-TV (channel 18, now Univision affiliate WUVN) served as an independent from 1957 to 1975. Soon after taking over, Odyssey replaced channel 20's tiny  tower with a more powerful transmitter that more than doubled its signal and gave it a coverage area comparable with the major network stations in the state. It was a typical general entertainment independent, carrying off-network series, movies, and cartoons presented by the local children's show Kidstime with T.X. Critter, a puppet created by and puppeteered by Paul Fusco who later created ALF. WTXX also carried some sports, most notably New York Mets telecasts from WOR-TV in New York City (now WWOR-TV in Secaucus, New Jersey) and Boston Celtics telecasts from WLVI-TV in Boston. WTXX prospered in its new status, and continued to do so even after WTIC-TV signed on in 1984. WTXX bid for the Fox affiliation two years later, but lost out to WTIC-TV. Channel 20's transmitter was located further south than the other major Connecticut stations, resulting in a significant overlap with Fox flagship WNYW. Fox opted to affiliate with WTIC-TV, which did not have as large an overlap.

In October 1992, Renaissance Broadcasting sold WTXX to Counterpoint Communications, a non-profit media firm with close ties to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. Renaissance had recently acquired several stations, including WTIC-TV, from Chase Broadcasting, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations of the time did not allow common ownership of two stations in the same market. However, Renaissance retained the rights to all the programming it bought for WTXX. WTIC-TV wanted to establish a full-time local marketing agreement (LMA) with WTXX, which basically amounted to channel 20 being programmed by its main competitor. Counterpoint balked, wanting only a part-time agreement. Renaissance then moved some of WTXX's stronger shows to WTIC-TV, leaving the station with a considerably weakened schedule.

Duopolies and new networks (1995–2006)
Renaissance's sale of WTXX to Counterpoint, and Renaissance's subsequent acquisition of WTIC-TV, became official in March 1993. Under the terms of the sale to Counterpoint, WTXX retained few syndicated programs and some movies, and began airing programming from the Home Shopping Network (HSN) for 15 hours a day (including daytime and prime time). In addition, channel 20 would air a daily Catholic Mass, along with other Catholic religious programs, for one hour per day. While trying to negotiate an LMA, WTXX continued to run some Renaissance-owned programming daily from 3 to 7 p.m. free of charge. These shows were the Disney Afternoon cartoon block, double runs of The Cosby Show and Growing Pains on weekdays, and some hour-long first-run syndicated dramas on weekends. Renaissance sold the ad time for the slot and WTXX paid nothing to run the programming during these hours. That July, after negotiations with WTIC collapsed, WTXX entered into a lease agreement with Viacom-owned WVIT, which would provide 27  hours a week of its programs. Its schedule now included cartoons and children's programs during the morning and afternoon hours, and syndicated shows whose local rights were owned by WVIT during the early evenings. Most of the cartoons were shows WTXX previously had on a barter basis that WTIC couldn't fit on its schedule. The Disney Afternoon and other syndicated shows previously on WTXX moved to WTIC or stopped airing in the market. HSN programming remained during middays, prime time, and the overnight hours.

WTXX became Connecticut's UPN affiliate on April 3, 1995; for the 2½ months prior to that, Hartford viewers who wanted to watch UPN programming had to view it on cable, by way of WSBK-TV from Boston; viewers in Fairfield County were able to watch UPN programming over-the-air and on cable via WWOR-TV. This was due in part that Viacom, who operated the station through a LMA with WVIT, owned a minority interest in UPN. Initially, it continued to run Home Shopping Network in prime time on nights without UPN programming. By spring 1996, the station expanded its LMA with WVIT to cover the entire day, except for overnights and the hours when the Catholic Mass aired. By this point, WTXX upgraded its syndicated programming, and HSN was relegated to overnights before being dropped completely.

In 1998, WVIT was sold to NBC, and WTIC (now owned by Tribune Broadcasting) replaced WVIT as WTXX's LMA partner. As part of the deal, some of the shows previously owned by WVIT were kept by WTXX and WTIC. The LMA change caused no impact on WTXX's daily broadcasts of the Catholic Mass, which continues to the present day. Around this time, the station changed its on-air name from "UPN 20" to "Connecticut's 20". It also picked up Boston Red Sox baseball games; the station's feed (with the "Connecticut's 20" bug) was carried during Red Sox highlights airing on ESPN for much of the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 1999, WTXX and WTIC consolidated their operations in a new facility at One Corporate Center on Church Street in Downtown Hartford.

On January 1, 2001, WTXX and WBNE (channel 59, now WCTX) swapped affiliations, with WTXX joining The WB and rebranding as "Connecticut's WB". This was due to in fact that the Tribune Company had a minority interest in The WB. Later that year, Tribune purchased WTXX outright, creating a duopoly with WTIC. Tribune, having already received a temporary waiver from FCC rules barring common ownership of a newspaper and a television station in the same area when it purchased the Hartford Courant a year earlier, received an additional waiver for its purchase of WTXX. Tribune had been seeking a waiver in anticipation of the FCC relaxing its rules to allow such media combinations to exist with the agency's blessing, which would include television duopolies. In March 2005, the FCC requested that Tribune sell WTXX to a new owner, but did not raise any additional pressure outside the request to force a sale or threaten a license forfeiture. In late 2007, the FCC loosened its restrictions on newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership perhaps creating an opening for Tribune (which was purchased by investor Sam Zell in December 2007) to retain WTXX without a waiver.

