title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In 2017, Lilia Tarawa, the granddaughter of Gloriavale's founder, spoke at a TEDx Christchurch conference on her experiences growing up as a member of the community. The talk was inspired by her autobiographical book "Daughter of Gloriavale", released the same year. Tarawa described abusive practices as part of daily life for members of Gloriavale, including beatings, forced marriages, and psychological control, leading some of Gloriavale's members – including some of Tarawa's siblings – to run away from the community. The video of Tarawa's talk became widely popular online following its upload to YouTube. , the video has over 12,218,564 views.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: Stories of child abuse, rape, and other forms of cruelty and subjugation have also emerged from other former members. News of controversial practices in the community led to the police making daily checks on the community in 2018.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 29 March 2020, it was reported that members of the Gloriavale community were failing to comply with lockdown procedures amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, with reports that childcare at community-run daycare centres, lessons at community-run schools, and meetings were all continuing despite social distancing measures. Police forces within the area later confirmed that they were working with Gloriavale in order to ensure that members of its community abided by lockdown restrictions.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In 1995, Neville Cooper was jailed for almost a year on sexual abuse charges. He was convicted based on the testimonies of his son and a young woman who had fled the compound. Cooper later changed his name to Hopeful Christian. Cooper died of cancer on 15 May 2018, aged 92.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In July 2020, the New Zealand Police in conjunction with Oranga Tamariki launched Operation Minneapolis, an investigation into child abuse at Gloriavale, after receiving information about alleged abuse of an 11-year-old boy. In September 2020, a 20-year-old man was charged with doing an indecent act on three boys between the ages of 12 and 16 years. He was discharged in September 2021 without conviction after pleading guilty – the offences had occurred when he himself was a teenager and the court felt there was a low risk of him reoffending.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 12 February 2021, the police laid charges of child abuse against two other members; an adult and a child.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 22 March 2021, 1 News reported that two Christchurch-based lawyers Nicholas Davidson KC and Stephanie Grieve had been asked by the trustees of Gloriavale's governing Christian Church Community Trust to hold an independent inquiry of allegations of sexual abuse at Gloriavale.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 4 August 2021, a former Gloriavale man pleaded guilty in the Greymouth District Court to eight charges of indecently assaulting girls, two charges of indecently assaulting a boy, and one count of sexual violation.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 11 August 2021, the New Zealand Police, Oranga Tamariki and the Teaching Council confirmed that they were investigating allegations of physical and sexual abuse of students at Gloriavale's school, which has 204 students ranging from Year 1 to Year 11. Several staff had also been stood down for unspecified reasons. Police claimed that at least 60 people in Gloriavale had been involved in "harmful sexual behaviour".


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 26 May 2022, the New Zealand Teachers' Disciplinary Tribunal suspended the teaching license of former Gloriavale Christian School principal Faithful Pilgrim for three years. Pilgrim had endorsed the teaching license of a teacher named Just Standfast, who had sexually abused a child on two occasions in 2012 and 2016. The Tribunal had investigated Pilgrim after receiving a complaint from the Gloriavale Leaders' Trust that he had endangered children by covering up the teacher's offending. Standfast had pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual contact with a child in 2019.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In mid September 2022, Gloriavale Christian School principal Rachel Stedfast claimed that a small group of people had made a coordinated campaign to close down the school by filing complaints against most of its teachers. As a result of the complaints, the affected teachers had been suspended from their teaching duties while the complaints were being investigated. Stedfast stated that none of the suspended teachers had been accused of physical sexual abuse.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In early November 2022, Gloriavale member and dairy worker Tim Disciple had his prison sentence for indecent assault reduced. Disciple had been sentenced in June 2022 to two years and five months in jail after being convicted of seven charges of indecent assault against five victims including minors between 2000 and 2006. Disciple successfully appealed against his sentence to the High Court where Judge Jonathan Eaton reduced his sentence to 21 months. In addition, Disciple's name suppression was lifted, allowing the media to cover his case.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In February 2021, a former Gloriavale member named John Ready filed a civil claim at the Christchurch High Court seeking to remove the board of trustees of the Christian Church Community Trust, the registered charity behind Gloriavale, and replace them with a public trust. Defendants named in the lawsuit included Fervent Steadfast, Faithful Pilgrim and Gloriavale leader Howard Temple.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In mid-May 2021, Stuff and "The New Zealand Herald" obtained court documents relating to Ready's lawsuit against the Gloriavale. Ready and his fellow plaintiffs have alleged that the community bred "sexual predators", exploited members as forced labour, and required members to give up all their possessions, including property, money, and any future earnings to the Christian Church Community Trust. Gloriavale's leadership has denied these allegations, contesting that they are untrue or historical.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: The legal action concluded 10 June 2021, with the Christian Community Charitable Trust agreeing to be overseen by the Public Trust for a period of 18 months. During this time the Public Trust will provide regular reports to the High Court of New Zealand.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In late September 2020, WorkSafe New Zealand dispatched inspectors to Gloriavale to investigate claims that some members had been forced to work for more than 20 hours a day. The news company Newshub also reported that current Gloriavale members had been targeted by the sect's leadership for speaking to the media. As a result of the Newshub investigation, Justice Minister Andrew Little had ordered the police, WorkSafe and the Labour Inspectorate to launch a second investigation into allegations of "controlling behaviour" and labour exploitation at Gloriavale.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 1 October, Little, in his capacity as Minister of Workplace Relations, ordered a major review into practices at Gloriavale after Newshub obtained a government report from July 2017 reporting "oppressive psychological practices", possible exploitation, bullying, manipulation and coercion within the community. On 2 October, WorkSafe instructed Gloriavale's leadership to improve their work practices but found no evidence to suggest that the religious community was not managing the risk of workplace fatigue. WorkSafe had conducted a workplace assessment during which a team of four inspectors assessed Gloriavale, four subsidiary companies, and 13 workers.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 10 August 2021, 1 News reported that several former Gloriavale members had alleged that they had been forced to sign a document waiving their right to legal advice when joining the community. The Labour Inspectorate also investigated a so-called partnership agreement as part of its inquiry into long working conditions.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 21 February 2022, three former Gloriavale residents – Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage – challenged two earlier Labour Inspectorate inquiries in both 2017 and 2020, which found that they were volunteers and thus not entitled to pay or employment rights. Consequently, the Labour Inspectorate had declined to investigate the labour conditions, including alleged long working hours, at Gloriavale. The plaintiffs want the Employment Court to determine their employment status while they lived at Gloriavale and to determine whether they were exploited as workers. Courage alleged that Gloriavale residents were forced to work and beaten and starved as punishment for refusing to work or not working fast enough. Courage also alleged that he was beaten by his parents and authority figures.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 10 May 2022, the Employment Court ruled in favour of Courage, Pilgrim and Courage's legal challenge, accepting that they had been employees at Gloriavale since the age of six. The Court found that the trio had been forced to perform "strenuous, difficult and sometimes dangerous" work when they were legally required to attend school. This landmark decision has the potential to encourage other former Gloriavale residents to pursue legal action against the religious community. In response to the Employment Court ruling, WorkSafe New Zealand confirmed that it would send inspectors to investigate conditions at Gloriavale. In addition, the Charities Commission commenced an investigation into Gloriavale's trust over allegations of unpaid child labour, beatings, and the withholding of food. If these allegations are proven, Glorivale would lose its charitable status, costing it its donee status and tax benefits.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: Following the Employment Court's ruling in May 2022, Silver Fern Farms announced on 24 May that it would no longer be supplying offal to Gloriavale's trading company Value Proteins. In addition, Westland Dairy suspended milk collection from Gloriavale–operated farms. In addition, meat processing company Alliance Group confirmed that it was reconsidering its relationship with Gloriavale in light of reports of labour exploitation. That same month, WorkSafe inspectors traveled to Gloriavale and issued nine improvement notices relating to the management of hazardous substances, machines and traffic at the community's grounds in Haupiri. By 15 August 2022, Gloriavale had complied with six of the nine notices, with the remaining three due to be completed by November 2022. In addition, WorkSafe had issued a total of 19 improvement notices to four Gloriavale businesses since September 2020.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In June 2022, the Chinese-owned dairy company Westland Milk announced that it would cease collecting milk from three dairy farms owned by Gloriavale. In response, Gloriavale's subsidiary Canaan Farming Dairy sought a High Court injunction, prompting Westland to agree to continue collecting Canaan's milk until the Employment Court made a ruling on a second labour exploitation case filed by several former Gloriavale women.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 4 October, High Court Justice Jan-Marie Doogue ordered Westland Milk to continue collecting milk from Canaan Farming Dairy's three farms Bell Hill, Gloriavale and Glen Hopeful on the condition that it did not hire any minors or associate employees under the age of 18 years. In her ruling, Doogue ruled there was no evidence that Canaan had breached its obligations as an employer and that the company was not a party to the Employment Court case which had sparked the contract move suspension. She also rejected Westland's claim that it had lost customers as a result of its business relationship with Canaan Farming. Gloriavale Christian Community including Canaan Farming Dairy director Samuel Valor welcomed the High Court's ruling and emphasised the community's willigness to comply with employment requirements.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: In August 2022, Radio New Zealand reported that six former Glorivale women named Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valour and Virginia Courage had filed a second case with the Employment Court to determine whether they were employees or volunteers at Gloriavale. The case is set to begin on 29 August and expected to last three weeks. The Employment Court heard from 49 witnesses, who testified about various abuses including an alleged institutional culture of misogyny and victim blaming, sexual harassment of female members, and being forced to work for long hours with no breaks and little food.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: Two witnesses Naomi Pilgrim and Pearl Valor testified about being denied medical treatment for various health issues including dental problems, damaged fingers, and sustaining back injuries from difficult and long working conditions. In early September, Virgnia Courage and Rosanna Overcomer testified about community leaders shaming and sexually harassing female members of the community. On 19 September, one former Gloriavale leader Zion Pilgrim testified that the leadership had threatened to strip him of his leadership positions for raising concerns about sexual offending.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: The following day, Pilgrim testified that Glorivale had received millions in child welfare benefits from the New Zealand Government despite requiring children between the age of 6 and 18 years old to work long, punishing hours. On 21 September, Crystal testified that she had only been given one week of maternity leave after giving birth to her eldest child. She also testified that young mothers were expected to work long hours and were given little time to spend with their children. Trudy Christian testified about children being subject to frequent corporal punishment while former member John Ready testified about his epileptic daughter suffering third degrees after experiencing a seizure while working in the kitchen.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 23 September, the defence opened its case. Gloriavale Christian School principal Rachel Stedfast disputed claims that the community's women were forced to work and mistreated by the elders, likening life there to a Māori marae. She testified that Gloriavale was a harmonious community where members happily worked and gave their wages to the community. On 27 September, defence witness Purity Valor testified that Gloriavale's leaders were unaware about sexual abuse within their community. She also claimed that media coverage of Gloriavale had resulted in the community being "slandered" and members receiving public abuse. On 28 September, the Employment Court heard testimony from Sarah Standtrue that Gloriavale's leadership had burnt a book that her husband had written but that he had been readmitted to the community after apologising. Standtrue claimed that members of Gloriavale were free to leave. Standtrue's daughter Compassion testified that Gloriavale disputed allegations of members being overworked, abuse, and denied food and care.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: On 29 September, Joanna Courage testified in defence of her grandfather Howard Temple, Gloriavale's Overseeing Shepherd. She disputed claims that Temple had abused or behaved inappropriately towards female members of the community. Courage also disputed the plaintiffs' allegations that they had been overworked. On 30 September, chartered accountant Gordon Hansen testified that Gloriavale had received NZ$4.8 million in government funds in the 2021 financial year including NZ$2.3 million in Working for Families payments, NZ$2 million in early childcare education grants, NZ$283,000 in Ministry of Education grants and NZ$229,000 for midwifery services. Gloriavale's barrister Philip Skelton KC testified that the majority of Gloriavale's income came from its farming businesses, which generated NZ$19.5 million that year. The Employment Court case was adjourned until 2023.


