text:
Tony Blair Biography
- A Leader's Deathbed Confession?
- Original Home Page
- All Contents of Site – Index
- Is 'President Blair' a shoo-in? Yes and No
- "Ban Blair-Baiting" petition – please sign
- Why Iraq is NO reason to reject President Blair
Comment at end
Click Here to View Downing Street Life Story of the PM
Tony Blair Biography
Biographical Data
* Name: Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
* Born: 6 May 1953 in Edinburgh
* Son of Leo Charles Lynton Blair and Hazel Blair
* Educated Durham Choristers School, Fettes College, Edinburgh; St John's College, Oxford
* Worst subject at school: Science
* At University Tony Blair became lead singer of Ugly Rumours
* Joined Labour Party in 1975
* Called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn, 1976
* Married 1980, Cherie Booth
* Four children. The youngest, Leo, was the first child born to a serving Prime Minister in over 150 years.
* In May 1982 came third when running for Beaconsfield (10% of the vote)
* In June 1983 Tony Blair was elected MP for Sedgefield
* Assistant Spokesman on Treasury 1984-87
* Deputy Spokesman on Trade & Industry 1987
* Columnist in The Times 1987-88
* Tony Blair was elected to the Shadow Cabinet in October 1988
* He was elected to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party in September 1992
* Following the 1992 election Tony Blair became Shadow Home Secretary
* Following the death of John Smith, Blair was elected to the leadership of the Labour Party in July 1994
* The Labour Party won the 1997 General Election by a landslide, after 18 years in Opposition. At 43, Tony Blair became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812.
* The Labour Party and Tony Blair were re-elected in 2001
* With the 2005 general election, Tony Blair led the Labour Party to its third consecutive victory. The first time Labour had achieved this.
* On 7 September 2006, Tony Blair announced that he would step down from being Prime Minister within a year.
* Clubs: Trimdon Colliery and Deaf Hill Working Men's, Constituency Labour (Trimdon); Fishburn Working Men's
* Tony Blair gained his passion for political biography from Isaac Deutscher's Trotsky trilogy
Other Information
* Also of interest: William James Lynton Blair QC, Tony's brother has been a consultant with the World Bank and IMF since 1991;
* Cherie Booth's hobbies are listed in Who's Who as "theatre, the arts, keeping fit, enjoying my children"; Tony Blair, in his entry does not list his hobbies, but according to Peter Mandelson and Roger Liddle (The Blair Revolution):"When Blair is not working …he is busy playing with his children and keeping up with their school and leisure activities. Swimming after Church on Sunday mornings is a regular event. His own leisure time is spent reading (mainly literary classics and biographies) and watching thrillers, playing tennis and playing his guitar."
Click here for the original (BBC) life story of Tony Blair Or read below, as pasted directly from the site.Tony Blair has always stood out from the crowd. At school he drove his teachers to distraction, constantly questioning their authority. At university, he acted out his rock star fantasies as the lead singer of a band. Few at that stage would have predicted a career in the sober world of politics, even though Blair's charisma and ability to charm people were evident from an early age.
Blair was known as a cheeky, argumentative schoolboy
The story of his rise to power is certainly not a rags to riches tale – he was born with every advantage in life – but it is no less remarkable for that.
It is the story of how a middle class, privately-educated barrister – the son of a would-be Tory MP – went on to become the most successful leader in the history of the Labour Party, profoundly changing it and the country in the process.
And how a man once seen as a lightweight – preoccupied with his own image and popularity – became one of the most powerful and controversial figures on the world stage.
Tory leanings
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair was born in 1953 in Edinburgh, the second son of Hazel and Leo Blair.
The student Tony Blair had a rebellious streak
He spent the first few years of his life in Adelaide, Australia, where Leo lectured in law at the city's university.
They returned to the UK in late 1950s and Blair spent the remainder of his childhood in Durham, where he was a day pupil at the fee-paying Choristers School.
Leo was chairman of the local Conservative association but had to abandon his ambition to become a Tory MP when he suffered a stroke.
His political leanings appeared to have rubbed off on the young Tony, who stood in a mock school election as the Conservative candidate.
Blair's teachers at exclusive Edinburgh boarding school Fettes recall a cheeky, rebellious figure; a talented actor who loved being the centre of attention and who cultivated a "cool" image among his peers.
Born: 6 May 1953
Educated: Choristers school, Fettes, Oxford
Family: Married, four children
1976: Barrister specialising in trade union and employment law
1983: Labour MP for Sedgefield, shadow City spokesman
1984 – 87: shadow trade and industry minister
1987 – 88: Shadow energy secretary
1989 – 92: Shadow employment secretary
1992 – 94: Shadow home secretary
1994 – 97: Opposition leader
1997 – Prime minister
"Tony was full of life. Maddening at times, full of himself and very argumentative," Blair's housemaster Eric Anderson told Blair's biographer John Rentoul.
"He was an expert at testing the rules to the limit, and I wouldn't swear that he stuck rigidly to the rules on not drinking, smoking or breaking bounds. But he was a live wire and fun to have around."
At the age of 17 he was given "six of the best" for persistently flouting the school rules. Then he was threatened with expulsion.
It was his girlfriend's father, Lord Mackenzie Stewart, an Old Fettesian and cross bench peer, who came to the rescue, striking a deal with the school that allowed Blair to spend the final few weeks of the summer term living with him.
Mackenzie Stewart's daughter, Amanda, was the first girl to be admitted to Fettes. Typically, it was the super-confident Blair who beat the 440 other boys to win her heart.
Rock music
Blair also met Charlie Falconer while at Fettes. The man who would later become his Lord Chancellor was a pupil at the rival Edinburgh Academy.
Blair left Fettes with three A levels and a place at St John's College, Oxford, to study law.
The young barrister impressed Michael Foot with his enthusiasm
Like many teenage boys in the late 1960s he was besotted by rock music. He idolised Mick Jagger but he also dreamed of wielding power behind the scenes, as a manager or promoter.
Before taking up his place at Oxford, he headed for London, where he spent a carefree year "managing" student rock bands and putting on gigs and discos with his friend Alan Collenette.
To make ends meet, the pair stacked shelves at Barkers food hall, in Kensington.
At Oxford he briefly fronted a rock band, Ugly Rumours. Friends recall his charismatic stage presence, but also his professional attitude.
Trainee barrister
"He even wanted to rehearse," said band mate Mark Ellen.
But Blair was also developing a more thoughtful side. He began to talk about left wing politics and, unusually for the times, became increasingly serious about his Christian faith, taking confirmation classes.
He lost his mother to cancer while he was at Oxford, which also appears to have profoundly affected his outlook.
In his first year at the university, he befriended an Australian priest, Peter Thompson, with whom he would debate social issues and theology late into the night. Blair later credited Thompson with awakening in him an interest in Christian socialism, and a desire for social change.
How Tony Blair has aged during 10 years in office
Blair was also unusual, in the pot-smoking student milieu of the early 1970s, in that he appears to have avoided drugs. There are also few reports of him being incapacitated by drink.
His only real vice was smoking cigarettes, a habit wife Cherie later made him quit. He smoked his last one 15 minutes before their wedding.
Blair left Oxford with a second class degree and in 1976 became a trainee barrister in the chambers of Derry Irvine, who would later become his first Lord Chancellor.
It was here that he met Cherie Booth, a fellow pupil in Irvine's chambers. She had a first class degree and was seen as being more of a high flyer than Blair.
Friends recall a Christmas party, during a game which involved passing a balloon between their knees, when it became obvious they would be more than just colleagues.
1980: Mapledene Road, Hackney, bought £40,000, sold 1986 £80,000
1983: Myrobella, Trimdon village, nr Sedgefield, bought £30,000
1986: Stavordale Road, Islington, bought £120,000, sold 1993 £200,000
1993: Richmond Crescent, Islington, bought £375,000, sold 1997 £615,000
1997: 11 Downing Street – rent free flat next door to prime minister's traditional residence
2002: Clifton, Bristol, two flats bought for £525,000 in total
2004: Connaught Square, Bayswater, bought £3.6m
2007: Bayswater. Two bed house behind Connaught square property, bought £800,000. Blairs plan to join buildings together to create extra space
"The next day we went out to lunch and hours later we were still there," Blair later recalled.
"I found her immensely physically attractive and I wanted her as a friend as well."
The couple married in 1980, setting up home in Hackney, east London, in a £40,000 end-of-terrace house, and threw themselves into local Labour Party politics.
Blair had joined the party shortly after leaving Oxford, but it was only now that he became more involved as an activist, encouraged by neighbour – and future home secretary – Charles Clarke, who shared his centre-left outlook.
In 1981, through his father-in-law, the actor and left wing campaigner Tony Booth, Blair contacted Labour MP Tom Pendry to ask for help in becoming an MP.
Pendry gave him a tour of the Commons and advised him to stand for selection as a candidate in a forthcoming by-election in Beaconsfield.
Blair never stood a chance in such a safe Conservative seat but he managed to attract the attention of Labour leader Michael Foot, who was impressed by his enthusiasm and told him he had a "big future in politics".
Manifesto concerns
Nevertheless, it looked as if he would miss out on a chance to contest the 1983 general election.
It was only at the very last minute that he found a vacant seat, in the newly-created constituency of Sedgefield, near where he grew up in County Durham, securing the nomination ahead of several sitting MPs and his future Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong, the daughter of a local Labour MP.
The 1983 Labour manifesto was one of the most left wing ever to be put before the British electorate. It included commitments to nationalisation of industry and unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Presentation was crucial to the New Labour project
Blair made it clear privately to John Burton, his election agent and mentor, that he did not agree with key parts of it, particularly proposals to withdraw Britain from the EU.
His victory, in a rock solid Labour area, was assured, although Labour had a bad night nationally.
The early 1980s was a grim era of factory closures and job losses in the North East of England, with unemployment in the former mining villages that made up most of Blair's constituency soaring above 20%.
Within weeks of entering Parliament, Blair, who at 30 was the youngest Labour MP, led a delegation of pit men and their families to London, where he joined forces with National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) leader Arthur Scargill to petition the National Coal Board over the planned closure of a coke works.
Middle class appeal
The young "London barrister," as local newspapers described him, fought for his constituents' jobs in traditional heavy industries but he also made no effort to hide his belief that the Labour Party had to modernise – and broaden its appeal to middle class voters – or die.
In an article for The Northern Echo, he argued "to win power for the low-paid, unemployed and the North, we must also appeal to the 60% of the population in private housing, to the employed on the average wage and to the South".
Elton John
David Bowie
Bob Geldof
Mick Hucknall
Lord Attenborough
Joan Collins
Dame Judi Dench
Cilla Black
John Birt
Sir Richard Branson
Delia Smith
Stephen Fry
Kevin Keegan
He soon learned this was not a message everyone in the Labour Party wanted to hear. At one party meeting, he was shocked to find himself being denounced as a "traitor to socialism" by Labour MP Dennis Skinner, after he made a speech urging reform.
"It was a very early lesson in politics because I said exactly what I thought. I said we were living in a new age but we were talking like everybody had just got black and white TVs," he later recalled in an interview with The Northern Echo.
Cherie had also contested the 1983 general election, but after losing the no-hope seat of Thanet in Kent, she threw herself into her legal career, going on to become one of the country's leading human rights lawyers.
By the end of Blair's first year in Parliament, she had also given birth to the first of the couple's four children, Euan.
That first year also saw Blair gain a crucial ally in his mission to modernise the Labour Party.
New agenda
Colleagues recall him being initially somewhat in awe of Gordon Brown, the young Scottish MP he shared an office with in Parliament.
Bananas, Beck's lager and pistachio nuts – maid who served Blair at Labour conference
Fresh fettucini garnished with an exotic sauce of olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and capers – NSPCC Islington Cook Book
Fish and chips – Sedgefield Labour Party election leaflet
Unlike him, Brown had been steeped in Labour politics from a very early age and already had a knack for making headlines.
But together with Peter Mandelson, then a senior aide to party leader Neil Kinnock, the pair set about laying the foundations for what would become New Labour.
Blair, Brown and Mandelson were determined to make Labour electable again by ditching unpopular Labour policies, such as unilateral disarmament, and forging a new agenda marrying free market economics with social justice.
But they also wanted to improve the way Labour communicated with voters.
Focus groups, previously distrusted by Labour politicians – if they had even heard of such things at all – would became key tools in shaping the party's message.
Advertising executives and pollsters, previously treated with suspicion by left wing politicians, were drafted into the modernisers' inner circle to advise on presentation.
Leadership deal
Blair and Brown were promoted rapidly through the shadow cabinet ranks, but when it came to who would stand as the "modernising" candidate when leader John Smith died of a heart attack in 1994, their supporters were split. Many assumed Brown, as the older of the two, would take precedence.
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
Bruce Springsteen
The Foo Fighters
Simply Red
But the shadow chancellor hesitated, eventually agreeing to give Blair a clear run at the top job.
The deal was supposedly struck over dinner at Granita, an Islington restaurant, with Blair reportedly pledging to hand over to Brown after two terms – and to give him, as chancellor, unprecedented control over the domestic agenda.
But the precise terms of any deal remain hotly contested.