CW affiliate (2006–present)
On January 24, 2006, Time Warner announced that the company would merge the operations of The WB with CBS Corporation's UPN (which CBS acquired one month earlier in December 2005 following its split from Viacom), to form a 50/50 joint venture called The CW Television Network. The network signed a ten-year affiliation agreement with Tribune Broadcasting for 16 of the 19 WB affiliates that the company owned at the time, including WTXX.

In August 2008, the station changed its branding from "CW 20" to "txx" in a corporate effort by Tribune to strengthen its CW affiliates' local identities and reduce the dependence on the use of network branding. In June 2009, after 56 years of transmitting from various locations in New Haven County, WTXX shut down its analog transmitter in Prospect, solely utilizing WTIC-TV's tower in Farmington for its full launch into the digital age.

In July 2010, the station changed its branding again to "The CT" with "The CT is the place 2B" slogan; to go along with this branding, the station changed its call letters to WCCT-TV on June 18. In March 2012, the station changed its logo and began to use its calls, WCCT-TV, as its branding, though the station remains a CW affiliate. In August 2018, WCCT-TV returned to the "CW 20" branding.

Tribune announced plans on July 10, 2013, to spin off its publishing division into a separate company, with the split finalized in 2014. WTIC-TV and WCCT-TV remained with the Tribune Company (which also retained all non-publishing assets, including the broadcasting, digital media and Media Services units), while its newspapers (including the Hartford Courant) became part of the similarly named Tribune Publishing Company.

Sinclair Broadcast Group announced it had agreed to purchase Tribune Media on May 8, 2017, for $3.9 billion. Tribune Media terminated the Sinclair deal on August 9, 2018, and filed a breach of contract lawsuit, nullifying the transaction; this followed a vote by the FCC to put the transactions up for a formal hearing and a public rejection of the merger by commission chairman Ajit Pai.

Tegna ownership
After the collapse of the Sinclair deal, Tribune agreed to sell itself to Nexstar Media Group for $6.4 billion. Nexstar already owned two stations in Connecticut—New Haven-based ABC affiliate WTNH and WCTX—requiring that it divest either the New Haven stations or WCCT-TV and WTIC-TV. Tegna Inc. agreed to purchase WCCT-TV and WTIC-TV from Nexstar on March 20, 2019, upon consummation of the merger, marking Tegna's entry into the state and southern New England. The sale of WCCT-TV and WTIC-TV was part of a larger series of deals involving nineteen Nexstar- and Tribune-operated stations to Tegna and the E. W. Scripps Company worth a combined $1.32 billion. The sale was completed on September 19, 2019.

Programming

Newscasts
In July 1993, WTXX debuted a nightly 10 p.m. newscast produced by NBC station WVIT, called Connecticut News Live at 10. The news team consisted of WVIT's evening news team (anchors Gerry Brooks and Joanne Nesti, weather from Brad Field, Beasley Reece with sports), along with reporters from WVIT. In 1998, when WTIC replaced WVIT as WTXX's LMA partner, the WVIT-produced broadcasts were replaced with a simulcast of the first half-hour of WTIC's nightly 10 p.m. newscast; on April 24, 2006, the station began simulcasting the entire newscast; if Fox sports programming kept the newscast from starting on time on channel 61, it was aired on WTXX under the title News at Ten.

On December 12, 2009, WTIC, WCCT (then WTXX), and the Hartford Courant moved into new combined newsroom facilities in downtown Hartford, and WTIC rebranded from Fox 61 to Fox CT (a transition completed in July 2010); in addition, WTIC became the second station in the market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition. The news simulcasts on WCCT were included in the transition.

In June 2010, the station ended the simulcast of WTIC's 10 p.m. newscast. It now airs a rebroadcast of WTIC's 11 p.m. newscast at 1 a.m., while the 10 p.m. newscast is re-aired on weekends; these rebroadcasts include a sports highlight program called Xfinity Sports Desk at 1:45 a.m. on early Sunday and Monday mornings. Originally, this was not simulcast on WTXX but has since been added (the 10 p.m. newscast continues to be shown live on WCCT, if it is preempted on WTIC due to sports programming overruns). The station also carries the 8 a.m. hour of WTIC's morning newscast (a previous simulcast of Fox 61 Morning News had aired at one point, but was later dropped). WTIC also produces a weekly public affairs show called The Real Story, which airs Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. with a repeat on WCCT at 11 a.m.

Other than simulcasts and default carriage of WTIC's newscasts in the event of Fox Sports programming delays, WCCT does not carry traditional local newscasts produced specifically for the station; as such, the station was one of only two Tribune-owned stations not carrying their own daily newscasts (alongside WNOL/New Orleans).

Sports programming
WCCT holds the local broadcast television rights to the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. Prior to airing Sun games, the station held the over-the-air broadcast rights to the NHL's Hartford Whalers.