title: Gloriavale Christian Community

text: The Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust was founded in 2019 to provide practical support to people leaving the community. They also advocate for the needs and rights of the people who have left the community, as well as those who remain within it. In mid–June 2021, the Trust launched an Emergency Welfare Appeal campaign including a video to help former Gloriavale residents reintegrate into the outside world.


title: Soorma (film)

text: Soorma (; ) is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language biographical sports drama film based on the life of hockey player Sandeep Singh. Directed by Shaad Ali and produced by Sony Pictures Networks India and C.S. Films, the film stars Diljit Dosanjh, Angad Bedi and Taapsee Pannu in lead roles. It was released theatrically on 13 July 2018.


title: Soorma (film)

text: Despite receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics, Soorma emerged as a commercial failure grossing worldwide on a budget of .


title: Soorma (film)

text: In 1994, at Shahbad Hockey Centre, a young Sandeep Singh and his older brother, Bikram Singh are seen undergoing a punishment by their coach Kartar Singh, who is a strict disciplinarian trainer. As a result of that, Sandeep decides to quit hockey. As a grown young man, he meets Harpreet Kaur, a budding female hockey player who practices the sport at the same centre. They both develop an interest in each other. With intent of catching up with Harpreet, Sandeep joins the Hockey Centre again. He starts to become good at his game. Meanwhile, Sandeep and Harpreet develop a romantic relationship. The coach, who is Harpreet’s uncle, finds out about their relationship and physically assaults Sandeep. Bikram, who had been constantly working for selection to the Indian Hockey Team, fails to make it to India camp. Bikram finds out that his brother is exceptionally good at drag flick and helps him get to the Indian team, where he practices under the coach Harry. He goes on to become the highest scorer at Six Nation Series in Poland in 2006. After his success, the media terms him “Flicker Singh”. He also gets a job offer. However, Harpeet’s uncle still heatedly agrees to accept him as a suitable husband for his niece.


title: Soorma (film)

text: In the same year, while leaving for Hockey World Cup, on a train, he is accidentally shot in his lower back and is paralyzed in the lower half of his body. The news of his never being able to play hockey again starts circulating in the media. Sandeep is now confined to a wheelchair and his family, especially Bikram, takes care of his nursing needs. In 2007, supported by Indian Hockey Federation, Sandeep is moved to the Netherlands, where, due to intensive therapy for a year, he recovers from his injury and starts playing again. He joins the 2008 India Hockey Camp in New Delhi. He is seen at the 2009 Commonwealth Championship in London, where Harpreet comes by to watch the game. Sandeep, who earlier used to get distracted by Harpreet’s presence, manages to score the winning goal, indicating that he is now actually playing for India and not for seeking Harpreet’s love. In the closing scene, archive footage of the actual player is seen where Sandeep Singh gets the 2010 Arjuna Award from the President of India.


title: Soorma (film)

text: In November 2014, Chitrangda Singh purchased the rights to make a biopic on the life of former India Hockey captain Sandeep Singh. In July 2017, it was reported that Chitrangda Singh would be collaborating with Sony Pictures Networks to produce the film in which Diljit Dosanjh would be playing the lead role. For the role of Sandeep Singh, the first preference of the producers was Ranveer Singh but the actor refused to do the film on being offered the role in the year 2016 citing lack of dates. Initially, for the role of Harpreet, the makers of the film had finalized Ileana D'Cruz but the actress opted out of the project as the filming dates were clashing with another film of hers that she was doing with Rajkumar Gupta. In September 2017, it was reported that Taapsee Pannu had been signed to play the romantic lead opposite Diljit Dosanjh in the film.


title: Soorma (film)

text: The principal photography of the film began in Shahabad in November 2017. The next schedule of the filming process took place in Chandigarh in December 2017. For the final schedule of filming, which involved shooting the hockey matches, the production unit moved to Belgrade in Serbia where shooting continued for 10 days before coming to an end on 24 December 2017. The Hockey sequences in the film were choreographed by Sandeep Singh and his brother Bikramjit Singh.


title: Soorma (film)

text: The music of the movie is composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy with lyrics by Gulzar. Contestants of the Talent Hunt show "Rising Star", Hemant Brijwasi and Akhtar Brothers were offered a song by Shankar Mahadevan and Diljit Dosanjh for the movie.


title: Soorma (film)

text: "Soorma" received mixed reviews from critics. Subhash K Jha of "Business Standard" says, "After extolling a gangster, Bollywood salutes a true hero" and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5. Ronak Kotecha of "The Times of India" rated the film 3.5/5 stars stating that It is a story told with its heart in the right place, and on that count it scores. Divya Pal of News18 gave the film a rating of 2 out of 5 saying that the film is well intentioned but lacks depth. Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times gave the film a rating of 2 out of 5 saying that the film lacks the firepower to create a strong impact even though it does have praise worthy performances given by Vijay Raaz, Angad Bedi and Satish Kaushik. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV criticized the film saying that Soorma is "a hockey film sans genuine impetus" and gave it a rating of 2 out of 5. Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" gave the film a rating of 2.5 out of 5 and praised Diljit Dosanjh for his portrayal of Sandeep Singh but felt that the film falls short of becoming a sports film that would leave a lasting impact. Taran Adarsh of "Bollywood Hungama" gave the film two and a half stars out of five and writes, "Soorma is laced with a promising plot but the weak execution hampers the impact".


title: Soorma (film)

text: "Soorma" had opened a weak collection on Box office it collected 3.20 crores (net) on its first day in India, on its second day it jumped over 57.81% and collected over 5.05 crores and its 2 days total collection is now 8.25 crore. After 2nd day on 3rd day it increases and marked up to 5.60 crores. On the 4th day film collected 2 crores and on 5th day 1.94 crores making Soorma total 17.79 crores. On 6th day it collected 1.77 crores. End of the first week of Soorma is up to 21.21 crores and after day 7 on day 8 Soorma collected 1.65 crores and on day 9 it decreases and only collected 85 lakhs but on its 10th day it increases and marked 1.60 crores and on 11th day it collected well on Box office and marked up to 2.10 crores approximately. From day 12th-15th day it collected 2.45 crores.


title: Soorma (film)

text: Chitrangada Singh confirmed that she will produce the sequel to the film. The cast and full crew have not been revealed yet, and the film will soon go to floors.


title: Holding Back the Years

text: "Holding Back the Years" is a song by British soul and pop band Simply Red, released as the third single from their debut studio album, "Picture Book" (1985). It reached number one on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It is one of two Simply Red songs (the other being their cover of "If You Don't Know Me by Now") to reach number one in the US. It also reached number four on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Holding Back the Years" had initially been released in the UK the year before, reaching number 51. The song was nominated in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards.


title: Holding Back the Years

text: The group's frontman Mick Hucknall wrote the song when he was 17, while living at his father's house. In a 2018 interview, Hucknall said the song was inspired by a member of the teaching staff at Manchester School of Art, where Hucknall was a fine-art student: the lecturer suggested the greatest paintings are produced when the artist is working in a stream of consciousness, which Hucknall then tried to apply to songwriting – "Holding Back the Years" was the second song he wrote using this method.