What appears to have been decisive is the decision of Mandelson to switch his backing from Brown to Blair – believing the shadow home secretary to be the better communicator of the two.
It was a decision that caused a "rift" in New Labour from the beginning, Mandelson recently admitted, with the distrust and feuding between Blair and Brown, or more often their respective supporters, coming to dominate British politics.
The new Labour leader was initially seen as something of a political lightweight.
He had easily defeated left wingers John Prescott and Margaret Beckett to snatch the leadership – and he had set about reforming the party with single-minded determination – but he was dubbed "Bambi" by the press and cartoonists depicted him as a slick, permanently grinning public relations man.
Like many in the Labour Party, Blair believed Neil Kinnock's chances of becoming prime minister in 1992 had been destroyed by a hostile tabloid press.
British troops saw much action during the Blair years
He was determined not to let that happen to him and he hired tough talking former tabloid journalist Alastair Campbell to sharpen up its press operation.
The pair would obsess over every aspect of Blair's image, placing bets on which of their carefully crafted soundbites would make it on to the evening news bulletins. Campbell normally won.
Blair also courted showbusiness personalities – attempting to align Labour with a new wave of British pop stars and artists emerging in the mid 1990s, dubbed by the style press "cool Britannia".
His speeches at the time bordered on the messianic, tapping into what he saw as a pre-millennial mood of optimism.
Sleaze promise
His specific policies were modest in scope, but his rhetoric was dizzying: He promised nothing less than a country reborn, sweeping away the "sleaze" and drift of the Major years.
And he deployed all of his charm and charisma on TV chat shows, showing himself to be a natural in front of the cameras, in contrast to the more stilted Major.
It worked. Blair swept to a landslide victory in 1997, becoming, at 43, the youngest prime minister in nearly 200 years.
Blair's family man image was a key part of his appeal
Always nervous on polling day, he was still gloomily contemplating a possible coalition with the Liberal Democrats, even as the scale of his victory was becoming obvious.
Two hours after polls closed – with the early results indicating a landslide – he ordered supporters in The Royal Festival Hall to stop celebrating for fear of appearing complacent or "triumphalist".
He need not have feared. Blair entered Downing Street on a wave of optimism and good will, on 2 May 1997.
He promised to restore trust in politics and breathe new life into Britain's tired institutions. In the early weeks of his premiership, he held a series of glittering receptions in Downing Street to celebrate his victory.
But behind the scenes, he was haunted by the splits and in-fighting he believed had destroyed previous Labour administrations.
Honeymoon period
He continued to rule over his party with an iron will, battling to impose his own choice of candidates in the first London mayoral contest and devolved assembly elections and ensuring ministers remained "on message" at all times.
Wary of the civil service's ability to deliver his policy goals, he centralised power in Downing Street. He preferred to make decisions with a small band of trusted advisors, rather than through more formal Cabinet procedures, prompting accusations of "cronyism" and claims he was running a presidential style of government.
The public backlash against Iraq prompted thoughts of quitting
The media manipulation techniques that had served him so well in opposition were also beginning to earn his government a reputation for "spin".
But Blair's personality – and his ability to connect with people through television – continued to be central to Labour's appeal.
Within weeks of being elected, he delivered a halting, emotionally-charged eulogy to Princess Diana, on the morning of her death.
It was a performance which seemed to capture the public mood. He would later insist that the phrase "the people's princess" was his own and not Alastair Campbell's invention, as cynics claimed.
Euro decision
Then, when he was engulfed by his first party funding scandal, accused of offering favours in return for a £1m donation from Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, he again took to the airwaves, pleading with the public to keep their faith in him.
"I think most people who have dealt with me, think I'm a pretty straight sort of guy and I am," he told the BBC's John Humphrys.
Blair's honeymoon period with the electorate felt like it would go on forever and his popularity received a further boost in 2000, when Cherie announced that, at the age of 45, she was to become a mother again.
Leo Blair became the first legitimate child to be born to a serving prime minister in 150 years.
1997: Tuscany, guest of Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP and businessman
1998: Tuscany, Prince Girolamo Strozzi, law professor and family friend
1999: Tuscany, Vannino Chiti, Tuscan president
2001: Ariege, Southern France, Sir Martin Keene, high court judge and family friend
2003 – 06: Barbados, Sir Cliff Richard, singer
2004: Sardinia, Silvio Berlusconi, Italian premier and media mogul
2006: Barbados, Sir Anthony Bamford, JCB boss and Tory donor
2007: Miami, Robin Gibb, Bee Gees member
Blair swept to another landslide election victory in 2001, pledging to deliver improvements to health and education he had been promising since 1997.
The timidity and reliance on focus groups that had characterised much of his first term began to be replaced by more sure-footed and decisive leadership.
He had already angered the left by talking about the "scars on his back" from his early, tentative attempts to make the public services more efficient.
Now he was determined to be more bold in his approach, reasoning that the unions could hardly complain about market reforms with record amounts of cash pouring into schools and hospitals.
The only cloud on Blair's horizon was his worsening relationship with Gordon Brown, which, observers said, alternated between table-thumping rows and sullen periods of silence.
Fresh mandate
Emboldened by his fresh mandate, he appointed Blairites to key positions across government, from David Blunkett at the home office to Estelle Morris at education, in an attempt to wrest control of the domestic agenda from the Treasury.
But it was Brown, who was said to be increasingly obsessed with becoming prime minister, that held all the aces when it came to the one thing Blair really wanted.
He had long planned to take Britain into the euro, believing it would define his legacy and finally place Britain at the "heart of Europe" after years on the margins under the Conservatives.
But Brown was less convinced of the case for joining the euro and, crucially, he had seized control of the entry process, devising five "economic tests" that had to be passed before Britain ditched the pound.
A referendum was promised for 2003, but by then the economic argument for the euro had been lost. The five tests had not been passed, Brown decreed, and the single currency was kicked into the long grass, along with Blair's dreams of a European legacy.
But by then Blair had found another, larger mission – one that really would write his name into the history books, for better or worse.
Blair had always taken a single-minded approach to foreign policy. He appeared to enjoy the company of the no-nonsense men of action he found in the military.
They made a refreshing change from the naturally cautious civil servants that surrounded him in Downing Street – or the left-wing MPs and union leaders who it seemed to him were forever trying to stand in the way of progress.
Early successes in Sierra Leone and Kosovo convinced Blair of the value of military action in pursuit of humanitarian aims.
The Blairs' marriage has remained solid throughout
Colleagues said his Christian faith gave him a clearer sense of moral purpose than many of those around him – but it was not a subject he was ever comfortable talking about in public.
He had forged a close relationship with US President Bill Clinton during his first term in office, with whom he shared a centre-left political philosophy.
But to the surprise and dismay of many in his own party, including his loyal deputy John Prescott, he formed an even closer bond with Clinton's successor, the Republican George W Bush.
The 11 September attacks moved the relationship on to a different level.
Blair toured the world, shoring up support for the Bush administration, utterly convinced of his own powers of persuasion and advocacy; instinctively believing Britain's place was at America's side in her hour of need.
But it was the 2003 decision to invade Iraq – without a UN mandate and in the teeth of bitter opposition at home and abroad – that would link the two leaders together in the public mind for ever.
Blair had drawn on every last ounce of his persuasive skill to make the case for war to MPs and the wider public.
Blair and Brown buried the hatchet for the 2005 election campaign
But the subsequent failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq appeared to confirm many people's worst suspicions about him – that he relied too much on spin and was not to be trusted.
In the public backlash that followed he briefly considered quitting.
He was persuaded to carry on by Cabinet supporters but in October 2004 he surprised everyone by announcing he would not seek a fourth term in office if he won the next election.
The announcement had been designed to end speculation about his health – he had undergone an operation to correct an irregular heart beat.
'Lame duck'
But it only succeeded in sparking more damaging speculation about his departure date, leading opponents to brand him a "lame duck" premier.
For the 2005 general election campaign, Alastair Campbell devised what came to be known as the "masochism strategy", with Blair allowing voters to vent their anger about Iraq at him in a series of TV debates.
He became the first Labour leader to win three consecutive terms in office but any elation was short-lived. His share of the popular vote was the lowest on record for any prime minister.
His self-belief and powers of persuasion remained undimmed. Over one remarkable 24 hour period, he flew to Singapore to help London land the 2012 Olympics – punching the air with glee as he did so – before flying back to Gleneagles, in Scotland, to unveil a debt relief package for Africa.
They were the two of the biggest achievements of his premiership.
Blair's final conference speech was an emotional occasion
But they were instantly overshadowed by the 7 July attack on the London transport system – the first suicide attacks mainland Britain had ever witnessed.
His opinion poll ratings improved in the immediate aftermath of 7 July, as he once again proved his ability to capture the nation's mood in a time of crisis.
But when a bombers' taped testimony was released blaming the attack on Blair's foreign policy, it threw the spotlight back on to Iraq and his refusal to apologise for what his opponents saw as a terrible miscalculation.
Blair was convinced Britain was engaged, with America, in a global "war on terror" but he was having trouble bringing many in his party with him.
Final straw
When he failed to condemn Israel's bombing of Lebanon, once again standing four square with George Bush in the face of mounting criticism around the world, it was the final straw for many normally loyal Labour MPs.
A series of resignations by junior ministers, who believed his failure to name a departure date was damaging the party, underlined his weakened position and he was forced to announce he would be gone by September 2007.
It was not, he confessed, the way he had wanted it to end.
Tony Blair has been Sedgefield's MP for nearly 25 years
In his own mind, and that of his supporters, he was a prime minister at the peak of his powers.
His extraordinary farewell speech at the 2006 party conference in Manchester reminded even his harshest Labour Party critics what they would be losing when he was gone. The charisma that had served him so well over the years was still intact.
The difference was that he no longer agonised over his own popularity. It was enough for him to know that he had "done the right thing".
His final months in office were dogged by a police investigation into allegations he had nominated party donors for peerages.
He became the first serving prime minister to be interviewed as part of a police investigation, although Downing Street was keen to stress he was being treated as a witness.
The affair had its origins before the 2005 general election when Blair – concerned by the size of the Tories' war chest – sought massive loans from a series of wealthy individuals, which he kept secret from all but a few members of his inner circle. Even Labour's treasurer was kept in the dark.
I am not going to beg for my character in front of anyone. People can make up their own mind about me
Tony Blair
Four of the lenders were subsequently nominated for peerages, but were rejected by the independent appointments' commission, sparking opposition claims they had been "sold" honours.
Blair was accused of flouting his own rules on party funding, introduced as part of his drive to "clean up" politics.
Parliamentary standards commissioner Sir Alastair Graham accused him of destroying trust in politics, saying the issue would be associated with his time in office in the way "sleaze" was with John Major.
But rather than pleading to be trusted, as he had in 1997 during the Bernie Ecclestone affair, Blair simply refused to talk about the allegations.
"I am not going to beg for my character in front of anyone. People can make up their own mind about me," he told the BBC in February.
Conviction politician
He said he had "a deep respect for the British people and it's been an honour and privilege to lead them". But he said he had "changed" over the past 10 years. He was a "different sort of person" now, who was less concerned about being "liked".
Blair had been hardened by a decade in office.
He had become a conviction politician – a very different character to the one that had first walked into Downing Street in 1997, guitar case in hand.
View Tony Blair Retires (in pictures)
- Tony Blair After Downing Street – Thoughts on the last few days of his premiership and updates, when I can find any!
- Blair's Bombs In The Land of War – Islamic Theology Rues – OK?
- Hiroshima in UK?
- EU Summit – Brussels Review of Blair's last EU meeting
- Blair speech on "Feral Press" A call to review the power and press responsibility
- Blair – Climate Czar? Is this Blair's next big job?
- Blair in Africa Legacy of Blair's leadership in Africa
- Go to "Blair – A Call To Arms?" PM says – police v Human Rights?
- Blair – "I did what I thought was right" Retirement speech
- Full transcript of Tony Blair's retirement speech 10th May, 2007, Sedgefield
- Leaders Deathbed Confession?
- Tony Blair to Iraq No, No, No – yes, yes!
- All Ending In Tears" Opinion – Brown & Blair
- "Tony Blair's Successor – Leadership" Brown – The Invisible Man.
- "Thoughts and Opinion on Tony Blair"Political Obituaries for Blair.
- David Cameron – Policy?
- "OK … I give up … sort of!" Blair resignation plans, September 2006
- A Very British Coup – or – How To Kill The Leader and Get Away With It
- "Be Proud, Tony" It was the Sun Wot Said It!
- View Tony Blair Videos
- View Prime Minister's Questions from Parliament