Technical information

Subchannels
WCCT-TV provides four subchannels, which are carried on the multiplexed digital signals of other Hartford–New Haven television stations:

ATSC 3.0 lighthouse service
In 2021, WCCT-TV began serving as the ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) lighthouse for Connecticut broadcasters with all subchannels on UHF 33.

Analog-to-digital conversion
WCCT-TV (as WTXX) shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 20, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition VHF channel 12 to UHF channel 20 for post-transition operations. The digital signal's change in channel location was necessary to avoid interference with PBS member WHYY-TV in Wilmington, Delaware.

References

External links
 WCCT-TV website

Waterbury, Connecticut
CCT-TV
The CW affiliates
Grit (TV network) affiliates
Comet (TV network) affiliates
Quest (American TV network) affiliates
Tegna Inc.
Television channels and stations established in 1953
1953 establishments in Connecticut
ATSC 3.0 television stations

WCCT-TV


The first-move advantage in chess is the advantage of the player (White) who makes the first move in chess. Statistics of results on chess databases include almost all published games since 1851. In all forms of statistics, White scores better than Black for the main four opening moves 1.e4, 1.d4, 1.c4 and 1.Nf3.

White's overall winning percentage is calculated by taking the percentage of games won by White plus half the percentage of drawn games. Thus, if out of 100 games White wins 40, draws 32, and loses 28, White's total winning percentage is 40 plus half of 32, i.e. 56 percent. It is about the same for tournament games between humans and games between computers. White's advantage is less significant in rapid games or novice games.

Since about 1889, when World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz addressed this issue, the overwhelming consensus has been that a perfectly played game would end in a draw.

Winning percentages

Recent sources indicate that White scores about 54 to 56 percent. In 2005, GM Jonathan Rowson wrote that "the conventional wisdom is that White begins the game with a small advantage and, holding all other factors constant, scores approximately 56% to Black's 44%".p193 International Master (IM) John Watson wrote in 1998 that White had scored 56% for most of the 20th century, but that this figure had recently slipped to 55%.p231 The website ChessGames.com holds regularly updated statistics on its games database. On March 17, 2008 the database contained
460,703 games. White won 36.81%, 36.50% were drawn, and Black won 26.69%, resulting in a total White winning percentage of 55.06%.

New In Chess observed in its 2000 Yearbook that of the 731,740 games in its database, White scored 54.8% overall; with the two most popular opening moves, White scored 54.1% in 349,855 games beginning 1.e4, and 56.1% in 296,200 games beginning 1.d4. The main reason that 1.e4 was less effective than 1.d4 was the Sicilian defence (1.e4 c5), which gave White only a 52.3% score in 145,996 games.

Chess Engines Grand Tournament (CEGT) tests computer chess engines by playing them against each other, with time controls of forty moves in one hundred and twenty minutes per player (40/120), and also 40/20 and 40/4, and uses the results of those games to compile a rating list for each time control. At the slowest time control (40/120), White has scored 55.4% (W34.7 D41.3 L24.0) in games played among 38 of the strongest chess engines (as of May 27, 2009). At 40/20, White has scored 54.6% (W37.0 D35.2 L27.8) in games played among 284 engines (as of May 24, 2009). At the fastest time control (40/4), White has scored 54.8% (W39.6 D30.5 L30.0), in games played among 128 programs (as of May 28, 2009).

Drawn with best play

Joseph Bertin wrote in his 1735 textbook The Noble Game of Chess, "He that plays first, is understood to have the attack". This is consistent with the traditional view that White, by virtue of the first move, begins with the initiative and should try to extend it into the middlegame, while Black should strive to neutralize White's initiative and attain equality.p89 Because White begins with the initiative, a minor mistake by White generally leads only to loss of the initiative, while a similar mistake by Black may have more serious consequences. Thus, Sveshnikov wrote in 1994, "Black players cannot afford to make even the slightest mistake ... from a theoretical point of view, the tasks of White and Black in chess are different: White has to strive for a win, Black  for a draw!"

The view that a game of chess should end in a draw given best play prevails. Even if it cannot be proved, this assumption is considered "safe" by Rowson and "logical" by Adorján. Watson agrees that "the proper result of a perfectly played chess game ... is a draw. ... Of course, I can't prove this, but I doubt that you can find a single strong player who would disagree. ... I remember Kasparov, after a last-round draw, explaining to the waiting reporters: 'Well, chess is a draw' ". World Champion Bobby Fischer thought that was almost definitely so.

Dynamism
Modern writers often think of Black's role in more dynamic terms than merely trying to equalize. Rowson writes that "the idea of Black trying to 'equalize' is questionable. I think it has limited application to a few openings, rather than being an opening prescription for Black in general".p227 Evans wrote that after one of his games against Fischer, "Fischer confided his 'secret' to me: unlike other masters, he sought to win with the black pieces from the start. The revelation that Black has dynamic chances and need not be satisfied with mere equality was the turning point in his career, he said".p91 Watson surmised that Kasparov, when playing black, bypasses the question of whether White has an opening advantage "by thinking in terms of the concrete nature of the dynamic imbalance on the board, and seeking to seize the initiative whenever possible".p231 Watson observes that "energetic opening play by Black may ... lead to a position so complex and unclear that to speak of equality is meaningless. Sometimes we say 'dynamically balanced' instead of 'equal' to express the view that either player is as likely as the other to emerge from complications with an advantage. This style of opening play has become prevalent in modern chess, with World Champions Fischer and Kasparov as its most visible practitioners".