title: Holding Back the Years

text: The song's writing credits are shared between Hucknall and Neil Moss, a friend and member of Hucknall's first group, the Frantic Elevators. However, according to Hucknall, Moss did not co-write the song, but the credit was added "to remember the great times we had" as the pair had written so many other songs together. The song was first performed by the Frantic Elevators. The song's "I'll keep holding on" chorus was not added until many years later, after the band had split and Hucknall had formed Simply Red.


title: Holding Back the Years

text: Hucknall's mother left the family when he was three: the upheaval caused by this event inspired him to write the song. However, according to Hucknall, he did not realise what the song was about until it was finished: he characterised it as a song "about that moment where you know you have to leave home and make your mark, but the outside world is scary. So you’re holding back the years". He said that the line "Strangled by the wishes of pater" was inspired by arguments he had with his father: according to Hucknall, the two clashed often during his teenage years "because there was no woman to act as referee".


title: Holding Back the Years

text: The accompanying music video for "Holding Back the Years" focuses on Mick Hucknall, who, while singing the song, walks through the English countryside and Whitby Abbey carrying luggage and thinking about his childhood memories and the difficult relationship he had with his father. The other members of Simply Red (except for Fritz McIntyre, who plays a one-man band) play local cricketers who greet Hucknall as he passes by. In the last part of the song, Hucknall is seen riding a train, the scenes for which were filmed at and around Goathland railway station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.


title: Holding Back the Years

text: In 1999, English R&B boy band Another Level released their version as a double A-side with a remix of their earlier hit, "Be Alone No More". This release reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.


Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein (Franziska Josepha Louise Augusta Marie Christina Helena; 12 August 1872 – 8 December 1956) was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.


title: Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein

text: Princess Marie Louise was born at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. By birth, she was member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg. Her father was Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, the third son of Duke Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg and Countess Louise of Danneskjold-Samsøe. Her mother was Princess Helena of the United Kingdom, the fifth child and third daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. She was baptized on 18 September 1872. Her godparents were Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and Queen Marie of Hanover.


text: Her parents resided in the United Kingdom, and the Princess was considered a member of the British Royal Family. Under Royal Warrant of 15 May 1867, the children of Prince and Princess Christian were to be styled "Highness". From her birth in 1872 therefore Princess Marie Louise was styled "Her Highness Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein", albeit only in the United Kingdom. She was known to her family as "Louie".


text: She was a bridesmaid at the 1885 wedding of her maternal aunt Princess Beatrice, to Prince Henry of Battenberg.


text: On 6 July 1891, Princess Marie Louise married Prince Aribert of Anhalt (18 June 1866 – 24 December 1933) at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Prince Aribert was the third son of Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt, and his wife, Princess Antoinette of Saxe-Altenburg. The bride's first cousin, the German Emperor Wilhelm II, had been instrumental in arranging the match.


text: Though contemporary sources did not directly suggest it was a cause of his marriage dissolution, a number of contemporaries and subsequent historical accounts suggest Aribert was bisexual or homosexual, and some have suggested an indiscretion with a male attendant was the catalyst for the dissolution and that the marriage had never been consummated. The marriage was annulled on 13 December 1900 by his father. Princess Marie Louise, on an official visit to Canada at the time, immediately returned to Britain. According to her memoirs, she regarded her marriage vows as binding, so she never remarried.


text: After the annulment, Princess Marie Louise devoted herself to charitable organisations and patronage of the arts. She inspired the creation of Queen Mary's Dolls' House to showcase the work of British craftsmen. She established the Girl's Club in Bermondsey that served as a hospital during World War I. She was also active in the work of the Princess Christian Nursing Home at Windsor. She took part in all official occasions of the royal family, including coronations and funerals and processed as a princess of the blood royal at events such as the coronation of George VI and the carriage procession for princesses of the blood royal at the coronation of Elizabeth II.


text: In 1919 the Wolf Cub pack from the 4th Streatham Scout Group, met Princess Marie Louise on her visit to Streatham, South London. The group provided her with a guard of honour for her visit to Streatham. She was so impressed with the group and their high standards, that she declared the group as her own, and it has since been known as the 4th Streatham Sea Scout Group (Princess Marie Louise's Own).


text: In July 1917, when George V changed the name of the British Royal House from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to House of Windsor, he also ordered his numerous cousins and in-laws, who were British subjects, to discontinue the use of their German titles, styles, and surnames. Never taking other titles or surnames, Princess Marie Louise and her unmarried sister, Princess Helena Victoria, became known simply as "HH Princess Marie Louise" and "HH Princess Helena Victoria", giving them the odd distinction of being princesses but not, apparently, members of any particular royal family. This approach differed from the one accepted by George V's other relatives, who relinquished all princely titles, not just their German designations, and in turn received British titles of nobility from the King. Their titles of Princess were derived from their father, and they were not officially princesses of the United Kingdom. However, their unmarried status and their right to be styled "Highness" dating from Queen Victoria's concession of 1867 rendered their situations awkward, so that it was easier to allow them to retain their status as princesses while avoiding the question of immediate family membership altogether.


text: Princess Marie Louise became a godmother of Prince Richard of Gloucester in 1944. She was called "Cousin Louie" by a young Princess Elizabeth, and attended her wedding alongside her sister, Princess Helena Victoria. She attended four coronations in Westminster Abbey, those of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902; King George V and Queen Mary in 1911; King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937; and Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. In 1956, she published her memoirs, "My Memories of Six Reigns". She died at her London home, 10 Fitzmaurice Place, Berkeley Square, a few months later on 8 December 1956 and is buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore at Windsor Great Park. At the time of her death, she was one of six surviving grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Probate of the Princess's estate was granted on 12 March 1957 and was valued at £107,644 (£1.8 million at 2022 conversion rates).


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The Ford Falcon (AU) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1998 to 2002. It was the sixth generation Ford Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (AU)—the luxury-oriented model range. The AU series replaced the EL Falcon constructed on the new at the time EA169 platform, and was replaced by the updated BA series.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The AU series was conceived under "Project Eagle" that begun in February 1993, and gained the official codename "EA169" in October 1994. It was developed and brought to market in 1998 only after Ford Australia had given consideration to a revamped fifth generation Falcon and a fully imported replacement such as the American front-wheel drive Ford Taurus or rear-wheel drive Ford Crown Victoria, the European rear wheel-drive Scorpio and, reportedly, even the Japanese rear-wheel drive Mazda 929 (then part of the Ford conglomerate).


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The above alternatives were eliminated in favour of a substantial redesign of the indigenous platform, due to concerns about the Australian market preference for high towing capacity, large interior size and local employment. Specific factors included, for example: research at the time indicated that 69% of Falcons were fitted with towbars and the perception that rear-wheel drive cars were better at towing; the fact that the import models had limited body style options (sedan only or sedan and wagon) and no capability to use a V8 engine.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Stylistically, this new generation Falcon sported Ford's radically new global design language, labelled ""New Edge"". The aim of this design was to attract a younger generation of buyers with avant-garde looks, however, in Australia it polarized public opinion to the benefit of the more organically designed rival, the 1997 Holden Commodore (VT). The AU series had a very efficient for the sedan (an 11% improvement over the preceding EL series) and 0.34 for the wagon.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: For the first time in Falcon's history, Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) became available as standard on some models and optional on others. It also featured Australian production firsts, such as Variable Cam Timing (VCT) on some 6-cylinder models and an adaptive automatic transmission on the high-performance T series with steering wheel gear shifting buttons.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Key changes from the fifth generation Falcon included a reduction in weight for the base car, 17.5 per cent stiffer bodyshell, and an eight per cent improvement in fuel consumption. Peculiarly, Ford Australia decided to use the original 1950's font for the new "Falcon" and "Futura" badges.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: As stated previously, the AU was the first Falcon to offer IRS (a double wishbone design on an isolated subframe). IRS was made available as a costly option on the base Forte, Fairmont and 'S' models, and standard on Fairmont Ghia, XR6 VCT and XR8 models. The updated 6-cylinder engines incorporated advanced features such as VCT on some models and a temperature sensor in the cylinder head, which detected coolant loss and allowed the car to "limp home" safely by cutting cylinders. The engine range comprised: the base "Intech" model producing , with a revised cylinder head featuring smaller valve stems, larger exhaust valves, and different rocker ratio, as well as a revised piston and longer conrod and a cast aluminium cross-bolted oil sump (with the same power output as the EL series); an "HP" version reserved to the XR6 producing (thanks to: unique cylinder head; reshaped inlet port; redesigned exhaust port; ‘open’ combustion chamber shape to restrict pre-detonation from hot spot areas; unique camshaft; higher fuel pressure; recalibrated EEC V engine management system); the VCT version producing for the XR6 VCT; a "Windsor" V8 producing (also carried over from the EL series but without major upgrades).


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Transmissions were improved for better shift feel and the auto was recalibrated to better suit the upgraded engines. The six and eight cylinder models had a 4-speed BTR M93LE and M97LE automatic transmissions, respectively for the six and eight cylinder models, respectively. The automatic XR series models had an "adaptive shift" with five shifting strategies depending on driving conditions. The manual transmission, where available, was a 5-speed T5 model.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The program cost before product launch and key staff included chief designer, Steve Park, and Marcus Hotblack, Manager of Interior Design.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The first series of the AU Falcon was launched in September 1998 and remained on sale until a major upgrade in April 2000. It was marketed under the new slogan ""I've come a long way, baby."".