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
What's the point of Google+?
I've had a couple of conversations with people who can't see the point in Google+ recently (one of them on Google+, funnily enough). Even social media experts aren't convinced yet (Gemma Went tweeted this morning that she wasn't spending much time there).
I've started playing around with it more over the past few days and have been enjoying it. In looking for a USP I do feel it offers something that neither Facebook nor Twitter do – the capability to include everyone in your life on one social network.
A lot of the conversations I have in my job revolve around the boundaries of work and Facebook. Should staff add external contacts as friends on their personal Facebook accounts? Many don't, and personally I agree with this, choosing to keep Facebook very much for personal friends who I am happy to share all with.
Twitter, on the other hand, I use more for work connections, and the people who follow me tend to be more from the digital marketing side of my life, which is fine. But I then risk being irrelevant to that audience if I tweet too regularly about the latest DJ mix I've downloaded or albums that I'm listening to. So I tend to keep the content I share more digital-related.
But what if I want to share a link with both groups of people? Or just one person that I'm only friends on Facebook with but I want to share that content with them in private?
This is where I see Google+ coming in, and the circles feature is perfect for this. Share with as many, or as few, people as you like, sending content about particular topics to particular circles, but being able to keep all of those contacts in one place. It's actually more flexible in the way it lets you communicate than either Facebook or Twitter, which I think is its USP.
It's obviously early days yet, brands aren't on there and there's no advertising yet – Google haven't gone as far as they can with this product. I would expect to use it more frequently over the next six months, and look forward to seeing what is in store for brands.
But then what would I know? I quite liked Google Wave!