Modern writers also question the idea that White has an enduring advantage. Suba, in his influential 1991 book Dynamic Chess Strategy, rejects the notion that the initiative can always be transformed into an enduring advantage. He contends that sometimes the player with the initiative loses it with no logical explanation, and that, "Sometimes you must lose it, just like that. If you try to cling to it, by forcing the issue, your dynamic potential will become exhausted and you won't be able to face a vigorous counter-attack". Rowson and Watson concur. p219p239 Watson also observes, "Because of the presumption of White being better, the juncture of the game at which Black frees his game or neutralizes White's plans has often been automatically assumed to give him equality, even though in dynamic openings, the exhaustion of White's initiative very often means that Black has seized it with advantage".p232

Tournament and match play
In chess tournaments and matches, the frequency with which each player receives white and black is an important consideration. In matches, the players' colours in the first game are determined by drawing lots, and alternated thereafter. p11 In All-play-all round robin tournaments with an even number of players, each receives one extra white or black. The double-round robin tournament is considered to give the most reliable final standings, since each player receives the same number of whites and blacks, and plays both white and black against each opponent.p56

In Swiss system tournaments, the tournament director tries to ensure that each player receives, as nearly as possible, the same number of games as white and black, and that the player's colour alternates from round to round.

References

Chess

First-move advantage


Adam Ford is a British-born archaeologist who has worked in United Kingdom, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Australia. He was host of the ABC television documentary Who's Been Sleeping in My House?.

Ford obtained qualifications at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He is director of the consulting firm DIG International and has undertaken a number of large archaeological investigations including that of the Panopticon and exercise yards at Pentridge Prison, Coburg, Victoria, and the site of Ned Kelly siege at Glenrowan, Victoria.

References

External links

Australian archaeologists
Living people
English archaeologists
Alumni of the UCL Institute of Archaeology
Date of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)

Adam Ford


was a network prime-time television jidaigeki series in Japan from 1991 to 1994. It starred Teruhiko Saigō.

The series began in 1991 in the 9:00 p.m. time slot on the TV Tokyo network. Saigō created the role of Tōdō Heihachirō. The character was a , a law-enforcement official of the Tokugawa shogunate, with broad jurisdiction over the Kantō region surrounding the shogunal capital at Edo. A common alternative name for the post was Hasshū-mawari, alluding to the eight provinces (hasshū) of the region; the title incorporates this name. He traveled incognito, investigating the places he visited, and donned white costume for the finale, where he killed all the wrongdoers.

The cast included many other widely known entertainers. Jun'ichi Nitta had a repeating role as a doctor on Abarenbō Shōgun and appeared in Ultraman Dyna, Mito Kōmon, the NHK Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune, Chōshichirō Edo Nikki and other television series. Yōko Natsuki was a regular member of the original cast of Abarenbō Shōgun. Beat Kiyoshi is an owarai comic, formerly partner of Beat Takeshi. Tetsuo Kurata is known for his role in Kamen Rider Black and other tokusatsu productions. Daijirō Tsutsumi has risen to prominence in guest roles, and has had other regular parts. He joined the fire-fighting company as a bookkeeper in Abarenbō Shōgun, and portrays shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi on Mito Kōmon. Reiko Takashima has starred in many jidaigeki and present-day series. Raita Ryū, who played the bounty-hunter Yamasaki Tetsunosuke, has dozens of supporting and guest-star roles to his credit. Among them are Amari Torayasu in the 2007 taiga drama Fūrin Kazan.

The series was produced by TV Tokyo and Union Motion Picture. Shunsuke Kikuchi wrote the music for the show, and Saigō sang the theme songs.

The series has been rebroadcast many times. The first series of Abare Hasshū Goyō Tabi is available on DVD. The Jidaigeki Channel distributed it via satellite and cable in September 2008.

The production was in color. Episodes lasted 45 minutes within the time slot. TV Tokyo regularly broadcasts jidaigeki in the Friday 9:00–9:54 time slot.

Cast
 Teruhiko Saigō as Tōdō Heihachirō
 Raita Ryū as Tetsunosuke Yamazaki
 Yōko Natsuki as Sayuri
 Miyuki Kanō
 Junichi Nitta
 Reiko Takashima
 Umenosuke Nakamura as Mizuno Tadakuni

References

Jidaigeki television series
Jidaigeki

Abare Hasshū Goyō Tabi


Alan Richard Lloyd (22 February 1927 – 12 April 2018) was an English writer.  He is most famous for his Kine Saga fantasy books for teenagers.  He also wrote adult fiction and non-fiction, most notably on the history of the British monarchy.  His adult work is published under the name Alan Lloyd whilst children's work is published under A.R. Lloyd

Career
Lloyd was born in London, and studied drawing and painting at the Kingston School of Art before being called up to the army in 1945.  He started his writing career at the Jersey Evening Post and worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a full-time writer in 1962.  His first book, published by Longmans in 1964 was The Drums of Kumasi a non fiction account of the Ashanti Wars.  This was followed in 1966 by The Year of the Conqueror (published as The Making of the King 1066 in the USA), a study of the events and people leading up to the Norman invasion of England in 1066.  Further non-fiction work followed on the history of Spain, George III, King John and the Zulu War.  His first fiction work, The Eighteenth Concubine was published in 1972, and Kine, the first of his Kine Saga novels was published in 1982.

