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What happens to child abuse victims in Mexico?
That was the question everyone asked after news broke that a young girl – initially believed to be 9 years old – gave birth in a Mexican hospital last month, raising international ire and dismay. Attention was suddenly trained on the failure of Mexican institutions to protect victims of abuse, especially children, highlighting how it can go undetected and unreported.
Adolescents and girls who are victims of sexual abuse in Mexico face a harrowing road to justice and recovery in a country where, although a federal law exists to protect them, in practice they are often left defenseless. Child rights advocates are pressing Mexico to reform arcane laws and a dysfunctional system of child protection. And at least one program is offering hope for a model of care.
The young mother known as Dafne was not nine but 12 or 13, as authorities later found (the girl's stepfather has been arrested in this case). But it was that misinformation that prompted her story to go viral and drove state authorities in Jalisco to investigate. Many say her case – like many others – may have otherwise gone ignored.
"It's one of thousands [of similar] stories that unfortunately occur in our country," says Araceli Borja, a child protection advocate with Mexico's Save the Children.
Mexico knows it has work to do, and reform is on the legislative agenda. Meanwhile, civil organizations are pressuring the government to take action and are supporting small-scale efforts to improve the current system, including one in a Mexico City hospital that has had united agencies from health to family and legal services, and the police, to work together in defense of children.
"A key problem, which affects many countries, is a lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities between different institutions in child protection," says Alison Sutton, chief of child protection for the Mexico office of the United Nations children's agency, UNICEF. "If everybody is responsible, nobody is.
"It is important to know who must act, when and how. Otherwise children fall between the cracks within and between institutions."
Not an isolated case
Teen pregnancy in Mexico is rising, and some of those affected are very young. According to the 2012 national health survey, for every 1,000 women who give birth, 37 are adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19. That's up from a rate of 30 in 2006.
Eleven thousand births were registered to girls between 12 and 14 in 2011.
What is worrisome about pregnancies at such a young age, particularly when the father is an adult, is that "the only explanation is sexual abuse," says Juan Martín Pérez García, executive director of REDIM, the Network for the Rights of Children in Mexico.
Mothers who are particularly young face increased risks in pregnancy: Nearly 14 percent of maternal deaths in 2009 were girls aged 12 to 15, according to Save the Children, an international nonprofit that is among those leading the calls for change. Laws governing the age of consent or legal marriage vary widely across the country, from 18 to as young as 12 years old. (Jalisco state only recently raised its age of consent to 15 from 12.)
Complicating abuse cases, it's often unclear which of numerous local, state, and federal agencies bear responsibility for investigating a crime and ensuring care for an abused child. Crime reporting in Mexico is dismally low, and that holds true for abuse cases. Fears that the government may take a child away also prevent many families from speaking up.
Dr. José Antonio Muñoz Serrano, secretary of the Jalisco health ministry which oversees the hospital where the young mother gave birth, says that too often girls and adolescents arrive at the hospital in similar conditions, having had no prenatal care, shrouded in suspicions of abuse.
"It's reprehensible," Mr. Serrano says. "It's not possible that a nine-month pregnancy goes by in a minor and no one reports it. Someone is taking advantage of the fact that the minor can't defend herself."
A model for care
Dr. Bony Mendoza Huerta hears heart-wrenching cases of child abuse on a regular basis at her office at a pediatric hospital in Mexico City that is working to fill the gaps in child protection.
Two years ago, the hospital – which specializes in treating young victims – proposed to bring under one roof psychological counseling, an agency for family protective services, victims legal services, and, crucially, investigative authorities. Such close interagency cooperation is highly unusual in Mexico (although similar models can be found in the US, where state departments of children and families have clear authority to investigate child neglect and abuse and will participate in multidisciplinary teams).
In incorporating the team into the health system, "the idea was that it would be a friendlier place in which families could come and speak freely about what's happening in their homes," Dr. Mendoza says. "The intervention is much easier."
Previously, if Mendoza detected a potential case of child abuse during an examination, she would treat the child but could do little more than urge a parent or caretaker to report the crime to the public ministry's investigative police. Too often the case would never be reported or would soon be dropped for lack of follow-up by the family or the inefficiencies of the criminal justice system in Mexico.
Those involved say the pilot program initiated by Mendoza and backed by UNICEF has been nothing short of revolutionary for the hospital and Iztapalapa, Mexico City's most populous – and marginalized – borough. The hospital detected just 12 cases of abuse in 2007 – largely due to underreporting, but that number rose to 316 last year, nearly one case per day.
A parent who brings in an abused child can access medical treatment and mental health counseling; consult with a pro bono lawyer specializing in abuse cases; and, if charges should be filed, visit a small office of the investigative police – all located within a few paces of each other. Both the lawyer and a caseworker from family protective services will follow up with the family through the entire process, even after a hospital stay has ended.
UNICEF, which has provided technical and financial assistance, is promoting the Iztapalapa program as one model for how a coordinated system could operate in Mexico.
"The aim is that you reduce impunity for crimes against children and you do so in a situation in which children are being given appropriate psychological and social support," Ms. Sutton says.
Reforming the system
The next step for Mexico, say advocates, is to reform its child protection laws.
A 2000 federal law incorporates many elements of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. But like many laws in Mexico, it is largely declaratory and lacks mechanisms that would make it functional.
A new law would attribute specific responsibilities across the three levels of government and dictate how agencies should coordinate child protection services, says Pérez García of REDIM.
He lauds the creation of a permanent commission on children in the lower house of congress and a special commission in the senate – signs that legislative advances may be on the horizon.
"Regrettably in our country, the laws haven't changed," Mr. Pérez García says. "Our laws are inefficient. They don't properly define sexual abuse, and they cover up many instances of violence and abuse."


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Self-Catering for romantic breaks in Glenridding
We have found 5 properties to book, based on your search for Self-Catering Accommodation for romantic breaks in Glenridding, Cumbria, England.
The Old Smithy Glenridding and Patterdale Ullswater Lake District
Holiday Cottage in Glenridding Patterdale Penrith Ullswater, Cumbria, England
Charming, cosy, dog friendly, holiday cottage. Sleeps 5. Wifi Available. Situated between Glenridding & Patterdale with fabulous views. This cottage is a ground floor apartment wi...
£ 375.00 - £ 650.00 per week
Sleeps: 5Pet & Dog Friendly Pets Welcome
Online Booking AcceptedBook Online
Keepers Cottage Ullswater Pet Friendly Cottage for 2 in the Lake District
Holiday Cottage in Glenridding Patterdale Ullswater Penrith, Cumbria, England
Between Glenridding and Patterdale next to Ullswater in the Lake District. This charming self catering cottage sleeps 2 people and well behaved pets are welcome. Character features...
£ 275.00 - £ 525.00 per week
Sleeps: 2Pet & Dog Friendly Pets Welcome
Online Booking AcceptedBook Online
2 Helvellyn Cottage Pet Friendly Lake District Cottage
Holiday Cottage in Glenridding Ullswater Patterdale, Cumbria, England
Self-catering holiday cottage in Glenridding, Ullswater. This Lake District cottage has spectacular views over the surrounding fells. Close to Ullswater and Helvellyn. Pets welcome...
£ 700.00 - £ 800.00 per week
Sleeps: 4Pet & Dog Friendly Pets Welcome
1 Helvellyn Cottage Ullswater Holiday Cottage
Holiday Cottage in Glenridding, Cumbria, England
Helvellyn Cottage. Traditional self catering cottage in Glenridding, Ullswater. Views onto the fells and down the valley towards the Lake. Dogs & pets welcome at the cottage. Sleep...
£ 325.00 - £ 715.00 per week
Sleeps: 4Pet & Dog Friendly Pets Welcome
The How Patterdale Cottage
Holiday Cottage in Patterdale Ullswater Glenridding, Cumbria, England
Detached bungalow in superb location in Patterdale in the Lake District. Quality self catering holiday accommodation sleeps 3 people. Patio Garden to front and rear. Views of the f...
£ 500.00 - £ 700.00 per week
Sleeps: 3Pet & Dog Friendly Pets Welcome

subset: commoncrawl


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Year Round Golf
In proportion to its population, the St. George area offers more golf than any other place in Utah. This sun-drenched oasis offers challenging courses with inspiring vistas, warm year-round temperatures and some of the finest course designs in the Sunbelt. Call us today and we will be happy to make your room and golf reservations, cart included!!!
Sunbrook: Woodbridge, Blackrock & The Pointe
www.sgcity.com |435-627-4400 | 27 holes | Public Courses | City of St. George
Golf Digest ranked Sunbrook as the number one golf course in Utah from 1997-99. This course features lakes, waterfalls, and rock walls along the picturesque Santa Clara River.
The Pointe nine is a 3,397-yard par 36 that features some great risk/reward holes. The newest nine, Blackrock, is a 3,145 yard par 36 that meanders through an ancient lava field and requires accurate tee shots.
The Ledges of St. George
www.ledges.com | 435-634-4640 | 18 holes | Par 72 | 7,145 yards
The Ledges Golf Club offers a unique golfing experience unmatched anywhere in the world. Designed by renowned golf course architect Matt Dye, this 7,145 yard championship course combines innovative design with impressive red rock panoramas, immaculately designed greens and expansive views of the St. George valley. The Ledges Golf Club is also home to the Jack Nicklaus Academy of Golf featuring the highest quality facilities and golf instruction in the industry.
St. George
www.sgcity.com | 435-627-4404 | Par 73, 18 holes, 6,712 yards
St. George Golf Club offers some of the state's best greens and is home to the St. George Amateur Tournament. The St. George Golf Club borders the beautiful Ft. Pierce Wash.
Entrada at Snow Canyon
www.golfentrada.com | 435-986-2200 | Par 72, 18 holes, 7,262 yards
Golf Digest said of Entrada, "This Johnny Miller designed layout at the entrance of Snow Canyon is an awesome, bluff-surrounded wonder. The design is as good as it is unique and the quality of the holes is mitigated only by the mind-blowing scenery."
Green Spring
435-673-7888 | Par 71, 18 holes, 6,629 yards
You will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful municipal golf course. It features lovely wetlands, stunning gorges and narrowing ravines all against the backdrop of towering Pine Valley Mountain.
Coral Canyon
www.coralcanyongolf | 435-688-1700 | Par 72, 18 holes, 6,515 yards
Ten miles north of St. George, just off the Hurricane exit; Coral Canyon boasts breathtaking views of Zion National Park. The course layout features 100 acres of turf, 55 sand bunkers, 2 lakes and a labyrinth of dry washes. Coral Canyon features an upscale restaurant and pro shop.
www.sunriver.com | 435-986-0001 | Par 71, 18 holes, 6,704 yards
Located in south Bloomington, several fairways sit above the banks of the Virgin River and the natural terrain varies from riverside to desert. The back nine runs through a bluff-enclosed gulch.
Sky Mountain
435-635-7888 | Par 72, 18 holes, 6,312 yards
Just 15 minutes from downtown St. George in Hurricane, you can enjoy a round of golf against the spectacular backdrop of Pine Valley Mountain and Zion National Park.
www.sgcity.com | 435-627-4440| Par 70, 18 holes, 6,138 yards
A laid back atmosphere and player friendly design, Southgate offers a driving range, teaching center, snack bar, and a pro shop– as well as club and cart rentals.