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Shipanga to be part of CAF awards 'think tank'
Windhoek Jacqui Shipanga, the mentor of Namibia's senior women's football team, the Brave Gladiators, was overwhelmingly nominated as a member of the 3rd Electoral College that will make crucial decisions in the organisation and hosting of the 2016 Glo-Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards. According to a statement issued by the Namibia Football Association (NFA), Shipanga will be part of the decision makers in the newly expanded network of voting, as per the constitution of the electoral colleges. Voting for this year's Glo CAF awards will be vetted through four groups of voting colleges, namely the CAF media committee (College 1); the technical and development committee (College 2); the panel of experts (College 3), and the 54 national associations (College 4), the head coaches of National A teams, or national technical directors, as well Reunion and Zanzibar. Shipanga, whose technical expertise has been deployed by CAF and the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) on numerous occasions, is a member of the 20-member panel of experts (journalists and television consultants). The panel also includes other southern African experts, such as Mark Gleeson and Velile Mbuli (both South Africans). "This is something very special to me… These are continental awards and for me to be recognised and be involved in high level events really means so much. "I will do my best to make sure I continue to contribute to the growth of African football... This goes to show the impact of our development and exposure. A big thanks goes to the NFA and CAF for the trust and belief they have in me." The Glo-CAF 2016 awards Gala will be held on January 5 next year in Abuja, Nigeria. CAF on Saturday released a 30-man list for the African Player of the Year award category, which is led by current holder Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon and Dortmund), Itumelang Khune (Kaizer Chiefs and South Africa), Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns and Uganda) and Kama Billiat (Mamelodi Sundowns and Zimbabwe). The African Player of the Year based in Africa has 25 players on the list.
New Era Reporter
2016-10-17 11:03:00 2 years ago