Personal life
Lloyd was married with one son.  He is currently published by HarperCollins.

He died on 12 April 2018 at the age of 91.

Works

 The Year of the Conqueror, London, England: Longman, 1966.
 Marathon: The Crucial Battle that Created Western Democracy, Great Britain: Souvenir Press, 1973.
 Kine (aka Marshworld) (as A.R. Lloyd), Great Britain: Hamlyn, 1982.
 The Last Otter (as A.R. Lloyd), Great Britain: Hutchinson & Co., 1984.
 The Farm Dog (as A.R. Lloyd), Great Britain: Arrow, 1986.
 Witchwood : Kine Saga Volume 2, Great Britain: Muller, 1989.
 Dragon Pond : Kine Saga Volume 3, Great Britain: Muller, 1990.
 Wingfoot (as A.R. Lloyd), London, England: Harper Collins, 1993.

References

External links

1927 births
2018 deaths
British journalists
British writers
Writers from London

Alan Lloyd


Rudolf Hesso of Baden-Baden (c. 1290 – 17 August 1335) was a son of Hesso, Margrave of Baden-Baden and his wife, Adelaide of Rieneck.  He succeeded his father as Margrave of Baden-Baden in 1297, and ruled jointly with his uncle, Rudolf III.  From 1332 to 1335, he ruled alone.

He married Joanna of Burgundy, Lady of Héricourt, a daughter of Reginald of Burgundy and widow of Count Ulrich II of Pfirt.

Rudolf Hesso and Joanna had two daughters:
 Margareta (d. 1367), married Frederick III, Margrave of Baden-Baden (d. 1353)
 Adelheid (d. after 1399), married in 1345 Rudolf V, Margrave of Baden-Pforzheim (d. 1361) and secondly Walram IV, Count of Tierstein (d. 1386).

Rudolph Hesso died in 1335.  As he had no male heirs, Baden-Baden was inherited after his death by his cousin, Rudolf IV, Margrave of Baden-Pforzheim.

House of Zähringen
Margraves of Baden
Year of birth unknown
1335 deaths
14th-century German nobility
Year of birth uncertain
1290 births

Rudolf Hesso, Margrave of Baden-Baden


The National Legislative Assembly of Thailand (, ) was an appointed body, acting as the National Assembly of Thailand after the 2006 Coup d'etat. It was established by the military junta under General Sonthi Boonyaratglin which took the name of "Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy" (CDR) and ceased to function at the end of 2007 when it was replaced by the new, elected National Assembly. The Constitution Drafting Assembly was also formed by the junta to prepare a new constitution.

Composition
The NLA had 242 members appointed by the king, representing different sectors of the society and occupational groups. 21 of the NLA members were women.

 State sector
 17 civil servants of the highest ranks (paygrades C-11 and up)
 12 other civil servants, judges and state's attorneys
 41 military officers
 7 police officers
 8 managers and personnel of state-owned enterprises
 Private sector
 6 managers of banks and financial institutions
 19 representatives of commerce, industry, services, transport, building and real estate business
 11 representatives of other businesses
 7 legal advisers and attorneys
 Social sector
 4 representatives of political parties
 11 scholars of philosophy, languages, religion, arts and culture
 20 journalists, writers and artists
 43 retired public servants and other experienced persons
 13 activists in local development, promotion of morality, labour organisations, and non-profit organisations
 Academic sector
 29 rectors, professors, students, researchers, and other academics

References

Government of Thailand
2006 Thai coup d'état

National Legislative Assembly of Thailand (2006)


Sissi – The Young Empress () is a 1956 Austrian film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz, Gustav Knuth, Vilma Degischer and Josef Meinrad. It was entered into the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. It is the second film in the Sissi trilogy, following Sissi and preceding Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress. This movie in three parts tells the famous story of the Empress of Austria best known as Sissi.

Plot
Sissi slowly adapts to life as empress of Austria, but her mother-in-law is hard to live with. Archduchess Sophie adheres to the long-established rules protocol and etiquette, and constantly interferes not only with the emperor's government of the empire but in his family life as well. When Sissi's first child is born, the Archduchess Sophie insists on taking away the child to raise her, because she feels Sissi is too young and unqualified to do so. Sophie also feels that Sissi's place is not in the nursery with her baby, but with her husband as the emperor travels around the empire.

A scandal threatens to break out when Sissi leaves Vienna and returns to Bavaria to see her parents. She keeps the truth from her mother, but confesses to her father that she cannot live with Archduchess Sophie's constant criticism and tyranny. Franz Joseph follows her and finally convinces her to return to Vienna.

This strengthens Sissi's influence with the emperor, and she supports Count Gyula Andrássy and the cause of the Hungarians for equal standing in the Empire. The film concludes with her being crowned Queen of the Hungarians in Budapest.