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The Alfa Romeo 4C has set a record-breaking lap time of eight minutes and 4sec at the Nordschleife - a historic Nürburgring circuit - with driver and journalist Horst von Saurma behind the wheel. This 4C time has set a new record for all cars under 250hp.
The Nürburgring in Germany is a popular and dangerous proving ground for supercars. Just recently, another record was broken by the AWD Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid, a car that achieved a time of just six minutes and 57sec. However, comparing the Spyder's time to the 4C is like comparing apples to oranges because the Spyder Hybrid's engine delivers 887hp in contrast to the 4C's 240hp output.
In addition, Alfa Romeo says they have been testing the 4C all over the world. Off-track testing locations include the -35° temperatures in Sweden to the +40° temps of Abu Dhabi – testing also occurred in Arizona, USA.
The Nordschleife alternates slow and fast curves, straight stretches and elevation changes, which the 4C had no problem tackling. It accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.5sec and has a top speed of 160mph. It also features a new 240hp 1750 turbo engine with the latest-generation 'Alfa TCT' dry twin-clutch gearbox that includes the advanced Alfa DNA selector with the brand-new Race mode.
Another contributing factor to the record-breaking time was the special Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tires - the sportiest in the Pirelli P Zero line. They are available in two sizes, 17" front - 18" rear and 18" front - 19" rear. The 'AR Racing' version is offered in the sizes 18" front - 19" rear, is ideal for road and track use.
Impressive to say the least and a point of reference for anyone considering the purchase of this compact but extremely capable Alfa Romeo 4C. Lotus Elise owners, eat your heart out.


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"Terminator" fans, your favorite cyborg killer will be back!
Paramount has announced it will not only reboot the popular sci-fi franchise with a new movie scheduled to hit theaters on June 26, 2015, but the studio also revealed it's making a whole new stand-alone trilogy.
After several years of legal wrangling to iron out the rights, Paramount confirmed its joining forces with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures and brother David Ellison's Skydance Productions to make the pictures.
U.S. & World
NEWS: Five reasons Arnold Schwarzenegger shouldn't do a new "Terminator" movie
The siblings, of course, are the sons of billionaire Oracle CEO Larry Ellison who've been making a big mark in Hollywood helping to finance a slew of blockbusters and critically acclaimed films.
Skydance was a producer most recently on "World War Z" and "Mission: Impossible--Ghost Protocol" while Anapurna financed "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Master."
The latter won the rights to James Cameron's epic apocalyptic series pitting humans against nasty robot killing machines at an auction two years ago and initially attached "Fast and Furious 6" helmer Justin Lin to direct with Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the T-800.
However, the 65-year-old actor shortly thereafter put his participation on hold after revelations surfaced that he fathered a child out of wedlock.
NEWS: "Terminator 2" star Edward Furlong arrested for alleged domestic violence
The studio could not confirm whether Schwarzenegger will star in "Terminator 5," but it's more than likely he'll appear considering he's professed interest in reprising the role that made him a star.
Also unclear is whether Lin is still aboard; if the film will be a reboot of the 1984 original; or whether the trilogy will continue the storyline of the mediocre fourth installment, "Terminator: Salvation," which left off with Skynet having launched its war against humanity.
The script is being written by Laeta Kalogridi ("Shutter Island") and Patrick Lussier ("Drive Angry").
NEWS: The fans have spoken: save "Terminator"
The four "Terminator" movies have grossed over more than $1 billion cumulatively at the worldwide box office since Ah-nuld first uttered those immortal words, "I'll Be Back."
Here's hoping Schwarzenegger's return's a good one as the new "Terminator" film will have plenty of tentpole competition. Also set for release in summer 2015 is the highly anticipated "Star Wars" sequel, "The Avengers 2," "Pirates of the Caribbean 5," "The Smurfs 3" and "Independence Day 2" among others.


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VTI Security taps Asp as president
BURNSVILLE, Minn. - VTI Security Integrators has promoted long-time employee Thomas Asp to the position of president.
Asp has worked for VTI for 17 years, most recently serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer. He began his career with the company in sales management. In the new role, Asp will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 100-employee company. The company has an office here and one in Colorado.
PSA Security's vendor list grows
DENVER - PSA Security Network, a buying cooperative of systems integrators, has added March Networks to its list of vendors.
Under the agreement, March Networks' entire line of network video systems will be available to PSA's 125 member companies. These integrators will be able to sell, install and support March Networks' Linux-based family of DVRs.
To get PSA members up to speed on March Networks products, qualified integrators will be offered training courses throughout the year. The first seminar on the company's products was scheduled to take place at PSA's annual conference in mid-March, which has aligned with the NSCA Systems Integration Expo.
ISR part of NASA project team
CHANTILLY, Va. - ISR Solutions has been chosen to provide systems integration expertise on a project to help provide 90,000 National Aeronautics and Space Administration employees with smart cards.
ISR Solutions is one of five companies working on the project, which is expected to cost $10 million over the next two years. ActivCard, a smart card software provider; MAXIMUS, a government services company providing program management; consulting firm Risk Management Associates and EDS are also part of the project.
MAXIMUS will be lead the effort for a centralized card management system that will issue NASA credentials, interface with physical access control systems and manage access to networks. The system will be piloted at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., before being rolled out at other NASA facilities.


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Chrono Trigger – Cheats
Monster Training - Item Duplication
Once reaching the Arena of Ages, send your monster out to train until it returns back with an item. Once it returns, you will see the monster's status window showing the item it brought back. Without closing this window, press the A button to select the option "Train Monster" then press A button a second time and you will now be on the Consumables item screen. Press the B button once to return back to the original screen. This will duplicate the item that the monster brought back (though you will not see any evidence of this until you look in your own inventory). You can continue to do this to get 99 of that item. This is a great way to stock up on magic, speed, or strength capsules.
Contributed By: Basil_Evenstar.
Different endings *SPOILERS*
Here's how to unlock the different endings!
Unlockable How to Unlock Ending #1 "Beyond Time" Defeat Lavos after reviving Crono at Death Peak. Ending #10 "Dino age" Defeat Lavos after facing Magus, but before facing Azala. Ending #11 "What The Prophet Seeks" Defeat Lavos after facing Azala, but before Schala opens the sealed door. Ending #12 "Memory lane" Defeat Lavos after Schala opens the sealed door, but before restoring the light to the pendant. Ending #13 "Dream's Epilogue" Defeat the Dream Devourer beyond Time's Eclipse Ending #2 "Reunion" Defeat Lavos while Crono is dead. Ending #3 "The Dream Project" Defeat Lavos in the Ocean Palace or immediately upon starting a new game +. Ending #4 "The successor of Guardia" Defeat Lavos after saving Leene and Marle, but before visiting the End of Time. Ending #5 "Good Night" Defeat Lavos after visiting the End of Time, but before returning to the Middle ages. Ending #6 "The Legendary Hero" Defeat Lavos after arriving in the middle ages, but before obtaining the Hero's Badge. Ending #7 "The Unknown Past" Defeat Lavos after obtaining the Hero's Badge, but before the Gate key is stolen. Ending #8 "People of the times" Defeat Lavos after regaining the gate key, but before giving the Masamune to Frog. Ending #9 "The Oath" Defeat Lavos after giving the Masamune to Frog but before fighting Magus
Contributed By: GizMoMan798.
Lost Sanctum
The Lost Sanctum is one of the new bonus dungeons added to the DS. In order to unlock this, you must unlock the Black Omen in 12,000 B.C. The Lost Sanctum will apear in 65 Million BC, and 600 AD in certain locations.
Unlockable How to Unlock Lost Sanctum Unlock the Black Omen
Contributed By: Dragena01.
New Dungeon - Dimensional Vortex
This new dungeon has three parts to it and can only be unlocked when you've completed the game by defeating Lavos.
Contributed By: ShinyGiver.
New Game+
Unlockable How to Unlock New Game+ Defeat Lavos and obtain any of the 12 original endings.
Contributed By: NekoLelouch.
Infinite Strength Capsules
When on the black omen, you will come across a Blubber Hulk (which at first looks like a tornado on the ground). Approach it and have Ayla use Charm which gives you the strength capsule. Run away and go back through the door you came through (with the two Nus) and repeat.
Contributed By: Menji.
Unlimited Shelters
Go to Guardia Forest in 600 AD. Once inside, take the first right and go to the upper path. While in the small clearing, you'll notice a bush in the upper left. Go next to the bush and it will begin to shake. Press A and a monster will pop out, leaving a Shelter as he runs away. Get the Shelter, and then leave the forest and reenter. Do this until you have as many shelters as you want.
Contributed By: Tsukasa1891.
Know Something We Don't?
You can submit new cheats for this game and help our users gain an edge.
Have We Been Fooled?
You can submit a problem report for any non-working or fake code in the lists above.