text:
William Mize died on this date 54 years ago. His gravestone transcription from Magnolia Park Cemetery, Warner Robins, Georgia:
William Mize
PFC Co M 21 Infantry
World War I
April 14, 1902 - Jan 30, 1955
Amateur historian, avid reader, genealogist, lover of cemeteries, scrapbooker, and stitcher. Budding photographer, baker, gardener, and DIYer.


text:
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Expert reviewer Dr Sundeept Bhalara, Consultant Physician and Rheumatologist
Next review due August 2019
Osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones'. Your bones become weak, brittle and more likely to break (fracture), and you'll usually lose bone density.
Osteoporosis is very common. In the UK, about one in five men and half of women over 50 will fracture a bone because of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can affect all age groups but it becomes more likely the older you get. It's most common in post-menopausal women. Having osteoporosis doesn't mean that your bones will definitely fracture; it just means that it's more likely.
Osteoporosis is sometimes confused with osteoarthritis because their names are similar. However, they are different conditions.
Symptoms of osteoporosis
You can't see or feel your bones getting thinner, and you may only become aware of osteoporosis when you fracture a bone. Osteoporosis itself doesn't cause symptoms until you fracture a bone. Fractures are most likely to happen in your back (vertebrae), hip and wrist. They can also happen in your arm, pelvis, ribs and other bones.
Fractures in your hip and wrist usually follow a fall and will probably be painful. If you've broken your hip you'll find it hard to bear weight, and to move your leg normally. If osteoporosis causes a fracture in the bones in your back a sign to look out for is severe back pain. Other signs include your spine becoming curved and some reduction in your height. However, only one in three people with a fracture of the bones in the back have any symptoms at all.
Diagnosis of osteoporosis
If you're at risk of having osteoporosis, your doctor will carry out an assessment. They'll examine you, and ask you questions about your lifestyle and family medical history. You may have a DXA scan (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan). This measures the density of your bones. The scan is painless and takes 10 to 20 minutes.
Osteoporosis is diagnosed if your bone density as measured by a DXA scan is found to be well below average. If your bone density is slightly lower than average, it's known as osteopenia.
Osteoporosis is sometimes diagnosed after a fracture has happened, possibly after a trip or a fall. If this happens, your doctor may recommend you have a DXA scan. You may also have some blood tests to rule out underlying conditions.
If your doctor diagnoses osteoporosis, they can put the results of your DXA scan alongside other information into an online risk assessment tool. The other information will include such things as your age, sex, whether you smoke and whether other people in your family have osteoporosis. Your doctor can then say what your chance is of having a fracture over the next 10 years.
Treatment of osteoporosis
The aim of treatment for osteoporosis is to strengthen bones and prevent fractures.
If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis your GP will probably advise you to make some healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle. They may also suggest changes to your home to help reduce the risk that you might fall. See our sections on prevention of osteoporosis and living with osteoporosis below for more details.
They may also recommend you take supplements of calcium and vitamin D as these may help to prevent fractures. It's important to follow your GP's advice on which supplements to take and how many.
If you have osteoporosis, your GP may offer you medicine to reduce your risk of fractures and increase your bone density. If the medicine your GP offers doesn't work, or has too many side-effects they may refer you to a rheumatologist. A rheumatologist is a doctor who specialises in treating arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles and bones. See below for more information about the individual medicines.
There are a number of different medicines that are used to treat osteoporosis. What medicines you are offered, if any, will depend upon:
- your age
- your sex
- the risk that you'll have a fracture
- whether you've had a fracture due to osteoporosis before
Some of the medicines used for osteoporosis are only prescribed by hospital specialists and/or in special circumstances. Your doctor will discuss with you which treatment is best for you. The main medicines used for osteoporosis are listed here.
- Bisphosphonates – these work by slowing down bone loss. Examples include alendronate and risedronate. Bisphosphonates are the mainstay of treatment for osteoporosis. This is the medicine your GP is most likely to offer you.
- Denosumab – this is a treatment that works by blocking the formation of the cells that break down bone.
- Teriparatide – a form of the hormone which regulates calcium levels in your body (parathyroid hormone). This stimulates formation of bone.
- Raloxifene – this is an artificial hormone that works by copying the effects of oestrogen on your bones.
Some men will have osteoporosis due to low levels of testosterone. If this is found, your doctor may suggest testosterone replacement therapy.
Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine carefully. If you have queries about taking your medicines you can ask your pharmacist.
Causes of osteoporosis
Healthy bone consists of a strong mesh made of protein and minerals (particularly calcium) surrounded by a thick outer layer. This mesh is living tissue that is constantly being renewed by two types of cells which work in balance with each other. One type of cell (osteoblasts) builds up new bone and the other (osteoclasts) breaks down old bone. Your bones are at their most dense in your early to mid 20s. After the age of about 35, your bones gradually lose their density as a natural part of ageing. This happens slowly at first, but the rate increases in women after they have been through the menopause.
Although the genes you inherit from your parents play an important role in how healthy your bones are, other factors can affect your risk.
- Age – the risk of getting osteoporosis increases as you get older.
- Gender – women are more likely to get osteoporosis than men.
- Race – white or Asian people are at greater risk than African-Caribbean people.
- Menopause/hysterectomy. If you've had the menopause or if your ovaries were removed in a total hysterectomy, this increases your risk because you have less oestrogen.
- Long-term immobility – bones and muscles become weak if your body isn't active and using them regularly.
- Weight – if you're underweight or you've lost weight in recent years, you have an increased risk of osteoporosis.
- Poor diet – low levels of vitamin D or calcium mean your body can't repair bones and keep them strong.
- Smoking and alcohol – if you smoke and/or drink excessive amounts of alcohol you're more likely to get osteoporosis.
Other medical conditions can increase your risk of osteoporosis. These include:
- an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or overactive parathyroid glands (hyperparathyroidism)
- rheumatoid arthritis
- low level of testosterone – caused by a condition in which your testicles don't function properly (hypogonadism)
- digestive disorders – for example Crohn's disease or any other condition that decreases absorption from your digestive system
Some medicines can increase your risk of osteoporosis. These include long-term steroids, anti-epilepsy medicines and some cancer treatments. Ask your doctor to explain the risks and benefits of taking these medicines. Don't stop taking medicines without discussing it first with your doctor.
Complications of osteoporosis
The main complication of osteoporosis is getting a fracture (break) in one of your bones.
If you have osteoporosis, you're more likely to fracture bones after quite minor accidents like falling or tripping, or even bending and lifting. Your bones fracture much more easily than you'd expect. You're most likely to fracture bones in your spine, wrists and hip. However, you can fracture any bone in your body. Fractures are often painful and can lead to a loss of independence and long-term disability in older people.
Prevention of osteoporosis
Making some changes to your lifestyle could help to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. A healthy diet and regular exercise can increase bone mass in youth, and slow down the rate of bone loss in later life.
Being physically active should start in childhood and be lifelong. Experts recommend regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise. This can improve strength and balance and reduce falls and fractures. Exercise may also increase bone density.
Weight-bearing exercise includes brisk walking, jogging, tennis, dancing and Tai Chi. Pilates and weight training are examples of muscle-strengthening exercises. If you aren't used to exercising, start slowly and build up your exercise routine gradually.
Quit smoking
Smoking can have a harmful effect on your bone strength and can also cause an early menopause in women. If you smoke, try to give up. Also, if you drink alcohol keep to sensible amounts rather than drinking excessively. Doctors recommend that you shouldn't drink more than 14 units a week, and that these should be spread over the course of the week. To find out more about what this means for you see our topic on sensible drinking.
Healthy diet
It's important to eat a healthy balanced diet to make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your bones healthy. It's particularly important to eat a diet that's rich in calcium. Adults should aim to have 700mg to 1000mg of calcium every day, which you should be able to get through healthy eating. Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese and yogurt, oily fish, and some green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli. See our FAQs for more information about getting enough calcium.
Vitamin D
Making sure you get enough vitamin D is also important for healthy bones as your body needs this to absorb calcium properly. Vitamin D is produced naturally by your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. You can also get it from some foods, such as oily fish, eggs and some breakfast cereals. You may get enough vitamin D by spending frequent short spells in the sun without wearing sunscreen. You need around 15 minutes in the middle of the day, two to three times a week from April to September. Be careful not to let your skin redden. Apply sunscreen if you'll be in the sun for longer than this. See our FAQ below for more information about getting enough vitamin D.
Living with osteoporosis
If you're living with osteoporosis remember that you're not alone. There are many people going through the same ups and downs as you. There's a lot you can do to keep yourself healthy and reduce the chance that you'll have a fracture. Some aspects of your life may need to change, but it's important that you keep active and continue to enjoy life as normal.
Some people find it helpful to talk to other people who have osteoporosis, either in local groups or in online forums.
Many people with osteoporosis worry about falling and breaking a bone, especially as they get older. There are lots of very practical, simple ways to help prevent falls. These may include home modifications, better fitting footwear, improving diet and physical activity levels and changing medications. Ask your GP if there's a specialist NHS falls prevention service local to you which can give advice. You may also be able to get help with home aids or modifications from social services. Various charitable organisations also offer a lot of very helpful advice. See our 'other helpful websites' section below for contact details.
Being active
If you have osteoporosis it's important to try and keep active. Regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises reduce the risk of falls and fractures. It's important to start exercise slowly and build it up over time. If you have osteoporosis and other medical problems you should check with your GP before starting vigorous activities. See our section on prevention of osteoporosis above for more information.
If you have a fracture it should heal within the usual time of six to 12 weeks, as osteoporosis doesn't affect the healing process. Your treatment and recovery will depend upon the type of fracture you have.
If you have a fracture you may wish to take medicines for pain-relief. Over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen may help with this. Some people with osteoporosis have long-term pain after fractures. Your pharmacist will be able to help you find the right type of pain relief for your circumstances. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine. If you're finding it hard to control the pain see your GP. See our FAQs for more information about pain in your back.
Older people with hip fractures may need extra help from healthcare specialists such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists to help them get back their independence. Most people with fractures recover and return to active lives.
Frequently asked questions
How much calcium and vitamin D should I be getting? How much calcium and vitamin D should I be getting?
For healthy bones an adult needs between 700 and 1000mg of calcium a day, on average. Calcium comes from your diet. You also need vitamin D. Most of the vitamin D you need is made in your skin when it's exposed to sunlight, but some comes from your diet too.
If you're not getting enough calcium and vitamin D you can take supplements to make the levels up to the recommended amount. If you have osteoporosis your doctor will discuss with you what supplements you may need.
If you have osteoporosis your GP will want to make sure you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D.
If they don't think you're getting enough calcium in your diet your GP will recommend you take a daily supplement of calcium. To give you some idea about how to get enough calcium in your diet, here's the amount in some everyday foods.
- A 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk contains 240mg calcium.
- A 150g pot of fruit yogurt contains 240mg calcium.
- Cheddar cheese (matchbox size) contains 240mg calcium.
- Four slices of white bread contain 240mg calcium.
- Four slices of wholemeal bread contain 120mg calcium.
- Tinned salmon (half a tin) contains 60mg calcium.
- Baked beans (small tin, 220g) contains 120mg calcium.
Vitamin D comes mainly from exposing your skin to sunlight. See our section on prevention of osteoporosis above for guidance. You may not be getting enough vitamin D if:
- you're over 65, as your skin isn't so good at making vitamin D
- you have dark skin and live in the UK or other northern countries
- you cover most of your skin when outdoors
- you're housebound, or spend most of your time indoors
- you're pregnant or breastfeeding
If you have osteoporosis and you may not be getting enough vitamin D, your GP may recommend that you take vitamin D supplements.
It can be confusing knowing what vitamins and minerals you need – your GP will discuss with you what's best for you personally. It's important to follow your GP's advice when taking supplements for osteoporosis.
I can't eat dairy foods so how can I get enough calcium? I can't eat dairy foods so how can I get enough calcium?
Even if you don't eat milk or dairy food, there are plenty of non-dairy foods that contain calcium. You should still be able to get enough from your diet.
Good sources of calcium include:
- oily fish such as canned sardines and pilchards
- soya beans and tofu
- bread (white has more calcium in it than wholemeal), pitta bread, chapatti
- certain green vegetables including broccoli and spring greens
You may also want to include in your diet foods with added calcium. Examples are calcium-enriched milk alternatives (soya, oat, nut), orange juice and some breakfast cereals.
How can I get enough calcium if I have to limit cheese and milk? How can I get enough calcium if I have to limit cheese and milk?
It's good to eat some dairy foods each day as they are good sources of calcium. You can try either switching to lower fat options or using a little less of high-fat foods such as hard cheese. There are many low-fat dairy products available and these contain calcium as well as those with full fat.
Try changing from:
- whole milk to semi-skimmed or skimmed milk
- Cheddar or Edam cheese to cottage cheese
- cream to yoghurt or low-fat crème fraîche
How can I deal with the pain from a broken bone in my back? How can I deal with the pain from a broken bone in my back?
If you have osteoporosis you're at risk of getting an osteoporotic spinal compression fracture. This is when pressure on weakened bones in your spine (vertebrae) causes them to crack and fracture. This type of fracture usually heals without leaving problems but it can unfortunately be painful.
There is a range of options to help with any pain you have. Your GP will work with you to find the right solution.
You may or may not feel any immediate pain when the fracture occurs. However, if you do have pain, it can be very severe. You may also have chronic pain even after your bone has healed. Chronic means that it lasts a long time. Ongoing pain after a fracture can make your day-to-day life more difficult and leave you feeling low in spirits. It's important to let your GP know if you are in pain, or if you feel you might be becoming depressed.
Your GP is likely to suggest trying either over-the-counter or stronger, prescription painkillers. They may recommend a short period of bed rest (24 to 48 hours). However, if these don't help control your pain, there are other options to consider. Some examples are listed below.
- You may find that physiotherapy, hydrotherapy (exercise in water), acupuncture or using a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine may help to relieve your pain.
- Surgical treatments that include injecting cement into the fracture are available. These methods are called vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.
It's important that your GP helps you to find an approach that works for you. It's possible that you may need to be referred to a specialist pain clinic. You may also find helpful advice on coping with pain from charitable organisations like the National Osteoporosis Society. See our section on 'other helpful websites' below for contact details.
Why isn't spinach a good source of calcium? Why isn't spinach a good source of calcium?
The calcium content of spinach is quite high compared with other foods. For example, 100g of boiled spinach contains around 160mg of calcium compared with 75mg in the same amount of spring greens. However, spinach isn't recommended as a calcium-rich source of food because the calcium is bound to a substance called oxalate. This stops your body from absorbing it. So, although spinach is a good source of other vitamins and minerals it isn't a good source of calcium.
Can calcium supplements increase the risk of having a heart attack? Can calcium supplements increase the risk of having a heart attack?
There is some evidence that calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attacks in women who have gone through the menopause. However, as other studies have reported different findings, more research is needed before we know for sure. If your GP has recommended that you take calcium supplements because you're at risk of osteoporosis, don't stop them without talking to him or her.
Calcium supplements are sometimes advised for women who have gone through the menopause to keep their bones healthy. A 2011 study found that heart attacks were more common in women taking calcium supplements than in women taking a placebo (dummy pills). Scientists don't yet know why calcium supplements could cause this effect. Perhaps high calcium levels could lead to a build-up of calcium in the blood vessels. However, since other studies don't show the same results, experts really don't know yet whether taking calcium supplements can cause heart attacks. We'll have to wait for the results of more studies to be sure.
If your GP has recommended that you take calcium supplements, it may be because they think that you're at risk of osteoporosis. If you get enough calcium from your diet, you may not need calcium supplements. If your GP prescribes a calcium supplement, it will be to take in combination with a vitamin D supplement. Calcium that you get in your diet doesn't appear to lead to an increased risk of heart attack.
Always talk to your GP before stopping any medicine or supplement that has been recommended or prescribed for you. Any risks associated with taking calcium supplements must be balanced against the risk of osteoporosis and fractures that may happen if you don't take them.
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BMI, or body mass index, is one way of measuring whether you're a healthy weight for your height.
Simply enter your details into our calculator and the result will give you an indication of whether you're a healthy weight.
Other helpful websites Other helpful websites
- National Osteoporosis Society
0808 800 0035
- Age UK
0800 169 2081
- National Osteoporosis Society
Sources Sources
- Osteoporosis. BMJ Best Practice. www.bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated 21 August 2015
- Osteoporotic spinal compression fractures. BMJ Best Practice. www.bestpractice.bmj.com, last updated 29 January 2016
- Osteoporosis. Medscape. www.emedicine.medscape.com, updated 16 June 2016
- Osteoporosis. PatientPlus. patient.info/patientplus, last checked 12 October 2015
- Osteoporosis – prevention of fragility fractures. NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk, last revised March 2016
- Osteoporosis: assessing the risk of fragility fracture. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), August 2012. www.nice.org.uk
- Alendronate, etidronate, risedronate, raloxifene, strontium ranelate and teriparatide for the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fragility fractures in postmenopausal women. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2008 (amended 2011). www.nice.org.uk
- Map of Medicine. Osteoporosis. International View. London: Map of Medicine; 2016 (Issue 1)
- Avenell A, Mak J and O'Connell D. Vitamin D and vitamin D analogues for preventing fractures in post-menopausal women and older men. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 4. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000227.pub4.
- What is osteoporosis? National Osteoporosis Society. www.nos.org.uk, accessed 12 July 2016
- Scans and tests and osteoporosis. National Osteoporosis Society, 2014. www.nos.org.uk
- Risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures. National Osteoporosis Society. www.nos.org.uk, accessed 12 July 2016
- Living with osteoporosis. National Osteoporosis Society. www.nos.org.uk, accessed 12 July 2016
- All about osteoporosis. National Osteoporosis Society, 2014. www.nos.org.uk
- Osteoporosis – help and support. Age UK. www.ageuk.org.uk, accessed 12 July 2016
- Osteoporosis: Food fact sheet. BDA. The Association of UK Dietitians, 2016. www.bda.uk.com
- Vitamin D: Food fact sheet. BDA. The Association of UK Dietitians, 2016. www.bda.uk.com
- Calcium: Food fact sheet. BDA. The Association of UK Dietitians, 2014. www.bda.uk.com
- Osteoporosis. International Osteoporosis Foundation. www.iofbonehealth.org, accessed 12 July 2016
- Cosman F, de Beur S, LeBoff M, et al. Clinician's guide to prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int 2014; 25:2359. doi:10.1007/s00198-014-2794-2
- Nutrition. National Osteoporosis Foundation. www.nof.org, accessed 12 July 2016
- Bone health for life: health information basics for you and your family. NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases – National Resource Center. www.niams.nih.gov, published July 2014
- Theobald H. Briefing paper: dietary calcium and health. British Nutrition Foundation. Nutrition Bulletin 2005; 30(3):237–77. doi:10.1111/j.1467-3010.2005.00514.x
- Bolland MJ, Grey A, Avenell A, et al. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ 2011; 342:d2040. doi:10.1136/bmj.d2040
- Lewis, J, Calver J, Zhu K et al. Calcium supplementation and the risks of atherosclerotic vascular disease in older women: results of a 5-year RCT and a 4.5-year follow-up. J Bone Miner Res 2011; 26:35–41. doi:10.1002/jbmr.176
- Li K, Kaaks R, Linseisen J, et al. Associations of dietary calcium intake and calcium supplementation with myocardial infarction and stroke risk and overall cardiovascular mortality in the Heidelberg cohort of the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition study (EPIC-Heidelberg). Heart 2012; 98:920–25. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2011-301345
Author information Author information
Reviewed by Dr Kristina Routh, Freelance Health Editor, August 2016
Expert reviewer, Dr Sundeept Bhalara, Consultant Physician and Rheumatologist
Next review due August 2019
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text: I let someone use one of my idle accounts from a lower name affiliate network. Well months went by and there was no action on it. So I was going thru my old accounts just logging into them and I login to said account and see there is allot of traffic and conversions on it. I look into the payment details and see the account has been paid out 4 times....various amounts from 200-500.00. I am like how can that be. I check the account details and this person. Changed all my info so he can get paid vai paypal. The email address. The mailing address etc. Only thing he left was the ss #, telephone number and name. Needless to say I changed all the contact info to my legit info AND account email address and password. 3 days later I am getting email password recover request. lol. Then my AM from said account calls me and said someone called up and asked for the password, lol It wasnt me. I told her give no info to anyone but me. Well if said person is on this board your free lunch is up. Hope you enjoyed the 4 checks while it lasted. I talked to the DA in the town where his address is. He is getting brought up on charges. So be careful when your giving your account info out to people. I know I should have been checking my stuff more often and to be honest this is the only time this ever happened will all the accounts I J. But it can happen to any of us. You just never know what these people are doing with your personal info once they have access to it.