Starring
 Romy Schneider as Empress Elisabeth of Austria, or "Sissi"
 Karlheinz Böhm as Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
 Vilma Degischer as Archduchess Sophie, Franz Joseph's mother
  as Archduke Franz Karl, Franz Joseph's father
 Magda Schneider as Duchess Ludovika in Bavaria, Sissi's mother
 Gustav Knuth as Duke Max in Bavaria, Sissi's father
 Josef Meinrad as Oberst Böckl
 Richard Eybner as Postmaster of Ischl
 Walter Reyer as Count Andrássy
 Senta Wengraf as Countess Bellegarde
  as Countess Esterhazy-Liechtenstein

Historical inaccuracies
 The film portrays the historical events as if they had happened much earlier than they actually did. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise and the coronation of the imperial couple as King and Queen of Hungary happened in 1867, 12 years after Sissi's first daughter Sophie was born. This is in contrast to the third film, Fateful Years of an Empress, which instead narrates historical events prior to 1859.
 Sissi's first daughter, Sophie, died at the age of two during a trip to Hungary. The second child, Gisela, born one year later, survived the same disease.
 The Archduchess Sophie removed indeed Sissi's daughters from her custody and took care of their education; Elisabeth suffered from it but accepted the decision and did not flee from the court.
 Sissi's escape from Vienna happened instead, for the same reasons, after the birth of her son Rudolph. She will later oppose the strict military education planned for him.

Music
In addition to creations by Anton Profes, the film's music includes many classical works, including several waltzes by Johann Strauss and the Hallelujah from Messiah by Georg Friedrich Handel, as well as the waltz "Les Nubiennes" from the opera Faust (Act 5) by Charles Gounod.

References

External links

 Official site

1956 films
1950s biographical drama films
1950s historical drama films
Austrian biographical drama films
Austrian historical drama films
Cultural depictions of Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Cultural depictions of Franz Joseph I of Austria
Biographical films about Austrian royalty
Films directed by Ernst Marischka
Films set in Bavaria
Films set in the 1850s
Films set in Vienna
1950s German-language films
Monarchy in fiction
Austrian sequel films
Films set in the Austrian Empire
Films set in the Kingdom of Bavaria

Sissi – The Young Empress


Éditions Denoël is a French publishing house founded in 1930. Acquired by Éditions Gallimard in 1951, it publishes collections spanning fiction, non-fiction and comic books. It published some of the most important French authors of the interwar period, including Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Louis Aragon and Antonin Artaud.

History
In 1930 the Belgian Robert Denoël and the American Bernard Steele (1902–1979), founded Éditions Denoël-Steele, later shortened to Éditions Denoël.:228 It had its first success in 1932 with Céline's Voyage au bout de la nuit. Other early success include Louis Aragon's Les Cloches de Bâle (1934), Antonin Artaud's Héliogabale ou l'anarchiste couronné (1934) and Céline's Mort à crédit (1936).

Denoël can be considered unusual with respect to its diverse choice of publications. Until May 1940, for example, it published an Anti-German political magazine as well as the anti-Semitic pamphlets of Céline and Lucien Rebatet. Bernard Steele left the company because of Céline's pamphlet Mea culpa (1936). Robert Denoël was "openly supportive of Nazi Germany" and the company was known for its collaborationism during the German occupation of Paris. The company received capital from the Germans and published pro-Nazi books, including "anti-Semitic manuals [ . . . ], a collection of Hitler's speeches, and the two most famous anti-Semitic literary works of the time: a new edition of Céline's Bagatelles pour un massacre (1937) and Lucien Rebatet's Les Déscombres".:161 During those same years, however, they also advertised "well-known authors of the left" and published the works of the Jewish author Elsa Triolet.:161

Denoël was murdered on 2 December 1945 while changing a wheel on his car.:xi The circumstances surrounding his death were mysterious, and it was "possible that he was assassinated for political reasons"; the police officially listed it as a "random crime of violence".:xi Following his death, Denoël's mistress, Jeanne Loviton, became the legal owner of the company.:37 In 1951 she sold a 90 percent stake of the company to Gaston Gallimard, "Denoël's arch enemy and publishing rival".:301

Nowadays, Éditions Denoël publishes around one hundred titles per year. Among the most famous authors published by Éditions Denoël are Sébastien Japrisot, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Michael Moorcock and Jeanne Benameur. In 2004, Denoël published Suite française, which became a publishing sensation. The novel won the Prix Renaudot in 2004, the first time the prize was awarded posthumously. From 2006, then editor Olivier Rubinstein also published the literary review Le Meilleur des mondes.

References

External links
 Official site
 Site for Le Meilleur des Mondes

Book publishing companies of France
French speculative fiction publishers

Éditions Denoël


Stabat Mater Dolorosa, often referred to as Stabat Mater, is a 13th-century Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III. It is about the Sorrows of Mary.

Like so many other hymns the name of the hymn is made of the first few words. This is called an incipit. The first line reads Stabat mater dolorosa ("The sorrowful mother stood"). The Stabat Mater hymn is about the suffering of Mary, Jesus Christ's mother, during his crucifixion. It is sung at the liturgy on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Stabat Mater has been set to music by many composers, among them Palestrina, Pergolesi, Alessandro Scarlatti and Domenico Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Haydn, Rossini, Dvořák, George Henschel, Karol Szymanowski, Poulenc and Arvo Pärt.