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View All
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Children's Lunch Boxes and Lunch Bags
Discover our wide range of lunch boxes and lunch bags to make sure your child enjoys their lunch in style. From friendly animals to fearsome pirates, there are great designs for everyone, including products from Stephen Joseph, Skip Hop, Smash, and Wildkin. There is also the option to personalise some of our lunch bags with embroidered names (please see individual products for more details). Our lunch bags are fully insulated, spacious, and quick and easy to wipe down.


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The Navy says a sailor has died in the Southern California desert from injuries sustained in a parachute jump during a training exercise.
Navy Special Warfare Group One said in a statement that the sailor died Monday in El Centro.
The sailor, whose name was not immediately released, was assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare Command.
The Navy says an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.
The Navy did not say exactly where the accident occurred, but the city about 100 miles east of San Diego near the Mexico border is home to Naval Air Facility El Centro.


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Hi! I'm Bruno. I'm a front end web developer with a deep passion for independent media. I've co-authored two books on media-activism and open source software, and was the technical lead for a major participatory news site in Belgium before moving to Canada. I'm currently freelancing, focusing on news and data journalism projects.
What I've been working on
National Observer
Vancouver Observer
Line In The Sand
Role: Front end/data developer | Read more | View project
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Role: Front end/UI developer | Read more | View project
Role: Technical lead | Read more


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This month OC Moms is giving away two family four-packs of tickets for the opening night performance of "Disney On Ice: Dare to Dream" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 18, at Honda Center in Anaheim.
The show, produced by Feld Entertainment, follows three of Disney's fairytale princesses from "Tangled," "Princess and the Frog" and "Cinderella" on an adventure to fultill their dreams. The show also features classic Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Minnie, Donald, and Goofy.
Contest dates: Nov. 1, 2012 through Nov. 30, 2012
For a chance to win tickets, upload a picture of your cute kid, ages newborn to 12 years old (one child per picture only), and vote. One winner will be determined by the highest number of votes and one winner will be picked by OC Moms judges, regardless of the number of votes it receives. You may vote once per day.
Who's eligible? Persons entering the contest and kids pictured in the photo entries must be currently living in Orange County, CA to be eligible to win a prize. (Anyone who has won an O.C. Register contest in the past 60 days, or in the past 6 months for Cute Kid of the Month Contest, are not eligible to win.)


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Ethan: So, Gov. Paul LePage wants to stop people from being able to buy chips and soda with food stamps. Why is it that you conservatives claim you want government to stop forcing people to make certain choices except when it comes to poor people? New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg bans soda for everyone. Conservatives are outraged. LePage wants to ban soda for poor people. Conservatives celebrate. I am just looking for consistency.
Phil: Are you talking about the same Bloomberg who wants more gun control while he is surrounded by armed guards? That kind of consistency?
Ethan: Perhaps if we had stronger gun control, he wouldn't need so many armed guards. But, if you see that as inconsistent, then yes.
Phil: Let me rephrase the original question. Isn't it great that LePage is proposing that people who commit felonies should be taken off welfare, so we can serve those in need who abide by the law? And in an effort to help poor people, he is assuring that their taxpayer-funded meals are being spent on good nutrition, which is especially important for youngsters.
Ethan: I'd believe your angle if Republicans held everyone to the same standard. Unfortunately, they dish out corporate welfare and tax breaks without regard to whether the recipient has ever gotten in trouble with the law. Nor do they tell companies how they can or can't spend the taxpayer money they receive. But with poor people? Strings, strings and more strings.
Phil: A brighter line between our political philosophies couldn't be drawn. You espouse the philosophy that all money in the hands of "we the people" actually belongs to the government, and if the politicians give some of it back to us it's called corporate welfare. Yet, if the government takes our money and gives it to a convicted drug felon, and we want it to go to someone playing by the rules, we're labeled as mean-spirited, right-wing extremists.
Ethan: It sounds like you are insinuating the poor don't pay taxes. Quite the contrary. Poor people actually pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than most of the rest of us. So, if your argument is that since corporate welfare is just returning money to people who paid in, and therefore they should have no strings, then your logic should be consistent.
Phil: You're missing the distinction. When people can't or won't reach a level of self-sufficiency and, therefore, need someone else's income to live, asking them to make good choices for themselves is not unreasonable. What people do with their own life on their own dime is not government's province.
Ethan: Are you insinuating that elderly people who pull more out of Social Security than they put in should be forced to spend that money only on what the government says?
Phil: Social Security is not welfare. It is an underfunded pension plan. In fact some pull out more than they pay in, and others die before they can pull out what they paid in.
Ethan: Agreed. But everyone gives to government, and everyone gets back. That's how it works.
Phil: And let me add that I don't think conservatives are "outraged" or "celebrating" as you said at the beginning. They are simply pointing to the liberal philosophy that says government's role is to lord over everyone — from what to drink, eat or whether they can own a weapon to protect themselves. And then in the next breath, they verbally assail taxpayers who suggest that dollars taken from them in the name of compassion enables the very people we all want to help to further diminish their potential.
Ethan: I am simply looking for consistency, and conservatives are very hypocritical on what money gets strings and what doesn't. Look, I can live with restrictions on food stamps. I have no problem with the government saying how tax money should and shouldn't be spent. But I just want the same strings attached across the board.
Phil: We're finally making progress. How about we get rid of all welfare — for companies and individuals — except for the disabled and frail?
Ethan: I certainly don't think that's the answer. The answer should be accountability — but at all levels. If the government gives you money, you should be held accountable to the expected outcomes. Whether you are rich or poor, an individual or a corporation. Pretty simple.
Phil: Of course we should also hold the government accountable for the success or lack thereof. Don't you agree? After 50 years of programs designed to end the war on poverty, we certainly have enough evidence to prove that it hasn't worked. It's time to try another approach.
Ethan: If LePage creates the "Commission on Government Accountability in Human and Corporate Welfare Programs," I'll be happy to serve.
Phil: Just leave the potato chips at home.


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Both President Obama and Mitt Romney have now weighed in with words that are vague on specific deeds since last week's deadly shooting in Colorado sparked a major national gun-control conversation, and Congress must also have their oh-so-careful say.
Pelosi on Thursday said Obama's careful approach is the right one. "I support what the president said yesterday," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "I thought his comments were very thoughtful [and] provided leadership when he said we need to build a national consensus to reduce violence in our country."
She's not the only Democratic leader bucking calls from some in the party to move swiftly to install tougher gun laws in the wake of the Colorado massacre.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), a strong gun-rights supporter, dismissed the idea that the Senate would consider gun-control legislation — or take the lead on that issue — anytime soon.
"With the schedule we have, we're not going to be able to do anything on gun control," Reid told reporters.
Just further evidence that, despite the many heated discussions and the high-profile appeals for more gun control in the last few days, nothing major is going to come of it, and definitely not before November's election. Gun rights are far too popular with far too many Americans to risk appearing sympathetic with the idea of any radical new gun control legislation, as even any Democrat coming from a non-urban constituency can tell you. And of course, as Boehner points out, criminals aren't supposed to have AK-47s — that's a law that's already on the books, and paying some lip service to better enforcement of that law is a pretty safe way to sound actively engaged without being controversial.


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Feature spotlights
Manage fast-changing and dynamic applications
IBM® Cloud Management for Hybrid Deployment brings operations and line-of-business applications development together with a single solution. It helps organizations manage fast-changing and dynamic applications more efficiently and effectively by combining operations insights, analytics, application performance, workload, IT service and dependency management techniques.
Save money and gain flexibility with FlexPoints pricing
IBM Cloud Management for Hybrid Deployment offers a consumption model called FlexPoints that changes the way you can use and deploy software. FlexPoints simplifies your planning for adoption and growth of critical IBM enterprise products. You can allocate points across the capabilities you are currently using, and you can change the allocation in the future as your business demands change.
Support digital transformation
Developers need 24x7 access to cloud to build innovative digital products and services. This access allows them to use multi-cloud architectures to integrate both public and private cloud services with back-end components. IBM Cloud Management for Hybrid Deployment provides the end-to-end visibility, control and automation to manage applications, infrastructure, services and workloads.
Adjust FlexPoints deployment as needed
You can adjust your deployment of FlexPoints among the products in the bundle at any time within the bounds of your overall FlexPoints entitlement. You can also buy additional FlexPoints as needed to scale your solution. This allows you to deploy FlexPoints on specific products today, and other products tomorrow, as you demand additional or different applications.