text:
The STARS Asset Library Open Architecture Framework (ALOAF) facilitates the exchange of reusable assets among diverse libraries and facilitates the construction of reuse tools that are portable between asset libraries. The asset interchange objective focuses the STARS ALOAF upon the information needed to systematically organize and describe assets stored within an asset library. The ALOAF addresses the interchange of assets and their associated asset descriptions and model information through the ALOAF Data Modeling and Asset Interchange Specification. The portable reuse tools objective focuses the STARS ALOAF upon the asset library services and standard interfaces needed by reuse-based library tools. The ability to create portable reuse-based library tools is addressed by the ALOAF Service Model along with their ALOAF Programmatic Interfaces.
Asset interchange and asset service interfaces are critical elements in achieving a broader objective - asset libraries which interoperate to such an extent that the boundaries between individual libraries become invisible to the end user. In general terms, this is the STARS vision of "seamless" library interoperation.
14 August 1992 Paramax Initial release to ASSET 20 December 1993 ASSET Initial release to the PAL
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited
This documentation is provided "AS IS" and without any expressed or implied warranties whatsoever. No warranties as to performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose exist. The user must assume the entire risk and liability of using this document. In no event shall any person or organization of people be held responsible for any direct, indirect, consequential or inconsequential damages or lost profits.
Powered by the Generic Web-Based Reuse Library (GWRL)