In the 16th centry, the hymn was added to the Roman missal. The Council of Trent banned it, like most sequences. In the 18th century it was added to the Breviary of Roman Catholic mass. The Second Vactican Council abolished this form of mass, so it is only part of regular mass one day of the year. The current version can be found in the Roman Gradual, which dates of 1973.

References

Christian hymns

Stabat mater


The TCB Band is a group of musicians who formed the rhythm section of Elvis Presley's band from August 1969 until his death in 1977. (Depending on the context, the nickname may also extend to Elvis' background vocalists during that same period: the Imperials,  the Sweet Inspirations, and JD Sumner and The Stamps Quartet). The initials TCB stand for Taking Care of Business, a personal motto Presley adopted in the early 1970s. Although personnel changed over the years, the original members were James Burton (lead guitar), Jerry Scheff (bass), John Wilkinson (rhythm guitar), Larry Muhoberac (keyboards) and Ron Tutt (drums). They first appeared live at Presley's first Las Vegas performance at what was then known as the International Hotel (later the Las Vegas Hilton, now Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino) on July 31, 1969.

History
When planning his return to live performing after his successful 1968 NBC television comeback, Presley had to replace original band members Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana (who had returned to session work) and Bill Black who had formed the Bill Black Combo before his death in 1965.  Elvis' first call was to guitarist James Burton, who was from Ricky Nelson's band, whom he asked to help form the group after knowing about him for many years and seeing him on television. After keyboardist Glen D. Hardin declined Burton's offer to join the group, Larry Muhoberac, who had played on several of Presley's movie soundtrack sessions, accepted his offer to perform. Burton later added Jerry Scheff on bass and John Wilkinson on rhythm guitar. Muhoberac suggested Ron Tutt for the drums to round out the section. By February 1970, Glen D. Hardin joined on keyboards, eventually replacing Muhoberac who returned to studio work in Los Angeles. At that time Bob Lanning, a Los Angeles session drummer joined on drums, replacing Tutt who returned later that year. TCB brought a new lease on life to Elvis's rock 'n' roll sound of the 50s.  Larrie Londin, a Nashville session drummer who recorded and occasionally toured with Presley over a nine-year period, filled in for Tutt on occasion during 1976 and 1977 performances.

In 1975, Burton, Tutt and Muhoberac backed Johnny Cash on his album, John R. Cash.

Tours with other musicians: After the TCB Band disbanded

Before Presley's death in 1977, several former members from the TCB Band went on to form Emmylou Harris's Hot Band and The John Denver Band. These musicians include James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Emory Gordy Jr. and Jerry Scheff. Burton left the Hot Band in 1976 and was replaced by English guitarist Albert Lee. Scheff was never a member of the Hot Band. Gordy left John Denver's band in 1980 (he re-joined the band and toured with John shortly in 1989) and was replaced by Scheff. Burton, Hardin and Scheff remained in John Denver's band until early 1994, and was then replaced by Pete Huttlinger, Chris Nole and Alan Deremo.

After drumming a few years with the Jerry Garcia Band before Presley's death, Ron Tutt was invited by Neil Diamond to become Diamond's permanent concert and recording session drummer.  Tutt's drumming has since become a feature to Diamond's concert shows, punctuating moments in the Diamond concert with his TCB Band style drum fills and cymbal crashes.  Tutt is a workman celebrity drummer, and routinely receives concert crowd ovations when he appears and takes his seat at his drum kit.  Noteworthy during concerts is Tutt's soaring drum work on the song, "Holly Holy".  Tutt recorded and toured with Diamond until Diamond's retirement from touring after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Tutt also appears on several of recordings by Nancy Sinatra.

Reunions (1979, 1981, 1987, 1997–present)

The TCB Band reunited with a new lineup to record their own album in 1979 of covers of Elvis Presley songs as a tribute.  They also reunited in 1981 as the backing band for Tony Sheridan, augmented by Klaus Voormann and again mostly featuring Sheridan's recordings of Elvis Presley songs.

Several members of the TCB band (Glen Hardin on piano, James Burton on lead guitar, Jerry Scheff on upright bass, and Ron Tutt on drums) also played with Roy Orbison in his 1987 live performance Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night.

Burton, Hardin, Scheff and Tutt reunited again in 1997 to perform Elvis: The Concert, with John Wilkinson rejoining for the 25th anniversary concert in Memphis. Since then, Burton, Hardin, Tutt and Scheff have toured frequently together, typically backing Austrian singer Dennis Jale and his band, mostly playing music from Elvis Presley's catalogue. They have also backed Greg Page of the Wiggles for two solo albums and some live concerts.

However, after the 30th anniversary concert in 2007, Scheff departed the band and was replaced on tour by Nathan East and Norbert Putnam. Wilkinson died on January 11, 2013, from cancer, at the age of 67.  Putnam and East departed the band in 2013.  The TCB Band currently continues to tour backing Dennis Jale and his band. In 2019, for the first time since 2014, the TCB Band performed a new Elvis: The Concert-style show, alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, combining elements from the 2016-2018 Presley/Philharmonic tours with the old 1997-2014 TCB Band tours.