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Tickford Vehicle Engineering, was responsible for the XR models that carried the "Tickford" wings badge. From July 1999, the newly formed Ford Tickford Experience (FTE) launched the following higher-specification and performance T series (T1) models:


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The new Forté model was the replacement of the old GLi designation. It was designed and marketed to attract to fleet buyers as well as younger, more inexperienced drivers. When new, the car was competitively priced at with automatic transmission and air conditioning (at the time an option on the other Australian-made rivals) fitted as standard.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The more 'up-spec' model was called the Falcon Futura, which was marketed as a family-oriented safety package in the same vogue as the rival Holden Commodore Acclaim. The Futura differed from the Forté in having a body coloured grille, standard ABS, cruise control, alloy wheels and a digital clock fitted in the centre console (series I only). The price of the car when new was .


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The Ford Falcon S (for Sporty) sedan was also based on the Forté but designed as an entry-level sports edition. It achieved this through additional features such as body-coloured grille, alloy wheels, "S" decals on the rear quarters and bootlid, and a high level spoiler. The colour choices were limited to Hot Chilli Red, Liquid Silver, White, Galaxy (Metallic Blue) and Silhouette (Black). Ford eventually offered a "ESP" option pack that added an LSD equipped IRS and ABS to the S-pack.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The XR series was the high performance end of the range. It originally comprised the XR6 HP, XR6 VCT, and XR8 models all sharing a unique quad-lamp front bumper bar and non-high end bonnet. All series I XR's could have the option of a full Tickford bodykit and unique bi-plane rear spoiler.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The Fairmont was the entry level luxury model of the AU range to face-off its main rival, the Holden Berlina. It had all of the fittings of the Futura but included extras such as a honeycomb grille, an 80-second headlamp off delay, wood grain-look dash inserts, unique 15" wheels, dual horns, Fairmont badging on the boot lid and an analogue clock. The Fairmont was offered in sedan and station wagon bodystyles. Above the Fairmont was the Fairmont Ghia, which was the highest non-performance specification model in the range and sedan only. It had additional features that included unique wheels and even more wood grain-look dash inserts. Fairmont & Fairmont Ghia models were not badged as Falcons.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: In terms of safety equipment, the Futura, XR and Fairmont models all had ABS brakes in addition to a driver's airbag, which was the only main safety feature on the Falcon S and Forté. The brakes featured 287x24 mm vented front discs and 287x10.5 mm solid rear discs.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: External model differentiation was achieved via the use of different grilles and bonnets (low bonnet and vertical "salad slicer" grille on Forté, horizontal single bar on Futura, integrated quad-lamp bumper bar and grille on the XR sports range; high bonnet and large grille on Fairmont range) and more basic fittings such as different alloy wheel design, rear light clusters (clear turn signals on Fairmont), body colour-coordination and chrome fittings. The wagons featured a new rear-end relative to the previous generation Falcons. Inside, the Fairmont and XR model featured full instrumentation (oil and battery meters) and the Fairmont twins also adopted a different dashboard. As opposed to the standard Falcon featuring a large oval pod incorporating air conditioning and stereo, the luxury twin featured a 2-level shared with the long-wheelbase AU Fairlane/LTD, with a separate upper level featuring a woodgrain-like trim across to the passenger side that incorporated an analogue clock, trip computer and climate control.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Only the Falcon XR6 VCT and Fairmont Ghia featured "Intech" engines produced by Tickford Vehicle Engineering with variable valve timing. The VCT was developed by Tickford in conjunction with Unisia Jecs who also supplied Jaguar for its V8 engines. IRS was fitted as standard on the Falcon XR6 VCT, XR8 and Fairmont Ghia, and optional on most other sedan models; the XR models being the only ones that could also be fitted with a limited slip differential.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Despite competitive pricing and high standard equipment relative to its rivals, especially for the new entry Forté, sales of the AU did not match those of the previous model, the EL Falcon. This was partly due to a lack of enthusiasm by customers for the "New Edge" styling, alteration of fleet sale pricing as well as the long-term decline in the market for large cars.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: In May 1999, the AU range received a minor update, introducing a bigger brake booster, front power windows for the Forté and XR6 and lowering the rear suspension of non-XR variants by 24 mm. To heighten its interior quality, the Forté was offered with 'medium graphite' interior trim (slightly darker than originally) and the patterned seat material was changed from the bolsters to the seat centres. Buyers were also able to order the darker 'warm charcoal' colour scheme of other Falcon variants.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The only limited edition launched with this initial series, was the Falcon Classic of June 1999 marketed till October 1999 to boost sales. It inherited an eggcrate grille from the non-XR Utility range, dual airbags, ABS brakes, cruise control, upgraded sound system, a "warm charcoal" interior, power aerial, special trim, 15-inch alloys, low profile rear spoiler, bumper inserts and paint. Its recommended retail price was .


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The range of AU Falcon Utility vehicles was launched in June 1999. It offered Falcon XL, XLS, XR6 and XR8 style side utility models, a cab-chassis model and a cab-chassis with factory fitted drop-side tray. The latter was the first tray utility vehicle that Ford Australia had produced for several years.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The body of the AU Falcon utility differed in design from the competing Holden Ute in that the cargo tray was separate from the cab, whereas the tray was an integral part of the body shell in the Holden. As a result, this allowed the rear to accept different after market body types, including tray decks, service bodies, and camper van shells. Unlike the sedan, the AU Falcon utility vehicles were somewhat popular.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Body strength increases, aimed at improving occupant safety and the Falcon's rating in the independent ANCAP crash test program, were also achieved. In the said tests, it received a three star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 24.2 and in the offset crash test, it was found that there was a low risk of injury to all bodily regions (including the driver’s foot and lower leg due to excessive brake pedal movement). New safety features included an airbag and seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters on the front seats across the range. Wagons were fitted with a three-point lap-sash rear centre seatbelt, with the retractor integrated into the seat back.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The braking system now featured thicker front and rear discs, twin-piston aluminium-headed front calipers, bigger non-asbestos brake pads, larger master cylinder and a higher capacity booster. The discs were now ventilated 287x28 mm at the front and solid 287x16 mm at the back. The XR6 VCT and XR8 were also available with an optional Tickford Premium Brake setup that brought 329 mm grooved front brake discs with twin-piston C4 calipers.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Additional features included the introduction of a 10 watt stereo with single-slot CD player, variable intermittent wipers and door lock/unlock button on the instrument panel and the equipment upgrade (such as standard air conditioning, front power windows and automatic transmission) on the entry Forté model, to shrug off initial impressions the low budget perception associated with the first AU series. Also across the range, Ford now offered 3-years or 60,000 km worth of scheduled servicing included in the purchase price.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: As listed above, the engine range remained largely initially, except for increased output for the XR8 and the introduction, from July 2000, of a dedicated LPG engine, marketed as the "Intech E-Gas". It had a single-point, venturi-style carburetor rather than sequential injection as per the petrol engines. Other differences included: different spark plugs, inductive high tension leads and a unique engine management processor. The sedans were fitted with a 92-litre LPG cylinder, while wagons had 115 litre cylinders.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Sedan-based limited editions included the: X-Pack (a Forté upgrade with a choice of two ROH alloy wheel designs from the Ford accessory line as standard and original XR rear wing), SR (Forté-based S successor now with ABS), Futura Classic, Futura & Fairmont Ghia 75th Anniversary sedans (to commemorate Ford Australia's birth in 1925), XR8 Rebel (featuring a limited edition Ford Racing bodykit, 18-inch wheels, MOMO steering wheel and gear shift and an in-car Sony PlayStation 2).


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Augmenting the X-Pack, in late 2000 Stillwell Ford dealers in South Australia launched a Sportryder variant, which added an upgraded and lowered sport suspension using Pedders components plus locally sourced CSA alloy wheels for .


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The Falcon Utility Series II range included the XL, XLS, XR and XR8 with limited editions including (by respective base model): Tradesman (XL); Sports Edition and Marlin (XLS); Pursuit (XR).


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Externally, the Series III, featured body-coloured mirrors and side strips plus standard side skirts and different wheels on some models. Headlights became a shade darker, side indicators clear and a dot matrix windscreen was added to reduce sun glare. In terms of interiors, additional features were added as standard: Futura – rear power windows and velour trim; Fairmont – 6-way power-adjustable driver's seat; Fairmont Ghia – 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and leather trim. Though ABS became standard across the range, the XR models lost equipment: XR6 – limited-slip differential (LSD) now optional; all XR's – stereo downgrade to a 4-speaker single-CD unit. A bodykit marketed as "Havoc" (with new front and rear bumpers featuring stainless mesh inserts; fog lights; side skirts and an optional rear spoiler) became optional on all Falcons with XR8 buyers also having the choice of a Tickford bodykit or the Ford Racing bodykit (originally featured on the AU II Falcon XR8 Rebel). Fairmont and XR could also optioned with the ""REX"" (Rear Entertainment XTreme) package, allowing rear passenger to play DVD movies or connect game consoles.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: As of 2020, there are 44,816 AU Falcon's registered in Australia. 17,192 of which are within Victoria,