text:
For example, this line of code should be second nature by now:
Car Car = new Ferrari();
But what happens when you want to use that Car reference variable to invoke a method that only class Ferrari has? You know it's referring to a Ferrari, and you want to do a Ferrari-specific thing? In the following code, we've got an array of Cars, and whenever we find a Ferrari in the array, we want to do a special Ferrari thing. Let's agree for now that all of this code is OK, except that we're not sure about the line of code that invokes the brake method.
class Car {
void drive() {System.out.println("generic noise"); }
class Ferrari extends Car {
void drive() {System.out.println("drive"); }
void brake() { System.out.println("brake hard"); }
class CastTest2 {
public static void main(String [] args) {
Car [] a = {new Car(), new Ferrari(), new Car() };
for(Car Car : a) {
if(Car instanceof Ferrari) {
Car.brake(); // try to do a Ferrari behavior ?
When we try to compile this code, the compiler says something like this:
cannot find symbol
The compiler is saying, "Hey, class Car doesn't have a brake() method". Let's modify the if code block:
if(Car instanceof Ferrari) {
Ferrari d = (Ferrari) Car; // casting the ref. var.
The new and improved code block contains a cast, which in this case is sometimes called a downcast, because we're casting down the inheritance tree to a more specific class. Now, the compiler is happy. Before we try to invoke brake, we cast the Car variable to type Ferrari. What we're saying to the compiler is, "We know it's really referring to a Ferrari object, so it's okay to make a new Ferrari reference variable to refer to that object." In this case we're safe because before we ever try the cast, we do an instanceof test to make sure.
It's important to know that the compiler is forced to trust us when we do a downcast, even when we screw up:
class Car { }
class Ferrari extends Car { }
class FerrariTest {
public static void main(String [] args) {
Car Car = new Car();
Ferrari d = (Ferrari) Car; // compiles but fails later
It can be maddening! This code compiles! When we try to run it, we'll get an exception something like this:
Why can't we trust the compiler to help us out here? Can't it see that Car is of type Car? All the compiler can do is verify that the two types are in the same inheritance tree, so that depending on whatever code might have come before the downcast, it's possible that Car is of type Ferrari. The compiler must allow things that might possibly work at runtime. However, if the compiler knows with certainty that the cast could not possibly work, compilation will fail.
The following replacement code block will NOT compile:
Car Car = new Car();
Ferrari d = (Ferrari) Car;
String s = (String) Car; // Car can't EVER be a String
In this case, you'll get an error something like this:
inconvertible types
Unlike downcasting, upcasting (casting up the inheritance tree to a more general type) works implicitly (i.e., you don't have to type in the cast) because when you upcast you're implicitly restricting the number of methods you can invoke, as opposed to downcasting, which implies that later on, you might want to invoke a more specific method. For instance:
class Car { }
class Ferrari extends Car { }
class FerrariTest {
public static void main(String [] args) {
Ferrari d = new Ferrari();
Car a1 = d; // upcast ok with no explicit cast
Car a2 = (Car) d; // upcast ok with an explicit cast
Both of the previous upcasts will compile and run without exception, because a Ferrari IS-A Car, which means that anything a Car can do, a Ferrari can do. A Ferrari can do more, of course, but the point is—anyone with a Car reference can safely call Car methods on a Ferrari instance. The Car methods may have been overridden in the Ferrari class, but all we care about now is that a Ferrari can always do at least everything a Car can do. The compiler and JVM know it too, so the implicit upcast is always legal for assigning an object of a subtype to a reference of one of its supertype classes (or interfaces). If Ferrari implements Convertible, and Convertible defines openHood(), then a Ferrari can be implicitly cast to a Convertible, but the only Ferrari method you can invoke then is openHood(), which Ferrari was forced to implement because Ferrari implements the Convertible interface.
One more thing...if Ferrari implements Convertible, then if FerrariF12011 extends Ferrari, but FerrariF12011 does not declare that it implements Convertible, FerrariF12011 is still a Convertible! FerrariF12011 is a Convertible simply because it extends Ferrari, and Ferrari's already taken care of the Convertible parts of itself, and all its children. The FerrariF12011 class can always override any methods it inherits from Ferrari, including methods that Ferrari implemented to fulfill its interface contract.
And just one more thing...if FerrariF12011 does declare it implements Convertible, just so that others looking at the FerrariF12011 class API can easily see that FerrariF12011 IS-A Convertible, without having to look at FerrariF12011's superclasses, FerrariF12011 still doesn't need to implement the openHood() method if the Ferrari class (FerrariF12011's superclass) has already taken care of that. In other words, if FerrariF12011 IS-A Ferrari, and Ferrari IS-A Convertible, then FerrariF12011 IS-A Convertible, and has already met its Convertible obligations for implementing the openHood() method since it inherits the openHood() method. The compiler is smart enough to say, "I know FerrariF12011 already IS a Ferrari, but it's OK to make it more obvious."
So don't be fooled by code that shows a concrete class that declares that it implements an interface, but doesn't implement the methods of the interface. Before you can tell whether the code is legal, you must know what the superclasses of this implementing class have declared. If any superclass in its inheritance tree has already provided concrete (i.e., non-abstract) method implementations, then, regardless of whether the superclass declares that it implements the interface, the subclass is under no obligation to re-implement (override) those methods.
Tip: Sometimes, the exam questions are jammed into little spaces and that might add to a little confusion to the exam taker (YOU). So be on the watch out for stuff like this:
Car a = new Ferrari();
Ferrari d = (Ferrari) a;
Can be replaced with this easy-to-read bit of fun:
Car a = new Ferrari();
In this case the compiler needs all of those parentheses, otherwise it thinks it's been handed an incomplete statement.
Previous Chapter: Chapter 8: Object Oriented Concepts - Polymorphism
Next Chapter: Chapter 10: Implementing An Interface


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Multi Ratings Addon is addon as plugin made for GD Rating System Pro, and it uses addons architecture in the heart of the the plugin to seamlessly integrate with other plugin features.
Current release
First released1 year, 9 months ago
User Reviews addon supports use of multi rating methods (from Multi Ratings addon, separate premium addon, not included in the User Reviews Addon) for integration into the reviews items and forms.
User Reviews addon implements full review system for users that can write reviews and assign ratings, include pros and cons list. This addon can automatically replace standard comments list and form for selected post types, and it benefits from WordPress comments processing.
Each review can be rated (thumbs, likes or emote this method), and reviews can be sorted by ratings. Reviews can be posted by registered users or by visitors.
Post authors can set own review ratings, including short review description, the list of pros and cons. User Reviews addon can display both author and users reviews overall ratings after the post content, giving your readers a comprehensive overview of the rating for the article (or product) you are writing about on your website. You can select to use user or author reviews for rich snippets.
The ratings display is completely customizable through overriding of templates and styling changes from inside your theme.
Learn more about this plugin, check out the plugin features overview. If you have any questions, feel free to request the demo to test the plugin, or use contact form and ask away.
Each addon is made on top of the plugin's addon architecture that makes addon integration into plugin seamless, from adding new settings, to administration panels, controls over loading and more. All that ensures best possible way to extend a plugin.
All our plugins are compatible with all popular internet browsers. This includes Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera, MS Internet Explorer (version 9 and higher), all tested across different operating systems and desktop and mobile devices.
All Dev4Press premium plugins are constantly developed, and will receive regular updates to fix reported bugs, fix any security issues, enhance and improve every aspect for plugins. And using our Updater plugin you can update directly from WordPress.
All Dev4Press premium plugins have WordPress standard PO/MO translation system implemented, making it easy to translate into any language. Depending on the plugin, translations can be split into two or more files for easier translations handing.
All Dev4Press premium plugins are coded using best coding practices, with code tested for all potential security problems. We are constantly working on maintaining full WordPress compatibility and highest level of security for all our products.
One of our primary goals is to provide best support possible. This includes active support forum, priority support (for developer license) and ever expanding knowledge base and FAQ to ensure that you get all the information you need for our plugins.
Knowledge Base
To get help for this addon, start with FAQ and the Knowledge Base.Knowledge Base
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If you need help with the addon or to report problems, use support forums.Support Forum
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Category list - (jewellery etc.)
Search for products.
To receive a newsletter giving details of new products, sales events or visiting artists just sign up here (we promise no spam and no sharing of your address): Given Name
This weekend is Thanksgiving. For our non Canadian readers, Thanksgiving is on the second Monday in October and is an annual Canadian holiday to give thanks at the close of the harvest season.
Though the holiday is not as big a celebration in Canada as it is in the U.S., where Thanksgiving is the year's biggest holiday occasion. It is a popular time for Canadians to gather with family, it is also often a time for weekend getaways.
I thought it would be of interest, given the family element to the weekend, to show you 3 popular family themed presents.
Oh yes. For our Canadian readers, happy Thanksgiving !.
For those who are interested
Thanksgiving corresponds to the English and European Harvest festival, with churches decorated with cornucopias, pumpkins, corn, wheat sheaves, and other harvest bounty.
Many people use the three-day Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away, or to receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal to eat at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts.
The Thanksgiving weekend is also a popular time to take a short autumn vacation. This may be the last chance in a while for some people to use cottages or holiday homes before winter sets in. Other popular activities include: outdoor breaks to admire the spectacular colors of the Canadian autumn; hiking; and fishing. Fans of the teams in the Canadian Football League may spend part of the weekend watching the Thanksgiving Day Classic matches.
And it's not just a European thing.
Canada's First Nations and Native Americans throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Cree and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.
I hope you find this of interest. Let us know if you have any questions, click on the images to see more details.
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An article: Pro video game/comic books. Though not about unschooling, it's not anti-unschooling either. Also has an interesting comment on types of knowledge and the things you might be asked in the real world versus on a school test.
It's a May 12 column by Jim Mullen, called "You're damaging your brain with practical skills," but what it really addresses is how many truly practical skills young teens pick up from computer use. Here's the clincher moment, before he goes into a stream of great examples:
Dad stops typing and yells across the room to Billy, "What do you call those things that hold Web sites?"
Things that hold Web sites? Does he mean a bookmark? Does he mean an ISP? Does he mean a Web host?
"Server?" Billy guessed, not lifting his eyes from his IQ-draining game, which was wrecking his life.
I wonder how many professional basketball players and football players would have known the answer?


text: My dream bass is a 5 string BC Rich Warlock. I am saving up to buy one but, before I do, I just wanted to know if anyone out there either has one, or has played with one in the past. If yes, could you please tell me what you liked about it and what you didn't...? Are there any major downsides to this bass? Thanks alot! NightVampZ.