Members

Current Members:
 James Burton — lead guitar (1969–1977, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1997–present); vocals (1979)
 Glen D. Hardin — piano, keyboards (1970–1976, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1997–present)

Former Members:
 John Wilkinson — rhythm guitar (1969–1977, August 16, 2002; died 2013)
 Jerry Scheff — bass, double bass (1969–1973, 1975–1977, 1979, 1987, 1997–2011, 2022)
 Larry Muhoberac — keyboards, piano, electric piano (1969; died 2016)
 Ronnie Tutt — drums (1969–1977, 1979, 1981, 1987, 1997–2021); vocals (1979) (died 2021)
 Bob Lanning — drums (1970)
 Eddie Graham — percussion (1970–1971)
 Jerome 'Stump' Monroe — drums (1971, 1975, June 24, 1977)
 Emory Gordy Jr. – bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1973, 1979, 1981)
 Duke Bardwell — bass (1974–1975)
 David Briggs — electric piano, clavinet, piano (1975–1977)
 Shane Keister — piano, Moog synthesizer (1976)
 Tony Brown — piano (1976–1977)
 Larrie Londin — drums (March 1976, June 25–26, 1977; died 1992)
 Bobby Ogdin — electric piano, clavinet (1977)
 Tony Smith — rhythm guitar (1997–2007)
 Norbert Putnam — bass (2009–2013)

Recurring Guests:
 Nathan East — bass (2009–2013)
 Paul Leim – drums (2021-present; occasional substitute for or second drummer alongside Ronnie Tutt, 1997-2012)

Timeline

Discography

Studio Album
The TCB Band (recorded in 1978, but never released until it was leaked on sale)
"Mystery Train" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"Hound Dog" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"That's Alright Mama" (James on lead vocals)
"Jailhouse Rock" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"Suspicious Minds" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"Burnin' Love" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"Love Me" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"Little Sister" (Ronnie on lead vocals)
"Heartbreak Hotel" (James on lead vocals)
"Falling In Love with You" (Ronnie on lead vocals)

With Elvis

Several members of the band also contributed to some of Elvis' soundtracks and studio albums during his lifetime as well.

 From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis (1969) [Elvis In Person at the International Hotel]
 That's the Way It Is (1970)
 As Recorded at Madison Square Garden (1972)
 Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite (1973)
 Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis (1974)
 Today (1975)
 From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (1976)
 Moody Blue (1977)
 Elvis In Concert (1977)
 Elvis Aron Presley (box set) (1980)
 The Alternate Aloha (1988)
 An Afternoon at the Garden (1997)

With Others

Members of the band have also worked in various configurations with other musicians not listed below.
 Tony Sheridan and The Elvis Presley TCB Band (with Tony Sheridan, 1981)
 A Black and White Night Live (with Roy Orbison and Friends, 1989)
 One Night of Sin (with Big Fat Snake and The Sweet Inspirations, 2003)
 Taking Care of Country (with Greg Page, 2005)
 Aloha from Sweden (with Maarten Jensen and The Sweet Inspirations, 2006)
 Nashville (with Dennis Jale, 2010)
 Let It Be Me (with Greg Page, 2012)
 Live at the Metropol (with Dennis Jale and Terry Blackwood's Imperials, 2019)
 "What's Going On" (with Dennis Jale and Friends, 2022)

References

External links
Official TCB Band Fan Club

1969 establishments in the United States
1977 disestablishments in the United States
American rock music groups
American pop music groups
Elvis Presley
Musical groups established in 1969
Musical groups disestablished in 1977
Musical groups reestablished in 1997

TCB Band


Angela Nikodinov (born May 9, 1980 in Spartanburg, South Carolina), is an American figure skater. She is the 2000 Four Continents Champion.

Biography
Nikodinov is the daughter of Bulgarian immigrants. She speaks Bulgarian fluently. She was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her family moved to southern California when she was very young. She was raised in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California.

Nikodinov trained at Lake Arrowhead, California. She also trained in Detroit for one season (1999-2000) but moved back to California in fall 2000. Her coaches included John Nicks, Peter Oppegard, Frank Carroll, Elena Tcherkasskaia, Richard Callaghan, Igor Pashkevich. Her coach Tcherkasskaia, with whom she was very close, died of cancer in November 2001.

Nikodinov missed the 2002-2003 season. She injured her shoulder in February 2002 and again in September. She also had a virus. She had shoulder surgery in February 2003 and was off the ice for seven months. After missing two seasons, Nikodinov returned to win the 2004 Skate America.

While in Portland, Oregon, for the 2005 U.S. National Championships, she and her family were in a car accident that killed her mother. Nikodinov did not return to competition after the accident.

Nikodinov coached Bulgarian figure skater Ivan Dinev in the 2005-2006 season. They are now coaching together in the Los Angeles area. Nikodinov and Dinev were married in July 2008. Along with her coaching duties, she  skates in shows and was a guest skater on the Stars on Ice tour. The pairs team of Bianca Butler & Joseph Jacobsen and Tenile Victorsen are among her and Dinev's former students that have qualified for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Senior level.

References

Other websites

Figure-Skating.com  - Official Site
 International skating union biography
Stars on Ice profile

People from Spartanburg, South Carolina
American figure skaters
Sportspeople from South Carolina
1980 births
Living people

Angela Nikodinov