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Due to inadequate sales of Ford performance sedans and Holdens success with its 5.7-litre GM produced V8 on its Commodore range. Ford were forced to up the ante with the XR8 and the other Falcon-derived higher performance sedans, that could give buyers a comparable between the two brands and aid the sales.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Accordingly, Ford Tickford Experience (FTE) was established as a joint venture between Ford Australia and Tickford Vehicle Engineering (TVE). As listed above, the resulting T series range comprised the short wheelbase TE50 and TS50 plus the long-wheelbase TL50 (based on the Fairlane). In addition to higher mechanical specifications and performance, this range also benefitted from a "FTE Premium Assist" service with enhanced ownership benefits.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Between 1999 and 2002, there were three T series (based on the respective Falcon series): T1 (AU), T2 (AU II) and T3 (AU III). Their powerplant was a modified "Windsor" V8 renamed "Synergy 5000" that were hand-built and featured an engraved plaque bearing the name of its builder. Over the AU II and AU III period, the production of the "Windsor" was phased out, with remaining units shipped to FTE becoming the most powerful naturally aspirated electronically fuel injected (EFI) "Windsor" engines in the world used to make the Ford Falcon XR8 sedan, and the Pursuit 250 utility.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: The TE50 was available with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The TS50 and TL50, which were not available in manual, only had the automatic transmission with ""Electronic Sport Shift"" (ESS). This feature was an Australian-production first in that, it was the first locally made car to have steering-wheel mounted buttons that permitted manual gear shifting.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Inside, all models featured a MOMO steering wheels and could be optioned with an upgraded Brembo braking system. Externally, FTE aimed for a more sophisticated look compared to its wilder styled rival, Holden Special Vehicles. The cars had distinctive front and rear styling highlighted by a chrome-mesh grille, 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels on the TE50 and TS50 models respectively, and discreet low-profile rear spoilers for the T1 series. The T2 saw the TE50 feature the XR-style rear wing, whereas the TS50 retained the low-profile version. All T3 models featured 18-inch wheels and louder V8 Racing-inspired bodykits with high-profile rear wings.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: In the UK, AU utilities were imported by Verte Automotive (then a subsidiary of AC Cars) as the Verte Tempest from March 2002. Sold in XL and XLS trim levels, it was powered by the 4.0-litre inline-six on LPG only. From the last quarter of 2002, plans included powering the AC Green and Black coupes with the same engine (LPG and petrol, respectively) and eventually selling a range of Tempest XR6 and XR8 utes and sedans, ahead of the Tempest T-Series and the long-wheelbase Fairlane/LTD duo. These plans, however, never eventuated.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: In 2000, the Hillier brothers created a two-door AU Falcon Coupe based on an forte’ spec ex-police car. This then debuted at the Summernats car festival that year. Following a deal with Ford Australia, the green car then became the red 300+ concept that then debuted at the 2001 Melbourne motor show in order to obtain some interest away from the Holden Monaro stand at the motor show which served as a marketing ploy. Following this Roman AutoTek (now AutoTek) approached the Hillier Brothers to produce another show car, however this time it would be made with a more extreme guise. The Ford ‘Arrow’ coupe then debuted the following year at the 2002 Melbourne motor show. Hillier with AEC and Ford began to plan a low-production run of 100 Hillier coupes which they planned to sell for $135,000. Orders were then taken for up to 20 cars instead of the original 100, and Ford then left the project, killing off the Hillier Coupe from small scale production. Only three coupes were made, the Ford 300+ concept car, the Autotek 'Arrow' Coupe and a red XR8 coupe.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Eager to improve Falcon's reception, Ford Australia and other companies presented a number of concept cars that were based on this sixth-generation Falcon over time. These included:


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Despite its highly anticipated competitiveness the AU would bring to Ford in the V8 Supercars Championship and the return of a works Ford team in its debut season of 1999. The controversial signing of former Holden superstar Craig Lowndes in 2001 and the improvement and maturity of Marcos Ambrose, the AU only had very limited success, winning 8 out of 52 rounds in its 4 years of competitive competition. During those 52 championship rounds the AU Falcon also scored 22 pole positions, or a much healthier 42 percent of all poles which included three at the high-speed Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst. The AU also claimed 46 fastest race laps of the 125 races held during that time, or 36 percent. The AU would be the only Falcon in the modern V8 Supercar era to not win a championship or a Bathurst 1000. Its most famous wins would be a win in the 2001 Queensland 500 by Paul Radisich and Steven Johnson in their #17 Shell Helix DJR Falcon. Again in 2002 with David Besnard and Simon Wills in their #9 Caltex Havoline SBR Falcon. The lack of success by Ford during the late 1990s and early 2000s prompted V8 Supercars to introduce a new platform known as "Project Blueprint" that would make the competition more evenly matched.


title: Ford Falcon (AU)

text: Privateer racer Trevor Haines raced a TE50 to 13th place in the 2002 Australian GT Production Car Championship, and later the team finished 9th outright and a Class 5 win in the 2002 Bathurst 24 Hour. Warren Luff took back to back victories in 2002 and 2003 V8 Brute Ute's series racing an Au falcon xr8 ute.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: The First Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1963 and 1966 governed by the first republican constitution. The country's government was based on a federal form of the Westminster system. The period between 1 October 1960, when the country gained its independence and 15 January 1966, when the first military coup d’état took place, is also generally referred to as the First Republic. The first Republic of Nigeria was ruled by different leaders representing their regions as premiers in a federation during this period. Leaders include Ahmadu Bello Northern Nigeria 1959–1966, Obafemi Awolowo Western Nigeria 1959–1960, Samuel Akintola Western Nigeria 1960–1966, Michael Okpara Eastern Nigeria 1960–1966, and Dennis Osadebay Mid-Western Nigeria 1964–1966.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: Although Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, the nation retained the British monarch, Elizabeth II, as titular head of state until the adoption of a new constitution in 1963 declaring the nation a republic. The Westminster system of government was retained, and thus the President's powers were generally ceremonial.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: The name "Nigeria" is derived from the word "Niger" – the name of the river that constitutes the most remarkable geographical feature of the country. Nigeria is a country of , bound to the west by Benin Republic, to the north by the Niger and Chad Republic, east by the Republic of Cameroon, and south by the Gulf of Guinea. The country gained independence from the British government on 1 October 1960, and became a republic in 1963. The journey to independence started with some constitutional developments in Nigeria. These constitutional developments saw the country attaining self-rule in some quarters in 1957 and total independence on 1 October 1960.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: Note: Nnamdi Azikiwe resigned from NCNC to become the First Governor-General of Nigeria from 16 November 1960 – 30 September 1963.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the Northern People's Congress was the only Prime Minister during the period of the First Republic.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: The country was split into three geopolitical regions—Western Region, Eastern Region and Northern Region—and its political parties took on the identities and ideologies of each region. The Northern People's Congress (NPC) represented the interests of the predominantly Hausa/Fulani Northern Region, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC)] (later renamed to "National Council of Nigerian Citizens") represented the predominantly Igbo Eastern Region, and the Action Group (AG) dominated the Yoruba Western Region. The NPC took control of the federal parliament, and formed a coalition government with the NCNC. The National Independence Party (NIP) formed by Professor Eyo Ita became the second political party in the old Eastern Region. Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, leader of the NPC, was poised to become the Prime Minister, but instead he chose to become the Premier of the Northern Region, and supported his deputy Tafawa Balewa's candidacy for Prime Minister. This raised suspicions amongst the southern politicians, who resented the idea of a federal government controlled by a regional leader through his designated proxy. In the end, Tafawa Balewa of NPC was named Prime Minister and Head of Government, and Nnamdi Azikiwe of NCNC was named President.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: At Nigeria's independence, the Northern Region gained more seats in parliament than both Eastern and Western regions combined—this would cement Northern dominance in Nigerian politics for years to come. Resentment amongst southern politicians precipitated into political chaos in the country. Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of Western Region, was accused of attempting to overthrow the government. This followed a period of conflict between the AG regional government and the central government. In spite of the flimsiness of the evidence presented by the government's prosecutors, he was convicted. With incarceration of Awolowo, Samuel Akintola took over as the Premier of Western Region. Because Akintola was an ally of Ahmadu Bello, the undisputed strong man of Nigeria, Akintola was criticized as being a tool of the North. As premier of the West, Akintola presided over the most chaotic era in Western Region—one which earned it the nickname "the Wild-Wild West". However, as late as Thursday, 13 January 1966, Balewa had announced that the federal government was not going to intervene in the West. However, the very next day, Akintola, premier of the West met with his ally Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, premier of the North and party boss of NPC party to which Balewa belonged. At the same time a top-level security conference in Lagos was taking place which was attended by most of the country's senior army officiers. All of this activity created rumors that the Balewa government would be forced to crack down on lawlessness in the West using military might.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: S.A. Ajayi returned to Kabba Province and joined the Northern People's Congress, where he later rose to become the vice president of the party in Kabba Province. In 1955, he was elected councillor in the Kabba Native Administration and a year later, he won a seat in the Northern House of Assembly, and became a member of the regional executive council as minister of state for forestry affairs. He was appointed acting minister for education in 1963, in the absence of Isa Kaita. During his time in the Northern House of Assembly, he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello from 1957 to 1960. He was among the delegate that negotiated Nigerian Independence at the Lancaster House Conferences in London and led the Northern Nigeria Delegation to London for the Negotiation and Launching of VC-10 Nigeria Airways. He was a member of Nigeria Economic Mission to West Germany and was a minister till their government was overthrown by the military coup on January 15, 1966. During Shehu Shagari's administration, he was appointed to the first board of directors of National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria (NICON).