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At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. As such, spoilers will be present within the article.
For gameplay-specific information, please see the relevant article on the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Wiki!
Lee Jordan (b. 1977/1978) was a British wizard, son of Mr and Mrs Jordan, and a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1989 to 1996 (a couple of years before Harry). During his years at Hogwarts, he became best friends with Fred and George Weasley and liked doing pranks with them. He often helped them work on their inventions and tricks, some of which were eventually sold at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Lee also served as a Quidditch Commentator during his Hogwarts years and was a member of Dumbledore's Army, an organisation taught and led by Harry Potter.
After Hogwarts, he hosted a radio show, Potterwatch, in order to inform and encourage the wizarding world, advising how they could all be protected from Lord Voldemort. In 1998, he fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and was devastated by the loss of Fred. He survived the war, though his later life is unknown.
Early life
Lee was born in 1977 or 1978 in Great Britain or Ireland. He was the son of a wizard.
Hogwarts years (1989-1996)
Early years
- "A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. "Give us a look, Lee, go on...'"
- —Lee Jordan was rather popular at school[src]
Lee Jordan started his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1989. When he arrived at Hogwarts during the sorting ceremony, he was Sorted into the house of Gryffindor, where he would share a dormitory with other Gryffindor boys, Fred and George Weasley, who would become his best friends. Also Sorted in the same house and year as him was Angelina Johnson. Lee Jordan became the Quidditch commentator, but he was always closely supervised in his job by his head of house, Minerva McGonagall, as his commentary was always biassed in favour of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was, however, fair to the houses of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff when they were playing, but in the case of Slytherin he would be highly critical and rude at times.
Third year
- "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
- —Fred and George Weasley talking about Lee's tarantula[src]
In 1991, Lee Jordan was going into his third year of education at Hogwarts, and on Platform 9¾ he was surrounded by a large group of students, all peering into his box containing a tarantula . His friends Fred and George thought nothing of it until it became a giant tarantula with the possible aid of an engorging charm and they had to rush and see. Lee was a popular troublemaker and so were his best friends. On the evening Harry Potter was made Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Fred and George told Harry that they could not stay long as Lee Jordan thought he had discovered a new secret passage out of the school grounds and they wanted to check it out with him.[4]
- "Welcome to Quidditch! I'm your commentator, Lee Jordan! The Quidditch pitch has three goals at each end. The Chasers throw the Quaffle and try to put it through the hoops to score. Watch out for the Bludgers! These are charmed balls that can knock you off your broomstick! Two Beaters on each team try to keep them away. Remember, when the Snitch appears, it releases Speed Rings that will help the Seeker fly faster."
- —Lee Jordan's enthusiasm as a Quidditch commentator[src]
Later on in the year, when Gryffindor played its first Quidditch match of the season against Slytherin, Lee Jordan commentated. His commentary was heavily biassed in favour of Gryffindor. He identified the Chasers on each team, and when he spoke of Angelina Johnson, he went on to tell the whole crowd that he was disappointed with her for not wanting to go out with him. Later in the game when the Snitch was first visible, Harry Potter was fouled by Slytherin's Captain and Chaser Marcus Flint and Lee was quick to speak the truth and told the audience that it was a deliberate foul. Professor McGonagall had to call Lee into order and he finally stopped his ranting. After the final exams of the year were over, Harry, Ron, and Hermione spotted Lee with Fred and George knee-high off the shore of the lake tickling the Giant Squid.[4]
Fourth year
Lee Jordan's fourth year was a quieter one; Lee continued to commentate in all the Quidditch games with a heavy bias towards Gryffindor, and Minerva McGonagall still assisted in keeping him in line. In 1992, Harry's second year, the Slytherin team had a new seeker, Draco Malfoy, who had bought his way onto the team by having his father, Lucius Malfoy, purchase brooms for the entire team. During the Quidditch match against Slytherin, however, a rogue Bludger was set on Harry Potter and the game became surprisingly interesting and extremely dangerous for Harry, other players, and the crowd. At the end of the game, Harry Potter had broken his arm.[5]
Later that year, after Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater were both petrified on seeing the Basilisk, Lee announced to his fellow Gryffindors in the common room that no Slytherin student was petrified so far and claimed that as the Basilisk was the Monster of Slytherin controlled by the Heir of Slytherin, and that it was obvious that the culprit was from Slytherin and hence the school should expel all the Slytherin students.[5]
Fifth year
- Lee Jordan: "Look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now. See it turn — Chang's Comet is just no match for it. The Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long —"
- Minerva McGonagall: " JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!'"
- — McGonagall grills Jordan's commentating[src]
On the Hogwarts Express journey into his fifth year, the train was searched by Dementors looking for the escapee from Azkaban, Sirius Black. Jordan again took the role of commentating Quidditch matches. During the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, he forgot to commentate on the players, and instead his focus was directed to Harry Potter's new Firebolt. He began to tell the crowd of its amazing features before Professor McGonagall told him off.[6]
Later that year, during the final match of the season, Gryffindor played Slytherin. In that match, Lee's commentary was extremely biassed in favour of Gryffindor and he even resorted to foul language while criticising the Slytherin team's dirty tactics, which forced Professor McGonagall to try to take away the megaphone from him. Towards the end of the game however, after Slytherin's Seeker Draco Malfoy stopped Harry from catching the Golden Snitch by grabbing the end of his Firebolt, McGonagall became just as angry at the Slytherin team and their cheating tactics as Lee was and stopped telling him off for his biassed commentary. Despite Slytherin's cheating tactics, Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup.[6]
Sixth year
- "Bottoms up!"
- —Fred and George before they drink ageing potion[src]
During Lee Jordan's sixth year, Hogwarts was the holding grounds to the Triwizard Tournament, which resulted in the cancelling of all Quidditch games. After Albus Dumbledore had announced that the Triwizard Tournament would be held at Hogwarts, Lee discussed ways to avoid the age restriction that was said to be placed around the Goblet of Fire with his best friends Fred and George. They were only months away from turning seventeen, which was the minimum age requirement for a champion. They attempted to use an ageing potion to get past the age line.[7]
The day before the champion selection, Fred drank a few drops of it with his twin, and later that day jumped across the age line with the whole hall watching. At first, it appeared to have worked, and George followed him with a triumphant yell, but then there was a sizzling sound. Both of the twins were shot ten feet away on the cold stone floor, now accompanied by long white beards. Lee, who had not jumped across the age line with the twins, laughed heartily at them with the rest of the people in the hall, and accompanied Fred and George to the Hospital Wing to have their beards removed.[7]
Harry Potter, however, was accepted by the Goblet of Fire as a Triwizard champion despite his youth and that Hogwarts already had a Triwizard champion in Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff. While Harry and Hermione knew that he did not put his name in the Goblet of Fire, the rest of the Gryffindors, including Lee, believed that Harry found a way to get past the age line and hailed him as a hero as a result. Ron also believed that Harry put his name in the Goblet of Fire, but instead of hailing him as a hero, he became jealous of him, thinking that Harry wanted more fame, which led to the two best friends avoiding each other until the first task has been completed. On the first Hogsmeade weekend trip, Ron went with Lee, Fred, and George instead of Harry and Hermione. On the journey back home after the tournament ended, the twins reveal to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Ludo Bagman had cheated Lee's father over repaying a bet made in the Quidditch World Cup.[7]
Seventh year
- "Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor! That's not information relating to your subject!"
- —Lee Jordan to Umbridge on the Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six[src]
On the Hogwarts Express journey in 1995, Fred and George told Harry that they needed to sit down with Lee Jordan and talk business. By now the plans the three had for a joke shop were well underway and they were in the process of lining up suppliers and creating initial ideas. Lee also saw wanted criminal Sirius Black in his animagus form at Platform 9¾, but thought it was Harry's dog. He also complemented Harry on his "dog", saying that it was cool.[8]
When he arrives at Hogwarts, Lee Jordan soon learnt that the Ministry of Magic was interfering in the functioning of Hogwarts and that Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, had been appointed High Inquisitor of Hogwarts as a result. This meant trouble for Lee and his friends as they normally enjoyed pulling pranks at the expense of people such as Argus Filch. However, they couldn't do so this year with her watching. When it was time for action to be put into place, Hermione Granger came up with idea of an organisation against Umbridge, Dumbledore's Army. Lee willingly became a member of the organisation along with Fred and George. When he, George, and Fred arrived for the first meeting of the organisation at the Hog's Head they were all seen carrying large bags of merchandise from Zonko's Joke Shop.[8]
Later on in the year, Minerva McGonagall told off Lee for his commentary again when he became extremely complimentary towards Gryffindor captain Angelina Johnson in the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and yet again complained about her not going out with him. He was also one of the students who were enthusiastic over Hogwarts gamekeeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher Rubeus Hagrid returning to the school after his Order mission, and rushed to the staff table along with Fred and George to shake his hand.[8]
Shortly after the mass outbreak from Azkaban, teachers were forbidden from discussing anything unrelated to academics with their students as per the Educational Decree Number 27 passed by the Ministry of Magic. Lee took this new rule as an opportunity to deny Umbridge and correctly reminded her that she had no business in arguing with Fred and George over playing Exploding Snap in the back of her class as it was a non-academic subject. However, she did not see it that way and he was made to serve detention using a Blood Quill to write lines. After having served detention Harry Potter suggested using Essence of Murtlap to heal the wounds on his hand.[8]
He felt dispirited when Fred and George escaped from Hogwarts. This had an adverse effect on his Quidditch commentary, as witnessed in the final match of the season between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, where he commentated without any enthusiasm. However he did swear very badly when Ravenclaw captain Roger Davies scored the first goal of the match. He took over the twins' rebellion against Umbridge, and harassed her by levitating Nifflers in through her window. This turned out to cause more harm than help — Umbridge thought that Hagrid was doing it, and added to her reasoning to sack him.[8]
After Hogwarts (1996-1998)
- "Listeners, I'd like to invite you now to join us in a second's silence in memory of Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, Bathilda Bagshot, Gornuk, and the unnamed, but no less regretted, Muggles murdered by the Death Eaters."
- —Lee Jordan in a wartime broadcast of Potterwatch[src]
On 1 August, 1997, Lee attended the wedding of Bill Weasley, Fred and George's older brother, to Fleur Delacour. While there, he danced with the twins' younger sister, Ginny Weasley, among others. It is unknown if he Apparated before the Death Eaters stormed the wedding, after Kingsley's Patronus warning or if he was still present when they interrogated everyone still remaining at The Burrow on the location of Harry Potter.[9]
During the height of the Second Wizarding War, Lee hosted a radio show called Potterwatch, under the codename "River". Potterwatch acted as a voice of truth while the Wizarding Wireless Network and Daily Prophet fell under the influence of the Voldemort-controlled Ministry of Magic. Lee and his co-hosts Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin and Fred Weasley voiced support for Harry Potter and encouraged wizards and witches to protect the Muggles who were being victimised by Death Eaters.[9]
Battle of Hogwarts
Lee Jordan also returned to Hogwarts in 1998 when he was contacted by Neville Longbottom via his Dumbledore's Army coin along with Fred, George, Ginny, and Cho Chang to participate in the final battle. Lee Jordan proved useful during the Battle of Hogwarts as he had a great knowledge of all the Hogwarts secret passages and together, he, Fred, George, and Hannah Abbott guarded the fallen passages. Also in the battle he and George slammed Death Eater Yaxley to the floor near the end of the conflict. He also witnessed Harry Potter's final defeat of Lord Voldemort.[9]
Later life (post 1998)
As Lee was not listed among the causalities, and he was seen alive during the end of the battle, it is assumed that he witnessed the final duel between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort and that he survived the war.
It is possible that he might have gone to work at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to continue assisting George Weasley with the creation and selling of their joke products; it is, however, unknown if it ever happened for sure.
Physical appearance
Lee was described as a black boy with black hair and dreadlocks. In 1995, his hand was scarred by Dolores Umbridge's blood quill as a punishment.
Personality and traits
- Lee: " THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING —"
- McGonagall: "Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way — !"
- Lee: "I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"
- — Lee Jordan and Minerva McGonagall during Lee's commentary of Quidditch[src]
Lee was a humorous and comedic individual who loved doing pranks, much like his best friends Fred and George Weasley. He also had a good-hearted personality and was very friendly and popular among his friends. He liked to joke in front of Minerva McGonagall, who was always very serious and strict. Lee was very brave, and he defended his friends and did not hesitate to express his opinions to Dolores Umbridge, nor did he hesitate to slip Nifflers into her office (despite the fact he became worried when he learned that Umbridge was coming close to firing Rubeus Hagrid because she believed he was putting the Nifflers into her office.)
Furthermore, he derided Umbridge in front of the whole class, as he thought she deserved it, and became a member of Dumbledore's Army in order to learn Defence Against the Dark Arts from Harry. After Hogwarts, he hosted a radio show called Potterwatch in order to encourage the listeners, telling them that Harry Potter was still alive and he could defeat Voldemort. He agreed with Kingsley Shacklebolt's point of view on the equal treatment of all people, magic and muggle during the Second Wizarding War. Lee's courage was also displayed when he fought in the Battle of Hogwarts in order to defeat the Death Eaters.
As stated above, he was a very biassed Quidditch commentator, especially against any team not from Gryffindor. This was why he was eventually relieved of his duties, and Luna Lovegood replaced him in that role with a more comprehensive and neutral analysis of Quidditch.
Magical abilities and Skills
- Charms: Lee earned an O.W.L. in the subject. He was able to cast the Levitation Charm, which he used to levitate Nifflers into Umbridge's office during the 1995-1996 school year.
- Defence Against the Dark Arts: Lee was a member of Dumbledore's Army, so he must have mastered at least some offensive and defensive spells, under Harry Potter's masterful teaching.
- Duelling: Lee was a very skilled duellist as his name was not mentioned amongst the casualties, implying he survived the Battle of Hogwarts. During the battle he and George also managed to slam Death Eater Yaxley to the floor, showing his impressive talents in martial magic.
- Transfiguration: Lee was able to vanish objects in his seventh year, which is some of the most complicated magic taught in Transfiguration class, showing him to have been proficient in this field.
Little is known about Lee's relationship with his parents. However, Lee told Fred and George that Ludo Bagman had once stolen money from Lee's father, who became very angry. During the Second Wizarding War, Lee's parents most likely opposed the Death Eaters, like their son.
Fred and George Weasley
- "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."
- —Fred and George Weasley talking about Lee[src]
Lee Jordan was best friends with both the Weasley twins during his time at Hogwarts. Lee Jordan was rarely seen outside of the company of either Fred or George. Lee got into a lot of trouble with the twins over his time at Hogwarts, in 1991 Lee brought a giant tarantula onto the Hogwarts Express and in 1995 he joined Dumbledore's Army and helped the twins harass Dolores Umbridge, which resulted in him "writing lines", scarring his hand. He was rather lonely after Fred and George's departure, but continued to wreak havoc by lifting Nifflers into her office.[8] In 1998, after Fred and George had left school, Lee returned with them to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, in which Lee lost one of his best friends, Fred.
Angelina Johnson
Lee Jordan seemed to have a crush on Angelina Johnson, on several occasions commenting during Quidditch on her physical appearance, and once even stating that she refused to go out with him, much to the annoyance of Professor McGonagall who was embarrassed by his commentary during Quidditch games. Despite the fact that Angelina and Fred Weasley, Lee's best friend, were in a relationship, Lee still jokingly spoke of his love for Angelina. Angelina eventually married George Weasley, Lee's best friend and Fred's twin brother.
Hogwarts staff
Lee, much like Fred and George, was considered as a troublemaker by his professors at Hogwarts. Minerva McGonagall was the Transfiguration professor, the head of Gryffindor house, and a very serious and strict person. However, Lee sometimes joked in front of her, and she often shouted at him. Although McGonagall disapproved of his behaviour, both of them opposed and ridiculed Dolores Umbridge in 1995. Furthermore, Lee and McGonagall both fought along at the Battle of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
Lee also disliked Severus Snape, the Potions professor and the head of Slytherin house. Snape favoured the Slytherin students and was very strict with the students he did not like, including Lee.
However, Lee possibly liked professors Filius Flitwick, Pomona Sprout and Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid was also a good friend of Fred and George.
One of the teachers Lee hated most was Dolores Umbridge, the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor in 1995. She was an extremely sadistic woman and she liked punishing the students. When Lee joked in front of her, and thus ridiculed her, she made him "write lines", with a special Blood Quill, that scarred Lee's hand. Lee strongly opposed Umbridge, becoming a member of Dumbledore's Army, and supporting Fred and George Weasley during their departure from Hogwarts.
Order of the Phoenix members
- Lee (as River): "And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times, it should be "wizards first"?" "
- Kingsley (as Royal): " "I'd say that it's one short step from "wizards first" to "pure-bloods first", and then to "Death Eaters". We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving."
- — Lee and Kingsley Shacklebolt during the Potterwatch radio show.[src]
Lee allied with the Order of the Phoenix during the Second Wizarding War. He already knew some members, such as Fred, George, Harry, Ron and Hermione. In 1997, Lee and the other members of the order hosted Potterwatch, a radio show, in order to give information about Lord Voldemort and Severus Snape to the listeners, encourage them and advise them to think that both wizards and muggles should be protected from the Death Eaters.
Lee appeared to be friendly with Remus Lupin, whom he called "Romulus" during the show. They discussed together about many things that concerned the wizarding world. They also agreed that Harry Potter was alive, and that he made a plan in order to destroy Voldemort. Lee and Lupin fought together at the Battle of Hogwarts, where Lupin was killed. Lee was possibly saddened when he learned about his death.
Lee also appeared to have the same point of view with Kingsley Shacklebolt, who believed that every human life is worth the same, and worth saving. Lee responded by expressing his opinion that Kingsley was right, and that he would vote him as a Minister for Magic. After the war, Kingsley eventually became Minister for Magic.
Dumbledore's Army
Lee became a member of Dumbledore's Army in 1995, in order to learn Defence Against the Dark Arts from Harry Potter and oppose Dolores Umbridge. Lee was friendly with the most members of the Army. Some of his closest friends appeared to be Fred and George Weasley, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Oliver Wood (who wasn't an official member of the army, but supported them and fought at the Battle of Hogwarts alongside them), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. All of them seemed to like Lee and have fun with him. Other friends of Lee may have been fellow Gryffindors Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil, as well as Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, such as Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Michael Corner, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Marietta Edgecombe, and Zacharias Smith. As Lee was rather friendly with most people, he had a good relationship with them, except for Smith, whom with he, Fred and George argued about Voldemort's return.
The Jordan is a river in Southwest Asia flowing to the Dead Sea; the river serves as the eastern border of Israel. Similarly, there are several rivers throughout the world named "Lee," including rivers in England, Ireland, and Canada. Thus, when on Potterwatch Lee's code name is "River," the name is very appropriate. Lee can also refer to the "lee side" of a ship, which would be the side protected from the wind (or downwind). Lee can also mean a field or meadow. Jordan can also mean to "flow" or "descend." Jordan is also old English for a chamber pot (a small container in the bedroom, used for going to the bathroom, before indoor plumbing).
Behind the scenes
- In the films, Lee Jordan is played by Luke Youngblood, who also provided the voice for Lee in the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
- In the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix there was an unnamed black Gryffindor boy who resembles Lee Jordan. However he doesn't have Dreadlocks and he may be Dean Thomas's Stunt double.
- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 only one (unnamed) person, probably Lee Jordan, is heard hosting Potterwatch.
- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Nigel Wolpert contacts the Order of the Phoenix. He addresses the person he is speaking to as "River".
- In the Harry Potter games, Lee Jordan always starts his commentary by reminding the player of the basics of Quidditch, and what needs to be done to win the challenge.
- In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Lee Jordan does not sport dreadlocks.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Name appears on parchment)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Possible appearance)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Notes and references
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Lee Jordan's father was a wizard, making it impossible that Lee Jordan himself was a Muggle-born.
- ↑ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