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: The political unrest during the mid-1960s culminated into Nigeria's first military coup d'état. On 15 January 1966, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and his fellow rebel soldiers (most of who were of southern extraction) and were led by Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna of the Nigerian Army, executed a bloody takeover of all institutions of government. Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, was assassinated along with the premier of Northern Nigeria, strong-man Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna of Sokoto, Samuel Akintola, premier of the West and Festus Okotie-Eboh, the Finance Minister. . It is not clear whether President Azikiwe's life was spared because he was out of the country at the time, or whether he had been informed about the impending coup and was out of the country so that his life could be spared. Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi took control as the first Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria on January 16, 1966.


title: First Nigerian Republic

text: The republic would be torn by the secession of Biafra and the ensuing civil war from 1966 to 1970. After the end of the war, the nation re-unified and military rule continued for another nine years, implementing Nationalisation of foreign businesses. Eventually, elections were held in 1979 leading the way to the Nigerian Second Republic.


title: The Busy World of Richard Scarry

text: The Busy World of Richard Scarry is an animated children's television series, produced by CINAR Animation and France Animation in association with Paramount Television, which aired from 1994 to 1997, first on Showtime, later on Nickelodeon, and ran for 65 episodes. The television series was based on the books drawn and written by Richard Scarry. Reruns of the show formerly aired in syndication as part of the Cookie Jar Kids Network block, but the show now continues to air on the Cookie Jar Toons block on This TV until October 26, 2013. Reruns of the show aired on Qubo from May 13, 2013, to September 25, 2016. However, it returned to Qubo on March 28, 2017, as part of the network's Night Owl block until May 26, 2018, and has also aired on Light TV, but has since left the network.


title: The Busy World of Richard Scarry

text: The series takes place in the fictional city of Busytown and mainly stars Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and many of the other residents of Busytown. Every "human" in the series is an anthropomorphic animal, most commonly pigs, foxes, breeds of dogs, mice, rabbits, goats, and cats. Each episode always features a conflict (which is eventually resolved in the end). However, episodes featuring other anthropomorphic animals, like Couscous catching Pépé le Gangstaire and his dirty rats, Sam and Dudley, Sneef and Sniff, Cucumber and Pickles, etc. have taken place outside of Busytown in other places around the world.


title: The Busy World of Richard Scarry

text: On July 27, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment released "The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Every Day There's Something New" on DVD in Region 1 (US only). This 3-disc set features the first 30 episodes of the series. On July 19, 2011, Mill Creek released "The Busy World of Richard Scarry: Fun in Busytown!", a 4-disc set that features the remaining 35 episodes of the series.


title: The Busy World of Richard Scarry

text: On August 4, 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released "The Busy World of Richard Scarry- The Complete Series" on DVD in Region 1 which includes bonus episodes of "Busytown Mysteries", "Wimzie's House" and "Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings".


title: The Busy World of Richard Scarry

text: Most of the music was written by two composers. The theme song was written by Sara Zahn and composed by Milan Kymlicka, while the underscore was composed and conducted by Laurent Petitgirard and Steve Wener. Several other composers contributed to several educational shorts in the series.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Jatropha curcas is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to the American tropics, most likely Mexico and Central America. It is originally native to the tropical areas of the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, and has been spread throughout the world in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, becoming naturalized or invasive in many areas. The specific epithet, ""curcas"", was first used by Portuguese doc Garcia de Orta more than 400 years ago. Common names in English include physic nut, Barbados nut, poison nut, bubble bush or purging nut. In parts of Africa and areas in Asia such as India it is often known as "castor oil plant" or "hedge castor oil plant", but it is not the same as the usual castor oil plant, "Ricinus communis" (they are in the same family but different subfamilies).


title: Jatropha curcas

text: "J. curcas" is a semi-evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching a height of or more. It is resistant to a high degree of aridity, allowing it to grow in deserts. It contains phorbol esters, which are considered toxic. However, edible (non-toxic) varieties native to Mexico also exist, known by the local population as piñón manso, xuta, chuta, aishte, among others. "J. curcas" also contains compounds such as trypsin inhibitors, phytate, saponins and a type of lectin known as curcin.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: The seeds contain 27–40% oil (average: 34.4%) that can be processed to produce a high-quality biodiesel fuel, usable in a standard diesel engine. The oil has a very purgative property. Edible (non-toxic) varieties, as those developed by selection by ethnic Mexican natives in Veracruz, can be used for animal feed and food.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: "Jatropha curcas" can easily be propagated by both seed or cuttings. Some people recommend propagation by seed for establishment of long-lived plantations. When jatropha plants develop from cuttings, they produce many branches but yield fewer seeds and do not have enough time to develop their taproot, which makes them sensitive to wind erosion. The seeds exhibit orthodox storage behaviour and under normal treatment and storage will maintain viability at high percentages for eight months to a year. Propagation through seed (sexual propagation) leads to a lot of genetic variability in terms of growth, biomass, seed yield and oil content. Clonal techniques can help in overcoming these problems. Vegetative propagation has been achieved by stem cuttings, grafting, budding as well as by air layering techniques. Cuttings should be taken preferably from juvenile plants and treated with 200 micro gram per litre of IBA (rooting hormone) to ensure the highest level of rooting in stem cuttings. Cuttings strike root easily stuck in the ground without use of hormones.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Cultivation is uncomplicated. "Jatropha curcas" grows in tropical and subtropical regions. The plant can grow in wastelands and grows on almost any terrain, even on gravelly, sandy and saline soils. It can thrive in poor and stony soils, although new research suggests that the plant's ability to adapt to these poor soils is not as extensive as had been previously stated. Complete germination is achieved within 9 days. Adding manure during the germination has negative effects during that phase, but is favorable if applied after germination is achieved. It can be propagated by cuttings, which yields faster results than multiplication by seeds.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: The flowers only develop terminally (at the end of a stem), so a good ramification (plants presenting many branches) produces the greatest amount of fruits. The plants are self-compatible. Another productivity factor is the ratio between female and male flowers within an inflorescence, more female flowers mean more fruits. "Jatropha curcas" thrives on a mere of rain a year, and only during its first two years does it need to be watered in the closing days of the dry season. Ploughing and planting are not needed regularly, as this shrub has a life expectancy of approximately forty years. The use of pesticides is not necessary, due to the pesticidal and fungicidal properties of the plant. It is used in rural Bengal for dhobi itch (a common fungal infection of the skin).


title: Jatropha curcas

text: While "Jatropha curcas" starts yielding from 9–12 months time, the best yields are obtained only after 2–3 years time. The seed production is around 3.5 tons per hectare (seed production ranges from about 0.4 t/ha in the first year to over 5 t/ha after 3 years). If planted in hedges, the reported productivity of "Jatropha" is from 0.8 to 1.0 kg of seed per meter of live fence.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Oil content varies from 28% to 30% and 80% extraction, one hectare of plantation will give 400 to 600 litres of oil if the soil is average.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: The oily seeds are processed into oil, which may be used directly ("Straight Vegetable Oil") to fuel combustion engines or may be subjected to transesterification to produce biodiesel. Jatropha oil is not suitable for human consumption, as it induces strong vomiting and diarrhea.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: When jatropha seeds are crushed, the resulting jatropha oil can be processed to produce a high-quality biofuel or biodiesel that can be used in a standard diesel car or further processed into jet fuel, while the residue (press cake) can also be used as biomass feedstock to power electricity plants, or used as fertilizer (it contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). The cake can also be used as feed in digesters and gasifiers to produce biogas.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: There are several forms of biofuel, often manufactured using sedimentation, centrifugation, and filtration. The fats and oils are turned into esters while separating the glycerin. At the end of the process, the glycerin settles and the biofuel floats. The process through which the glycerin is separated from the biodiesel is known as transesterification. Glycerin is another by-product from Jatropha oil processing that can add value to the crop. Transesterification is a simple chemical reaction that neutralizes the free fatty acids present in any fatty substances in Jatropha. A chemical exchange takes place between the alkoxy groups of an ester compound by an alcohol. Usually, methanol and ethanol are used for the purpose. The reaction occurs by the presence of a catalyst, usually sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or caustic soda and potassium hydroxide (KOH), which forms fatty esters (e.g., methyl or ethyl esters), commonly known as biodiesel. It takes approximately 10% of methyl alcohol by weight of the fatty substance to start the transesterification process.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Estimates of "Jatropha" seed yield vary widely, due to a lack of research data, the genetic diversity of the crop, the range of environments in which it is grown, and "Jatropha"s perennial life cycle. Seed yields under cultivation can range from 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms per hectare, corresponding to extractable oil yields of 540 to 680 litres per hectare (58 to 73 gallons per acre). In 2009 "Time" magazine cited the potential for as much as 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel per acre per year. The plant may yield more than four times as much fuel per hectare as soybean, and more than ten times that of maize (corn), but at the same time it requires five times as much water per unit of energy produced as does corn (see below). A hectare of jatropha has been claimed to produce 1,892 litres of fuel. However, as it has not yet been domesticated or improved by plant breeders, yields are variable.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: "Jatropha" can also be intercropped with other cash crops such as coffee, sugar, fruits and vegetables.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: In 2007 Goldman Sachs cited "Jatropha curcas" as one of the best candidates for future biodiesel production. However, despite its abundance and use as an oil and reclamation plant, none of the "Jatropha" species has been properly domesticated and, as a result, its productivity is variable, and the long-term impact of its large-scale use on soil quality and the environment is unknown.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: In 2008 researchers at Daimler Chrysler Research explored the use of jatropha oil for automotive use, concluding that although jatropha oil as fuel "has not yet reached optimal quality, ... it already fulfills the EU norm for biodiesel quality". Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bayer CropScience and Daimler AG have a joint project to develop jatropha as a biofuel. Three Mercedes cars powered by Jatropha diesel have already put some 30,000 kilometres behind them. The project is supported by DaimlerChrysler and by the German Association for Investment and Development (Deutschen Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, DEG).