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Why should Gaston County residents be interested in a quest for Boeing to locate in Charlotte? Jobs, obviously.
Why should Gaston County residents be interested in a quest for Boeing to locate in Charlotte? Jobs, obviously. The company expects a payroll for 8,500 workers at its new plant, wherever it is built.
Not only would a Charlotte Boeing plant mean jobs at the prospective site near Charlotte Douglas Airport, just a zip of a drive from Gaston�s east side, but also jobs that would surely come as suppliers and other supportive companies locate nearby.
That could put Gaston in the running for some of those companies to locate here and bring a boost to the local tax base. Boeing is scouting the country for a place to build a new plant for its next-generation 777X. A dispute with the union caused the company to look beyond Seattle, where Boeing�s manufacturing roots run deep.
The competition looks to be fierce. Missouri has already lined up $1.7 billion in incentives. South Carolina, Alabama, California and Kansas are said to be in the hunt.
How pricey will it turn out to be? Missouri�s offer pales compared to the $8.7 billion the state of Washington reportedly offered Boeing to stay.
Many times on this page we have voiced opposition to government incentives to recruit new business to the county and to the state. But we acknowledge that incentives are the name of the game and if North Carolina and Charlotte are to be players, taxpayers will have to ante up.
It will take a mighty strong resolve for government at any level not to over-extend taxpayers in footing the bill for such a prestigious catch as Boeing.
North Carolina and Charlotte, however, have more for Boeing to consider than a flat-out money or money/land deal. Charlotte offers a prime location with the airport, access to multiple interstate highways and to the intermodal yard on target for completion next year.
North Carolina�s business-friendly climate, low tax rates and land prices compared to other areas of the country also figure into a company�s decision to locate anywhere in this state.
Boeing also will consider the state�s strong community college system and its experience with training workers, a real plus in the recruitment process. What�s more, our area has a readily available workforce with a strong background in manufacturing.
The ace for winning the plant in Charlotte could be, however, the attractive labor costs and the lack of widespread unions.
As with any project of this magnitude, there will be a good deal of back and forth negotiation between Boeing and the areas attempting to win the new plant. If Charlotte is the successful suitor, expect good things for the people of Gaston County.


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text:
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Telecoms equipment maker Ericsson reported a 42 percent drop in core profit and promised more cost cuts to protect itself from tough competition and slowing orders.
Telecom gear makers are under stress from price pressures and slower spending by the operators that are their clients, factors that Ericsson - the world's number one mobile network equipment maker - said would continue in the short term.
Its shares were down 4.4 percent at 57.85 crowns at 0927 GMT (0527 EDT) against a 0.8 percent decline in the STOXX Europe 600 Technology Index. The stock has plummeted since early 2011 and hit a 3-1/2 year low of 55.9 crowns in July.
"Network sales continue to be very slow and ... continue to weigh on gross margin," said Pierre Ferragu, analyst at brokerage Sanford Bernstein. "To me it is just a question of waiting for a better economic environment."
Ericsson said sales in its key networks unit fell 17 percent year-on-year, reflecting lower sales in parts of Europe, a continued decline in older standard networks in the United States and China and lower 3G sales in Russia.
It said the global economic slowdown and political unrest had led to more cautious operator spending and added that profitability was not satisfactory, despite already having made unspecified savings over the last year, signaled by a 7 percent drop in operating expenses.
Ericsson has seen margins shrink having taken more low-value contracts in Europe that have helped it gain market share but hurt profitability.
"We will continue proactively to work with the cost and efficiency," Chief Executive Hans Vestberg said. He gave no details on planned cost-cutting measures.
Vestberg, however, remained upbeat about Ericsson's long- term prospects, noting 1 billion smartphones such as Apple Inc's iPhone had been sold and new 4G handsets were being launched that would drive data traffic and network demand.
"We see ... mobility, broadband and cloud services ... definitely going to be used in an big way and transform not only us as users, but also industries and our society for years to come," he said.
Ericsson has forecast that there will be more than 50 billion devices connected by the Internet by 2020.
Near-term trends however are less positive.
Sprint Nextel Corp this week lowered its capital spending forecast for the full year, echoing measures by rivals Verizon and AT&T.
Equipment suppliers like Ericsson and rivals Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel-Lucent have been forced to find savings. Alcatel-Lucent plans to axe 5,490 jobs worldwide as part of a cost-saving program.
Nokia Siemens is restructuring - including cutting around a quarter of its staff - to find 1 billion euros in cost savings by the end of next year.
The slowdown has also hit Chinese equipment firms.
China's ZTE Corp reported a $310 million quarterly net loss this week, its first since listing in Hong Kong in 2004, and arch-rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's second-largest telecom gear maker, is also grappling with weakening sales.
ZTE and Huawei also took a knock when a U.S. congressional report urged American firms to stop doing business with them due to potential security concerns.
"It reflects the situation in the sector well when (Ericsson) the market leader has an operating margin of 6.7 percent," said Bengt Nordstrom, chief executive of Nordic telecoms consultancy Northstream.
In 2006, the operating margin was about 20 percent.
"Even if price competition has eased somewhat, the development for infrastructure suppliers will not be favorable until the market has consolidated," Nordstrom said.
Ericsson's third-quarter earnings before interest and tax, excluding loss-making joint ventures but including restructuring charges, fell 42 percent to 3.7 billion crowns ($552 million) versus 6.3 billion in the same quarter last year and a mean forecast of 3.4 billion in a Reuters poll.
Restructuring charges were lower than expected during the quarter, accounting for the profit overshoot.
The gross margin fell again to 30.4 percent from 35 percent a year earlier and a forecast of 31.7 percent. Sales were 54.6 billion crowns against a forecast 55.3 billion. ($1 = 6.6998 Swedish crowns)
Editing by David Cowell and David Holmes


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Herding Instinct: Lauri-Push
Lauri-Push Gallery Photos of high speeds in an arena with shadows on one side and bright light on the other was a challenge to say the least. Once an order is placed, I'll take those photos through Photoshop to adjust brightness, sharpness, contrast & custom crop the image to make it the best possible (text added free). CDs will come without any photo editing. Collages 11x14 with 3-5 photos + CD of all photo originals $65 (reprints $25). 8x10s $20 (reprints $12). CD with all your photos without editing $30. Please email me with the 4 digit number below the photos. You can change the method of viewing the photos by clicking the style or slideshow Button. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them. Thanks for having me as your show photographerRead More