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Aviation fuels may be more widely replaced by biofuels such as jatropha oil than fuels for other forms of transportation. There are fewer planes than cars or trucks and far fewer jet fueling stations to convert than gas stations. To fulfil the yearly demand for aviation fuel, based on demand in 2008 (fuel use has since grown), an area of farmland twice the size of France would need to be planted with jatropha, based on average yields of mature plantations on reasonably good, irrigated land.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: On December 30, 2008, Air New Zealand flew the first successful test flight from Auckland with a Boeing 747 running one of its four Rolls-Royce engines on a 50:50 blend of jatropha oil and jet A-1 fuel. In the same press release, Air New Zealand announced plans to use the new fuel for 10% of its needs by 2013. At the time of this test, jatropha oil was much cheaper than crude oil, costing an estimated $43 a barrel or about one-third of the June 4, 2008 closing price of $122.30 for a barrel of crude oil.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: On January 7, 2009 Continental Airlines successfully completed a test flight from Houston, Texas using a 50/50 mixture of algae/jatropha-oil-derived biofuel and Jet A in one of the two CFM56 engines of a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation jet. The two-hour test flight could mark another promising step for the airline industry to find cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: On April 1, 2011 Interjet completed the first Mexican aviation biofuels test flight on an Airbus A320. The fuel was a 70:30 traditional jet fuel biojet blend produced from Jatropha oil provided by three Mexican producers, Global Energías Renovables (a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S.-based Global Clean Energy Holdings), Bencafser S.A. and Energy JH S.A. Honeywell's UOP processed the oil into Bio-SPK (Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene). Global Energías Renovables operates the largest Jatropha farm in the Americas.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: On October 28, 2011 Air China completed the first successful demonstration flight by a Chinese airline that used jatropha-based biofuel. The mixture was a 50:50 mix of conventional jet fuel blended with jatropha oil from China National Petroleum Corp. The 747-400 powered one of its four engines on the fuel mixture during the 1-hour flight around Beijing airport.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: On August 27, 2018 SpiceJet completed the first successful test flight by an Indian airline which used jatropha based biofuel. The ratio of conventional jet fuel to jatropha oil was 25:75.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: According to a 2013 study published by the European Geosciences Union, the jatropha tree may have applications in the absorption of carbon dioxide, whose sequestration is important in combating climate change. This small tree is very resistant to aridity so it can be planted in hot and dry land in soil unsuitable for food production. The plant does need water to grow though, so coastal areas where desalinated seawater can be made available are ideal.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Currently the oil from "Jatropha curcas" seeds is used for making biodiesel fuel in Philippines, Pakistan and in Brazil, where it grows naturally and in plantations in the southeast, north, and northeast of Brazil. In the Gran Chaco of Paraguay, where a native variety ("Jatropha matacensis") also grows, studies have shown the suitability of Jatropha cultivation and agro producers are starting to consider planting in the region. In Africa, cultivation of "jatropha" is being promoted and it is grown successfully in countries such as Mali.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Jatropha oil is being promoted as an easily grown biofuel crop in hundreds of projects throughout India. Large plantings and nurseries have been undertaken in India by many research institutions, and by women's self-help groups who use a system of microcredit to ease poverty among semiliterate Indian women. The railway line between Mumbai and Delhi is planted with "jatropha" and the train itself runs on 15–20% biodiesel.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Myanmar is also actively pursuing the use of jatropha oil. On 15 December 2005, then-head of state, Senior General Than Shwe, said “the States and Divisions concerned are to put 50,000 acres (200 km²) under the physic nut plants [Jatropha] each within three years totalling 700,000 acres (2,800 km²) during the period”. On the occasion of Burma’s Peasant Day 2006, Than Shwe described in his a message that “For energy sector which is an essential role in transforming industrial agriculture system, the Government is encouraging for cultivation of physic nut plants nationwide and the technical know how that can refine physic nuts to biodiesel has also identified.” He would like to urge peasants to cultivate physic nut plants on a commercial scale with major aims for emergence of industrial agriculture system, for fulfilling rural electricity supply and energy needs, for supporting rural areas development and import substitute


title: Jatropha curcas

text: In 2006, the chief research officer at state-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise said Burma hoped to completely replace the country's oil imports of 40,000 barrels a day with home-brewed, jatropha-derived biofuel. Other government officials declared Burma would soon start exporting jatropha oil. Despite the military's efforts, the jatropha campaign apparently has largely flopped in its goal of making Burma self-sufficient in fuel. (2006 from MyawaddyTV)


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Z.G.S. Bioenergy has started Jatropha Plantation Projects in Northern Shan State, the company has begun planting Jatropha plants during late June 2007 and will start producing seeds by 2010. (20 July 2007 from New Light of Myanmar)


title: Jatropha curcas

text: As of 2011 scepticism about the "miracle" properties of "Jatropha" has been voiced. For example: "The idea that jatropha can be grown on marginal land is a red herring", according to Harry Stourton, former business development director of UK-based Sun Biofuels, which attempted to cultivate "Jatropha" in Mozambique and Tanzania. "It does grow on marginal land, but if you use marginal land you'll get marginal yields," he said. Sun Biofuels, after failing to adequately compensate local farmers for the land acquired for their plantation in Tanzania, pay workers severance, or deliver promised supplies to local villagers, went bankrupt later in 2011, the villager farmland being sold to an offshore investment fund.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: An August 2010 article warned about the actual utility and potential dangers of reliance on "Jatropha" in Kenya. Major concerns included its invasiveness, which could disrupt local biodiversity, as well as damage to water catchment areas.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: "Jatropha curcas" is lauded as being sustainable, and that its production would not compete with food production, but the jatropha plant needs water like every other crop to grow. This could create competition for water between the jatropha and other edible food crops. In fact, jatropha requires five times more water per unit of energy than sugarcane and corn.


title: Jatropha curcas

text: "Xuta", "chuta", "aishte" or "piñón manso" (among others) are some of the names given in Mexico to edible non-toxic "Jatropha curcas". It is grown in house gardens or other small areas. Although it is known as a toxic plant due to the presence of diterpenes named phorbol esters, the existence of edible non-toxic "J. curcas" without phorbol esters content has been demonstrated. It is also similarly reported that "Jatropha" seeds are edible once the embryo has been removed. The process for analysis of phorbol ester contents in "J. curcas" is done through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).


title: Jatropha curcas

text: Xuta is traditionally prepared for local celebrations or popular parties. The kernels are roasted and eaten as a snack or roasted and ground to prepare different dishes, such as tamales, soups and sauces like “pipian”. The seeds in the zone around Misantla, Veracruz are very appreciated by the population as food once they have been boiled and roasted.


title: UFC 262

text: UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States.


title: UFC 262

text: A UFC Lightweight Championship bout for the vacant title between former three-time Bellator Lightweight World Champion Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira headlined the event. Former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement immediately after defending his title at UFC 254 last October, citing his father's death from complications related to COVID-19 in July as the main reason behind it. Despite his announcement, the title was never officially vacated as UFC President Dana White said several times that he believed Nurmagomedov would still fight again. White finally conceded on March 19 as he confirmed Nurmagomedov's retirement.


title: UFC 262

text: A welterweight bout between Leon Edwards and former UFC Lightweight Championship challenger Nate Diaz (also The Ultimate Fighter 5 lightweight winner) was expected to take place at this event. It would've marked the first five-round non-title co-main event in UFC history. However, Diaz pulled out due to a minor injury in early May and the bout was postponed to UFC 263.


title: UFC 262

text: A flyweight bout between former UFC Flyweight Championship challenger Alex Perez and Matt Schnell was scheduled for the event. However, Perez was forced to pull out due to undisclosed reasons. He was replaced by Rogério Bontorin and the bout took place at bantamweight. At the weigh-ins, Bontorin weighed in at 137 pounds, one pound over the division's non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and he was fined 20% of his purse, which went to Schnell.


title: UFC 262

text: Joel Álvarez was scheduled to face Christos Giagos in a lightweight bout. However, Álvarez was removed from the bout in early May due to alleged visa issues that restricted his travel. Giagos faced returning veteran Sean Soriano instead.


title: UFC 262

text: A middleweight bout between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan was expected to take place at this event. However, the bout was postponed to take place one week later at due to a COVID-19 case in Hermansson's camp.


title: UFC 262

text: On May 14, it was announced that the UFC would be increasing bonuses (Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night) from $50,000 to $75,000. This increase was for this event only and was made at the request of former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (also welterweight winner), who received a raucous response from the audience in attendance at the UFC 262 pre-fight press conference when he made the proposal.