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Quimper in Brittany photos and travel guide to our visit to this large City. The City is about 20 miles from where we were staying in an old mill house near the Finistere coast
Quimper is a very busy city it is about 4 years since our last visit. So as it was only 20 mins from our rented gite we decided to have another look.We arrived at 4 pm on a bright sunny afternoon. After driving round the old part of the city 3 times without finding a parking space we decided to come back the next day. We got there for 9 am and got parked straight away unfortunately the weather was misty with fine rain. We took the tourist train from in front of the Cathedral a good way to see the old town the trip took about an hour.When we got back it had stopped raining so we were able to walk round the narrow streets.
There are plenty of shops and cafes in the timber framed buildings. Quimper is famous for it`s pottery which was expensive but is handmade.The Cathedral has been restored to a high standard and is well worth a visit there is no charge.You can see our photos of the Cathedral Here
Try this hotel
This modern hotel is situated just a short distance from Quimper historic town center with easy access to the beautiful Breton coastline.
All rooms are air conditioned and well equipped include an en suite bathroom
Satellite TV. Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service are also available.
If you want to stay in Quimper there are plenty of
hotels to try
The front of old building in Quimper
Info and photos of the old town of Dinan
This large 2-bedroom apartment is a delight to come home to after a long days sightseeing and window shopping. Located on the first floor (2nd floor for North Americans), with a lift, the apartment overlooks rue Custine, one of the most interesting street in Paris to walk through.
Though facing the street, the double-glazed windows give you excellent insulation against any daily passerby.
The apartment has been tastefully decorated in vibrant colors, which catch the natural light streaming into the apartment. As the view is not obstructed closely by another building in front, you benefit from the sunlight and can enjoy your morning breakfast a the wooden dinning table which extends to seat 6.
In the living room you will find a sofa bed that sleeps two. We also have installed a flat screen TV with cable (as well as a dvd player and some dvd's) and have high speed internet access for your laptop computers so you can remain in touch. We also provide you with a Mac Computer in the apartment, a free Phone during your stay and a Bose bluetooth station.
Large converted barn 175000 euro Two fully completed bedrooms potential for 5. South facing with amazing views of the Pyrenees mountains. 10,000 square
Immediately habitable, this 90m2 house is very pleasant with a beautiful garden. Ground floor: entrance hall with staircase. Kitchen on the left with
Continue reading "For sale 3 Bedroom Country House in the Sunny Vendée - Faymoreau"
Pretty 3 bedrooms house of 90 m2 With a separate garage of 40 m2 on a closed parcel on slope of 1700 m2 including a well. Ground floor includes an
Continue reading "For sale 3 bedroom house Confolens (16500) - France"
The ground floor, previously used as a restaurant Could be used as offices, shop etc) has new cloakroom..with apartment on the 1st floor to finish
Continue reading "Property for sale Bessais le Fromental Cher region"
Pretty renovated house in the village of Bessais le Fromental. You can accommodate your family and friends there easily. Possibilities of doing B&B or
Continue reading "House for sale Bessais le Fromental Cher region France"
For Sale a nice house and a large stone barn It is located on the edge of a village end of the street before fields close by Brittany ( north of Loire
92.000€ 2 stone houses and garden with panoramic view of the Valley. -Total area 2 houses: 163.2m² - Garden + land: 3018m² -Energy class D FIRST HOUSE:
Continue reading "For sale 2 stone houses Oradour Sur Vayres / Haute-Vienne / limousin"
In the historic district of Alençon (Orne), Close to the cathedral , close for shopping, transportation ; XIX° century character house with nice volumes,
Continue reading "For sale Character House in Alençon downtown / Normandy"
€145,000 3 bedroom house - bathroom with separate shower Large outbuildings Garage Large garden Oil fired central heating - log burner in sitting room
Continue reading "For sale 3 bedroom house near Montmorillon, Vienne"
Airbourne Museum in Sainte Mere Eglise information and photos of our recent trip. To this famous WW2 village in Normandy France
Continue reading "Airbourne Museum Sainte Mere Eglise France Normandy"
The village of Wimille France photos of our visit to this charming little village
Continue reading "The village of Wimille France,photos and guide to the village in Northern France"
To refurbish - Wonderful house in the heart of a small 4,000 inhabitants town of Morbihan called Gourin 55,000 €EUR. Come and discover this typical Brittany
Continue reading "For sale To refurbish Wonderful house Morbihan Gourin, France"
2-3 bedrooms detached house with large enclosed garden with a couple of fruit & nut trees. Has a round stone well in the garden.Has a basement/garage
Continue reading "For sale 2-3 bedrooms detached house Màel Carhaix"
The seaside town of Antibes see our photos and travel guide of our visit.Hotel and cottage accommodation in the south of France
Continue reading "The seaside town of Antibes,photos and guide,South of France"
8 Bedroomed chalet, an old farm house from 1880, in Montriond, near Morzine/Avoriaz, Porte du Soleil ski area. I am 10 minutes from closest ski lift Super
Traditional stone house completely renovated in the gaillac countryside with vineyard views -50 Minutes from Toulouse airport/30 minutes from World Heritage
Continue reading "For sale Traditional stone house 50 Mins From Toulouse France"
Ici, j'ai un charmant cottage de 2 chambres rénové il n'y a pas si longtemps,Il a 2 chambres salon ouvert avec salle à manger et cuisine,Salle de bain
Continue reading "Maison rurale au centre de la France..Holiday home for sale"
The Apartment is located in Valras Plage and is located directly in front of the Beach in the centre. Located by the Pier and Promenade by Shops restaurants
Continue reading "Beach Front holiday Apartment Valras Plage South of France"
Excellent opportunity to acquire a delightfully secluded small holding Just 5 minutes from Lauzun, south west France at an amazing price! Detached
Continue reading "For sale small holding with 4 bedroom bungalow Saint Colomb de Lauzun"
4 Bedroom renovated house of character, Saint-Denis-de-Jouhet, Indre, Centre-Val de Loire Ground floor open plan lounge and dining area, south facing,
Continue reading "House for sale St Denis de Jouhet, 36230, Indre"
6 Bedroom House, 6 person gite & 4 person gite with 12 x 6 meter heated pool Loire area A fabulous opportunity to continue the growth of a highly successful
Continue reading "For sale house and 2 gites Saumur - Pays de la Loire"
Small Farmhouse to renovate with small outbuildings on land. Farmhouse, courtyard and orchard facing South. Approx 3450 m2 bordered by a river. Located
Continue reading "For sale small Farmhouse to renovate Mottereau, Eure-et-Loir, France"
Christmas Markets Northern France photos and reviews of the markets around the Calais area we have visited.Hotel and cottage accommodation in Northern France
Continue reading "Christmas Markets Northern France,photos and guide,Xmas markets Calais area"
Craon (53400) is situated in the south of department 53 Mayenne Pays de la Loire. It is a small market town known for its racecourse. It also has a
Continue reading " For sale Semi detached House in Craon France department Mayenne 53400"
Description Cette jolie maison de campagne, rénovée avec goût, bien située dans un hameau proche d'un lac touristique entouré de forêts et de circuits
Completely renovated (2019) mansion in a quiet village. Separate apartment on ground floor with separate entrance and access to garden : two bedrooms,
Continue reading "For sale in 32440 Castelnau-d'Auzan (Gers) South West - between Bordeaux and Toulouse"
Rent a Gite in France a guide to renting a holiday cottage.We have rented Gites all over France and want to pass on a few tips
Continue reading "Rent a Gite in France,guide to renting a Cottage"
Try a camping holiday in France there are campsites all over France.
You can stay in a tent or a caravan
Quimper old building
Port en Bessin Huppain
the town of Clohars-Carnoet
the town of Tregunc
Le Mont Saint Michel narrow street
Honfleur shop
Mousterlin a headland off the Brittany coast
Saint Guenole
Le Guilvinec
La Foret Fouesnant Bell tower
La Foret Fouesnant Sunday market
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I don't mind getting up early in the morning if it is to see cue squirrels playing around in the backyard. I think they fancied all the leaves lying around. I really enjoyed using 5 mins in the morning watching them play, and of course trying to take pictures of them.
After a while our stray cat, which is a regular guest here, thought it was funny to watch the squirrel couple too. But the squirrels clearly disagreed to having a hungry cat watching them, and thought standing totally still on the fence would protect them before they decided it was safer to run away.
Gotta love mornings like this~!
XXXXX ([]u[])y~


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1-room apartment 17 m2 on 2nd floor. Living/dining room with 1 sofabed (80 cm, length 190 cm), TV (flat screen). Entrance hall with 1 double wall-trunk bed (140 cm, length 190 cm). Kitchenette (2 hot plates, microwave, electric coffee machine). Shower/WC. Balcony, north facing position. Facilities: Internet (WiFi, extra). Please note: maximum 1 small pet/ dog allowed. Smoke alarm.
Accommodation Details:
Residence "La Vanoise". In the centre of la station, in a busy position, directly by the skiing area. In the complex: restaurant, bar, lift, storage room for skis. In Winter: please take snow chains. Shopping centre 10 m. Please note: nightclub/disco close by 100 m from the property. There are more similar properties for rent in this same residence.
Local Services near this Chalet:
- 10 m to the nearest ski lift
- 10 m to the centre


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ISF Schaumann Forschung has succeeded in optimising the formulation of BC.ZYM M+. The high-performance, enzyme-producing fungal cultures selected for this product increase both total enzyme activity and, in particular, esterase, cellulase, pectinase, xylanase and amylase activity.


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Excellent looking cracker crust, Nick. It has to be back on my Bucket List! --BTB
Thanks BTB and Mad Ernie! When I first tried my hand at cracker crusts, I did not par bake them. The end result was more dense and chewy, with a little crakery texture. I also did not like gummy results under the toppings. After par baking the crust, they were more light and crackery and no gummy layer. I believe the more moisture you can drive out of the dough while cooking makes for a more tender and cracker like crust. That's why I have started letting the crust cool down to room temp after the par bake. The crust seems to get more crisper as it cools. When I used to par bake, I would pull the skin out of the oven and top it as fast as possible, and then back to the oven. The crust was still soft when it went back in as compared to being crisper if I gave it a chance to cool before topping. Also, lowering the oven temp to 425 after par baking gives the crust more time in the heat while the toppings cook. I think my biggest surprise was, doubling the amount of oil in the dough recipe. It got rid of the dense and chewy texture, and gave it a very flakey, tender, and cracker like result. It's hard to get commercial results with a home oven. I do have to go through more steps using this process, but I now can get the type of crust I am looking for. I almost believe I won't go out for cracker crust pizza again when I can make better at home. Plus I get the satisfaction of making a great pizza and sharing with good friends and family.


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Group Size
Set Up
This is in the vein of the game Black Magic but requires a bit more showmanship and is a lot harder. The object is to break a secret code communicating a word to the group. It's best if at least one of the group is "in the know" to model the system while everyone else tries to figure it out. The system works by spelling out the letters of the word with a simple substitutions. Vowels are the easiest being replaced with a number of snaps relative to it's order in the alphabet. One "snap" for A, two "snaps" for E, three for I and so on. The consonants are a little more creative. A phrase will stand in for each letter of the secret word and the first letter of the phrase indicates the letter used. An example for the word "WORD" W- Will you be ready to guess. O- Snap, snap, snap, snap. R- Really easy now. D- Do you know the answer. Guesser yells out the word "WORD"
The most fun is to make it sound to the rest of the group like the game is just beginning when the person guesses, and the round is now over. They will think it's just random answers but this can be proven by writing the answer down first and then showing they got it right. Slight pauses between phrases help listeners discern each letter clue.


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Artist: Nishino Kana
Product Code: SECL-750
Release Date: 2009.01.28
Genre: Pop
Highest Ranking: #43
Label: Sony Music Entertainment
Format: CD
First Press: Alternate CD jacket
MAKE UP is Nishino Kana's 4th single. This single is a follow-up of her 3rd single Style., which was the 2nd ED of the popular anime series SOUL EATER. Kana isn't really popular despite being her 4th single. It posted at rank #43 in JBOOK (not sure about ORICON) during the first day of release. 3 songs from this single are for the newly released animated movie and series Chocolate Underground (January 31st), which serves as a 20 minute extension to the 13 6-minute episodes on the internet.
Her presence is slowly rising as she performed a TV live on Music Japan last week. She also recently announced her first tour to celebrate her 20th birthday. Best of all, her MAKE UP -First Press- is sold out.
This single is produced by 12 different artists combined, including the well-known Ito Yuna and the recently retired artist, melody..


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Adam Lambert has lined up yet another television appearance, but this time he'll be returning to the network that gave him his start — and in primetime.
The singer will return to FOX for the first time since the "American Idol" finale, appearing on the season finale of "So You Think You Can Dance" on December 16.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Keepin' It Real With TV's Hottest Reality Stars!
FOX announced the news on Monday. Adam will perform "Whataya Want From Me" on the program.
And the singer has several other television appearances on the horizon. On Friday, ABC and Adam both confirmed he would perform on "The View" in the coming days.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: From 'Wicked' To 'Idol': Hot Shots Of Adam Lambert
"Hey friends! I will be performing and hanging w the ladies of ABC's The View Thursday the 10th!" the singer wrote on his Twitter account on Friday night.
ABC noted in their release that Adam's "View" appearance would include a "taped" interview and performance.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'American Idol' Season 8 Contenders & Their Celebrity Look-A-Likes
PLAY IT NOW: Melissa Etheridge Shows Her Support For Adam Lambert
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: On The Set Of Adam Lambert's 'For Your Entertainment'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Adam Lambert - Reality TV - So You Think You Can Dance - TV - American Idol


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Making Contact
While there are a number of options for seeding and overseeding grass, it's tough to beat slit seeders for their overall effectiveness at achieving a consistently high level of seed-to-soil contact for successful germination. And while a slit seeder alone is no guarantee of success — proper watering, fertilization and mowing are also equally important — modern slit seeders are well-respected among landscape professionals for the quality results they can deliver.
There are slit seeders available for primary seeding, or seeding into bare dirt, but overseeding — seeding over established turf — is the most common type of slit seeding operation for most landscape professionals. As such, slit seeders for overseeding will be the primary focus for this article.
Slit seeders utilize closely-spaced vertical cutting blades or discs to create a shallow furrow, or slit in the turf, in which seeds are placed. The seed is stored in a hopper until it's delivered to the soil and, depending on the machine, a roller or series of packer wheels may follow behind the seed head to close the slit around the seed to promote additional seed-to-soil contact.
The delivery system is responsible for effectively delivering the seed to the slit. Some machines place seed directly into the slit, which is preferable to systems that essentially broadcast seed over the slits and hope they go in. A delivery system that places seed directly into the slit will require less seed to achieve success.
With the ability to easily maneuver around landscaping and tight areas common in residences, walk-behind slit seeders are most often used by landscape contractors. These units are powered by a small engine, and typically have a seeding width of 20- to 24-inches. The verticutting blades have a secondary dethatching effect as well, and most walk-behind units can function well as a dethatcher simply by leaving seed out of the hopper.
The larger, more open spaces of a sports field or golf course require larger, most often tractor-mounted, PTO-driven overseeders. These units typically seed a 48- to 60-inch swath, allowing them to cover a lot of ground quickly, but their maneuverability in tight spaces is limited. Many of these larger units will utilize verticutting or disc-type blades.
Though the concept of creating a parallel slit and placing seed into that slit is similar, there are significant differences in the design and performance parameters of a slit seeder used by sports turf or golf crews, when compared to seeders typically employed by landscape contractors.
Overseeding is often performed by landscape contractors to replace turf that has died due to weather or disease, or to re-invigorate the lawn. Contractors will often perform aeration prior to overseeding with a slit seeder, which provides additional opportunities for seed-to-soil contact.
The natural dethatching effect of the verticutting blades leaves a protective layer of thatch above the slits to protect the seed and hold moisture in during seed germination. An added bonus is that walk-behind slit seeders often function well as a dethatcher by simply running the machine without seed in the hopper. For turf with an excessive heavy thatch layer, it may be helpful to run the machine in a dethatching function (dispose of the excess thatch) prior to overseeding. This opens up the turf and allows for more seed-to-soil contact.
For golf and sports turf managers, who often use overseeding as a turf maintenance practice to address overuse or stress (in addition to its seasonal use in response to weather or disease-related die-off), it is not necessarily desirable to combine verticutting and dethatching functions into the overseeding operation. In fact, for these applications, it's often preferable to have as little disruption to existing turf as possible while still achieving the necessary seed-to-soil contact, considering that the turf needs to rebound to a playable, green and beautiful condition quickly following overseeding.
As a result, the blade design on tractor-mounted slit seeders is different than what is found on walk-behind models. Most tractor-mounted seeders utilize a series of disc-type blades. While some designs have non-powered disc blades rotating in a forward direction (at the same pace as the seeder), other designs feature powered counter-rotating blades. Historically, non-powered blades caused less disruption to existing turf, while powered blades provided a better quality slit, but that paradigm is quickly shifting.
Recent advances in blade design have reduced the damage caused by powered blades to existing turf while still creating the optimum clean slits for which they are renowned.
Seed spacing is also an important factor, as closely spaced blades reduce the number of seeding passes necessary to achieve seeding success. Look for a machine with closer seed spacing — a seeder with 1.5-inch spacing will give twice the seed density of a machine with 3-inch spacing.
Remember to consider what type of surface you'll be seeding. While a traditional tractor-mounted slit seeder can handle a flat surface, it's limited on undulating, or uneven terrain. Because the seeder is typically one, 48- to 60-inch wide seeder head, its ability to react to high or low spots in the turf surface is limited.
New seeder designs have introduced independent floating seeder heads to tractor-mounted overseeders, which arrange multiple smaller seeder heads side-by-side on the seeder chassis. This allows independent articulation of the seeder heads over humps and into depressions that would cause inconsistent seeding with most traditional tractor-mounted slit seeders.
How you intend to use your new slit seeder will largely determine what machine type you purchase. Most landscape contractors will be best served with a walk-behind unit, while sports turf and golf course managers will inevitably gravitate towards the productivity potential of modern tractor-mounted, PTO-driven models. Be sure to choose a seeder appropriate for the application — a machine designed for seeding golf course greens would not be the right choice for seeding a sports field, for example.
You'll also want to consider the equipment you plan to use the seeder with. Specifically, check the horsepower required to operate the seeder and make sure your equipment can meet its requirements.
Once you've decided on what type of slit seeder you want to purchase, it's important to think through how you plan to use the machine, and choose equipment that easily adjusts to the types of seeding you're going to do.
The amount of time it takes to set a slit seeder up for varying seed and seeding conditions is an important consideration. Seed depth and seed flow are two adjustments that you want to have be as easy as possible to make, as they are the two most common adjustments you'll make on a regular basis. Look for a machine that offers no-tools depth and seed gate adjustments.
And as you get ready to use your new slit seeder, don't forget that the success of any seeding project, whether overseeding or primary seeding, depends on proper watering, fertilization and mowing.
Too many seeding projects fail to produce significant results because the care of the turf after seeding was left to the homeowner. Light, frequent applications of water are absolutely critical, as they keep the seedlings and soil moist to encourage germination. When combined with the application of starter fertilizer prior to seeding, frequent light waterings get the grass off to a quick, healthy start.
Timing is also an important factor that can contribute or detract from seeding success. Spring and late-summer are traditionally the two best times of year to seed or overseed, but as mentioned earlier, sports turf and golf course managers have begun to adopt overseeding as a season-long maintenance practice to address specific issues with their turf.
If you only seed one time during the year, the late-summer to early-fall time frame is the single best time to get it done because of hospitable weather and reduced competition from weeds.
Slit seeders and overseeders have become useful seeder types among turf care professionals of all persuasions — and for good reason. When combined with proper site preparation and after-seeding care, a modern slit seeder can help you achieve a high level of seeding success.
Scott Kinkead is the executive vice president of sales and marketing at Turfco Manufacturing (Minneapolis, Minn.).
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Specsavers Runcorn team has raised awareness about how eye examinations can help manage the sight-threatening condition after new research released by the Diabetes UK charity estimated that more than 3.3 million people live with the condition.
The figures, representing a 1.2 million increase in the number of people with diabetes since 2005, do not include the 590,000 people in the UK estimated to be living with the condition undiagnosed.
Raising awareness
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the UK's working age population, and the Specsavers store in Runcorn Shopping Centre is hoping to raise understanding of the condition in order to increase the likelihood of early diagnosis.
Store director Chris Graham said: 'Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are life-long conditions that if not managed properly can lead to heart disease, stroke, nerve damage and blindness.'
Understanding the risks
'Diabetes affects the eye in a number of ways; the unusual changes in blood sugar levels seen in diabetics can affect the lens inside the eye leading to blurred vision. This can lead to cataracts if undetected.
'Diabetics are at a higher risk of developing retinal problems so we recommend that anyone with the condition has their eyes tested every two years. Anyone with diabetes should also be offered a yearly check-up through the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme.
Help is at hand
People with diabetes are 20 times more at risk of going blind than someone without the condition. Regular eye examinations can prevent eye damage associated with diabetes as early detection and treatment prevents sight loss.
All Specsavers optometrists are trained to spot the signs of diabetes during a regular eye examination. Eye tests are free via the NHS to the over 60s and those under 19 in full-time education, as well as to people already diagnosed with diabetes.


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Hundreds of traditional musicians from Brittany's top pipe bands, known as Bagadoù, convened on the town of Brest for the region's most prestigious championships on Sunday.
They were joined by thousands of fans in showing their support for Yannick Martin, a 24-year old virtuoso of the bombard, a double reed instrument from the oboe family, who has twice been crowned Brittany's champion player.
Mr Martin has been the target of a hate campaign by a Houston-based white supremacist website called Breiz Atao (Brittany Forever), the name of a Breton nationalist journal that supported Nazism in the second world war.
In a post called "le biniou et la bombarde" (a play on words for bagpipe and "wog"), commentators claimed that "an extra-European will never be a real Breton. Whether it pleases people or not, we've never seen black Celts." The site also included a provocative video later removed.
Mr Martin, born in Columbia but adopted and raised by a Breton family, has filed for charges of "racial discrimination". His brother, adopted and raised by a different family is also a top pipe player. Both play in one of the region's most acclaimed bands, Kemper, which competed in Brest yesterday.
Read this item in full at Telegraph