title: UFC 262

text: In June 2021, Bontorin was notified by USADA due to a potential doping violation. He tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic, in an out-of-competition urine sample in May 2021. Following notification of his positive test, Bontorin provided open containers of two dietary supplements he obtained from a Brazilian compounding pharmacy that he was using prior to his positive test for analysis by a WADA-accredited laboratory. Although no prohibited substances were listed on the supplement product labels, the analysis revealed the presence of HCTZ in the products. He was given a three month suspension that began on 1 May and his win was overturned to a no contest.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Dawn Marie Psaltis (born November 3, 1970) is an American actress, nurse and a retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the SmackDown! brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under her ring name Dawn Marie.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Before entering the wrestling industry, Psaltis made her living in real estate. After deciding to pursue a career in modeling or acting, Psaltis began managing wrestlers on the independent circuit after meeting a wrestling promoter. She signed a deal with ECW after what was supposed to be a three-week stint. She managed The Impact Players and Simon and Swinger until ECW's bankruptcy in 2001.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Psaltis then joined WWE, where her most notable feud involved her marrying Al Wilson, the real-life father of her rival Torrie Wilson. She was released from her WWE contract in 2005 after revealing that she was pregnant, which resulted in her filing a lawsuit against her former employers. Currently, Psaltis works as a nurse.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Psaltis was raised by her father, a zoologist, and together, they spent their time camping and hunting. In her youth, she was a fan of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), admiring wrestlers such as Bob Backlund, Jimmy Snuka, and Roddy Piper. Psaltis graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business at the age of 22. She then went on to work for a real estate consultancy firm in Manhattan, New York, reaching the position of Director of International Real Estate.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: After meeting an ex-boyfriend who had aspired to play football professionally and finding out that he had been signed by the Chicago Bears, Psaltis decided that she wanted to pursue a career in entertainment. She resigned from the firm and moved into the entertainment industry with the goal of becoming either a model or an actress.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: While signing modeling posters for Jonathan Gold, a talent agent and professional wrestling promoter, Psaltis jokingly told Gold that she would be interested in pursuing a career in wrestling. Gold took her comment at face value and later contacted Psaltis, informing her that she was scheduled to appear at a wrestling show in New Jersey. With some trepidation, she went to the show and managed Tony Atlas in his match against Jimmy Snuka. Psaltis made her professional wrestling debut in January 1995. She met her future fiancé Simon Diamond during her time in the independent wrestling promotions. She also met Buddy Landell and Devon Storm, both of whom helped train her. Psaltis spent four years working on the northeastern independent circuit, appearing with promotions such as Maryland Championship Wrestling and the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: In 1998, Psaltis was informed that Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) employee Buh Buh Ray Dudley was interested in bringing her into ECW. At the behest of Dudley, Psaltis traveled to the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where ECW promoter Paul Heyman told her that he would book her for several appearances in an angle with Lance Storm. She debuted in ECW on August 28, 1998, as the manager of Storm, feuding with Chris Candido and his manager, Tammy Lynn Sytch. Although she was only supposed to have a three-week role in the company, Heyman was impressed by the chemistry between Psaltis and Storm and offered her a contract, which she accepted. Psaltis created her character to be in love with Storm and clumsy rather than glamorous.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Storm and Psaltis feuded with Candido and Sytch for several months, during which time Psaltis was renamed "Tammy Lynn Bytch" to spite Candido and his manager. After the respective feuds ended, she used the ring name "Dawn Marie Bytch," which was eventually shortened to simply Dawn Marie. After Storm formed a tag team with Justin Credible known as the Impact Players in the summer of 1999, she managed both men, helping them win the ECW Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Psaltis continued to manage Storm until he left ECW for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in May 2000. Psaltis was also offered a contract by WCW, but declined to leave ECW in order to remain with her fiancé, ECW wrestler Simon Diamond. She also had two years left on her ECW contract.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Storm then departed ECW, and Psaltis became a color commentator on ECW pay-per-views and the television series "ECW on TNN". On December 3, 2000, at the Massacre on 34th Street pay-per-view, as part of a new angle, she announced that she would become the manager of the winner of the opening match pitting Simon Diamond and Swinger against Christian York and Joey Matthews. Although York and Matthews won the bout, Psaltis opted to join forces with Diamond and Swinger, whom she managed until ECW declared bankruptcy in April 2001.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Following the bankruptcy of ECW, Psaltis returned to the independent circuit, managing Diamond. The duo made several appearances alongside Swinger with the short lived X Wrestling Federation in November 2001. During her time on the independent circuit, she trained as a wrestler under Simon Diamond and Mikey Whipwreck. Also in 2001, Psaltis worked as a stock trader, and in 2002, she co-hosted a syndicated wrestling radio show known as the "Piledriver Rock and Wrestling Radio Show".


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: In April 2002, Psaltis began negotiating with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), eventually agreeing to a deal. She made her World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) television debut on the May 30 episode of "SmackDown!" as Vince McMahon's legal assistant. She debuted with the name "Dawn Marie Rinaldi" although it was quickly shortened to the original "Dawn Marie". In her initial storyline, she briefly feuded with Stacy Keibler over McMahon's affections until McMahon turned over the General Manager position to his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, which was followed shortly by Keibler's departure for the RAW brand.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Psaltis would begin a controversial feud with Torrie Wilson in 2002. On the October 17 episode of "Smackdown!", Marie picked up her first victory when she teamed up with Matt Hardy to defeat Rikishi and Torrie Wilson. In the angle, Psaltis developed a relationship with Wilson's real-life father Al Wilson. On the edition of November 7 of "Smackdown!", Psaltis became engaged to Al. In December, Psaltis would attempt to bribe Wilson by inviting her to a hotel one night; if she arrived, she would break off the engagement. Footage of the event would later be shown at the Armageddon pay-per-view. Despite this, as part of the angle, the couple remained engaged, and the two got married on the January 2, 2003 episode of "Smackdown!". Al then, in storyline, died from a heart attack after having rigorous sex numerous times in succession on their honeymoon. In response, Wilson defeated Psaltis at No Mercy in October. She defeated Psaltis again at the Royal Rumble in 2003 in what was billed as a "Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter match". On Smackdown on March 13, 2003, Dawn Marie flashed the crowd, unbuttoning her outfit and opening it completely. Numerous YouTube videos were made of this episode. In May 2004, Psaltis renewed her feud with Wilson. As part of the feud, the two had a match with Wilson's career on the line when the "SmackDown!" General Manager at the time, Kurt Angle, made the stipulation for the match at Judgment Day, which Wilson won.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: After being on hiatus from "SmackDown!" programming, Psaltis returned in September 2004 and began a new storyline with Miss Jackie, involving whether she and Jackie's fiancée, Charlie Haas, had an affair. This angle led up to a match between the two at Armageddon, with Haas as the guest referee. Psaltis won the match, but afterward, Haas confirmed their affair and broke off both relationships.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: At the No Way Out pay-per-view, on February 20, 2005, Dawn Marie entered a feud with Michelle McCool after McCool attacked Marie during the Divas Contest where Marie and Torrie Wilson co-hosted the contest. On the March 3 episode of "Smackdown!", Marie teamed up with Rene Dupree in losing effort to Big Show and McCool in a mixed tag team match. On the March 24 episode of "Smackdown!", Dawn Marie pinned McCool by using the ropes for leverage. On the April 14 episode of "Smackdown!", Dawn Marie was defeated by Torrie in a Divas Match, this would turn out to be Marie's last match. Her last in-ring appearance with the company was at ECW One Night Stand, managing Lance Storm for his match against Chris Jericho. Her final appearance on WWE programming was during the June 19, 2005 episode of "WWE Byte This!". Afterward, she was released from her WWE contract on July 6, 2005, as her status was on maternity leave, as she was pregnant.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: On November 5, 2005, a visibly pregnant Psaltis appeared at the ECW reunion event Hardcore Homecoming: November Reign, which was unaffiliated with World Wrestling Entertainment, holding the key for the main event steel cage match between Jerry Lynn and Justin Credible. The match was won by Justin Credible after Psaltis, Jason Knight, and Lance Storm interfered on his behalf. In June 2006, she managed Johnny Candido in a match for the National Wrestling Superstars promotion.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: On March 8, 2008, Marie made her debut for Women Superstars Uncensored as a special guest referee for match between Alexa Thatcher and Cindy Rogers versus Nikki Roxx and Alere Little Feather. Marie made her in-ring debut on the March 22, 2008 episode of "Women Superstars Uncensored", competing in the WSU/NWS J-Cup Tournament and being managed by the villainous Tammy Lynn Sytch, but losing to Becky Bayless in the first round. On the June 21 episode of "Women Superstars Uncensored", Marie was defeated by Becky Bayless following the match it was then turned in a tag team match where she teamed up with Portia Perez in a winning effort defeating Bayless and Angelina Love.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: On the August 23, 2008 episode of "Women Superstars Uncensored", Marie's final match was where she competed in a no-contest with Trixie Lynn, Marie was scheduled to face Becky Bayless but was changed due to Bayless being signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: In July 2009, Psaltis signed with Dragon Gate USA as the "Live Event Hostess", a role similar to that of the ring announcer. Marie made appearance for UWE at their pay-per-view Meltdown', on July 21, 2012, managing Kevin Murphy and Richie Nightmare against "The Thrill Seeker" Sage Strong and The Mercenary whom was managed by Tommy Dreamer.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: On the March 6, 2010 episode of "Women Superstars Uncensored", Marie was inducted into the "Women Superstars Uncensored" Hall of Fame by Alicia.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Psaltis starred in "The Vampire Carmilla", a 1999 independent film. In 2008, she appeared in the second installment of Paul Heyman's "The Heyman Hustle" video blog, which featured her and Heyman on the streets of New York City during the winter season, with Psaltis wearing only a bikini under a fur coat. Psaltis appears as a playable character in the games "ECW Hardcore Revolution", "ECW Anarchy Rulz" and "WWE WrestleMania XIX".


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: While wrestling in ECW, Psaltis took one college class a semester because of her love of learning and reading. She also took acting classes with the intention of becoming an actress after her career in professional wrestling was over. After her wrestling career, Psaltis became a nurse.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Psaltis began dating Simon Diamond in October 1998. Before dating, the two had been good friends for almost two years. They had planned to be married by the end of 2000 or into 2001. They did not wed, but stayed engaged for several years afterwards. After seven years together, their relationship had come to an end.


title: Dawn Marie Psaltis

text: Later, Psaltis met Matthew DaMatta, whom she married in 2005 in Las Vegas. In 2005, Psaltis gave birth to her first child. In January 2006, she filed a complaint against WWE with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that her contract had been wrongfully terminated as a result of her pregnancy and that she had suffered mental duress as a result of the release. The case was reportedly settled in late 2007. Psaltis gave birth to her second child in 2009.


title: Music sequencer

text: A music sequencer (or audio sequencer or simply sequencer) is a device or application software that can record, edit, or play back music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically CV/Gate, MIDI, or Open Sound Control (OSC), and possibly audio and automation data for DAWs and plug-ins.