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Augustana is a bustling community with activities happening all of the time! Sign up for our courtesy newsletter and stay up to date!
Stay Connected: Sign up for Augustana's E-Pistle Newsletter, or follow on Facebook or Twitter here.
An event every month that begins at 8:45am on day Third of the month, repeating indefinitely
Augustana's Social Ministry Committee invites you to serve at the Ansar Food Pantry on east Colfax, on the third Saturday of each month. Volunteers must be over 10 years old, and wear closed-toe shoes. Plan to carpool from Augustana's south parking lot at 8:45 a.m. We will work at the pantry and return to Augustana…Find out more »


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Embattled corporation Everything Except Shoes, or E.E.S., hires celebrity Ricky Coogin (Alex Winter) to serve as its spokesperson amid a spate of reports that the company uses a toxic substance in the products it manufactures. Ricky travels to South America to dispel the rumors, but instead he stumbles upon an oddball amusement park run by the demented Elijah C. Skuggs (Randy Quaid). It turns out that Skuggs is using the substance in E.E.S. products to turn humans into grotesque mutants.
Add this movie to your queue to receive more information about
Freaked and we will let you know when it becomes available.


text: DUNLAP -- Concord ran 18 plays Friday night and led 20-0. That's a sample of how dominant the Minutemen were in blowing away Plymouth, 42-9, in the Class 4-A Sectional 10 football championship game. Second-ranked Concord will take a 12-0 record to Lowell (7-5) in next Friday's regional. Lowell upset previously once-beaten Hobart 31-28. Senior quarterback Bob Cira completed 15-of-20 passes for 338 yards. Seven of those, plus a 2-point conversion, went to his brother James, for 112 yards. "We've got receivers who get yards after the catch,'' said Bob Cira. "You get the ball to them and they do the rest. We were well prepared for this game and we really dominated the first quarter.'' Dominated is an understatement. Helped by a pass interference penalty, Concord drove 77 yards in eight plays, with Marty Marion going four to score with 8:31 to go in the period. Then it was 49 yards in six plays, a Cira-to-Cira connection good for eight yards and a touchdown. Next it was 43 yards in four plays, Cira connnecting with Mike Meade for 23 yards and a score. Jeremy Howard's kicked two extra points and it was 20-0 with 16 seconds to go in the period. Plymouth didn't get a first down until the second quarter. An interception by Derek White off a pass thrown by Meade stopped a Concord drive. The hosts made it 28-0 on Marion's one-yard plunge a minute before half-time. Linebacker Ryan McKee sacked Plymouth quarterback Chad Clinton three times in the first half, and once again in the third period. Plymouth scored five seconds before halftime on a 41-yard Clinton-to-Brent Corbett screen pass. Concord finished it off with two long touchdown passes 49 seconds apart in the third period, a 53-yard Cira to Meade toss with 6:06 to play. Then, after a three-and-out by Plymouth, a 59-yard Cira pass to his brother with 5:17 left Both coaches used their benches liberally the rest of the way. Javontae Hence had two interceptions and Parnel Jones a fumble recovery for Concord in the fourth period. "I don't have much to say,'' noted Plymouth coach John Barron, his team finished 8-4. "Concord is a good team that played well. I'm proud of our kids.'' "This team has worked awfully hard and deceives this championship,'' said Concord coach Tim Dawson. "At the end of the season there are only going to be five happy teams and we want to be one of them. Defense wins championships, and our defense really shut them down in the first half. "It helps that we've been pretty much injury-free. We haven't lost a starter all year.'' Corbett gained 76 yards in 12 carries for the Rockies. At Dunlap Plymouth 0 7 0 2 -- 9 Concord 20 8 14 0 -- 42 C -- Monty Marion 4 run (Jeremy Howard kick). C -- James Cira 8 pass from Bob Cira (pass failed). C -- Mike Meade 23 pass from Bob Cira (Howard kick). C -- Marion 1 run (Bob Cira pass from James Cira). P -- Brent Corbett 41 pass from Chad Clinton (Chris Toboloski kick). C -- Meade 53 pass from Bob Cira (Howard kick). C -- James Cira 59 pass from Bob Cira (Howard kick). P -- Safety, Jordan Shafer tackled in end zone. Officials: Larry Jones (Logansport) referee, Phil Hershberber (West Lafayette) umpire, Marvin Davis (Rochester) linesman, Greg Pomasl (Logansport) line judge, Rick Scott (Logansport) back judge). Plymouth Concord First downs 12 16 Yards rushing 62 78 Yards passing 143 338 Passing 9-30-2 15-21-1 Punting 4-36 1-34 Fumbles lost 1 2 Yards penalized 52 35Staff writer Forrest Miller: firstname.lastname@example.com (574) 235-6315


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AVASIA is a family business begun by two sisters whose ambition is to provide you with the best quality products at this, arguably the most important time of your life.
We chose 'Devoted To Life' as our tagline as it embodies all the values that are important to us, and the organization.
Our products come from sustainable sources. Wherever possible they are made from organic materials, from fair trade partners, and are the best quality available.
For our supplements, we use only the best organic ingredients, manufactured in the most up-to-date manufacturing plants, and the highest certifications, and with the advice of eminent doctors and scientists to ensure that we deliver to you, what we would expect for ourselves – the highest quality possible.
Quality in customer service too, where you can always expect a calm, courteous, speedy response to any query you may have.
We will be bringing you some great products, but we will also be providing you with information relating to pregnancy, breastfeeding, IVF… anything we come across that we think you will be interested in.
We'd love to hear from you if you have any particular topics that you think we should cover.


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Wow is God turning my life upside down this year! So much is happening, and I am really having to cling to Him and put my complete trust in Him and all that He has for me in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
First, we are in the midst of the big move across the country. Movers come next week, and I will be without internet for possibly 2 weeks. Oh, how will I manage that? Eeek! We close on the new house on June 26th. I have been praying everyday that the date does not change and that we don't have anymore bumps in the road with that.
Second, I am may no longer be designing for Our Daily Bread Designs. I am praying about it but of course God has the big plan--not me. I trust that He has many new things waiting for me as we move and begin anew.
Third, I wanted to share that once my internet is back up and I am in my new studio, you can expect lots of fun things here on my blog with all of these posts resuming--
**Tuesday's {Tips}
**Art Journaling
**The Hymn and Scripture Challenge
**Organizational {Friday}
**Memory Box creations and teaching schedule
**My crochet and sewing creations, and much more!
Now, I want to leave you first with a photo from our new deck. I think I will have my prayer time each morning on our screened in porch! What better way to worship the Lord than to see His amazing creation like this each morning.
And then I want to leave you with the scriptures God has given me over these past couple of weeks. I pray they speak to some of you as they have to me!
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
1 Peter 1:14-16 "So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, 'You must be holy because I am holy.'"
Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Blessings to all of you, and I look forward to resuming the fun here with you on Triple the Scraps! I hope you will hang on with me until I am back with you again! Enjoy the week ahead!


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Breakup Healers Tip 10
Breakup Healers Tip 10
Tip #10: Begin Again
At some point after your breakup, you will be ready to re-enter the dating scene. Watch your emotions carefully, and your intuition will tell you when you are ready to let go of your past relationship for good and open yourself up to the possibility of finding love again.
When you make that decision, you'll be ready to head out—or online—with a renewed and refreshed spirit. As a first step, try the new Beliefnet Soulmatch, which has teamed up with Yahoo! Personals to help you find your spiritual partner.
Related Features


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Hand Blown Art Deco Crystal Martini Pitcher with Stirrer
This hand blown crystal martini pitcher with applied black crystal handle and base provides a useful piece with an artistic and decorative statement. The accompanying stirrer is a two-color rod with ribbon-like effect, cased in clear called the "paperweight technique". 1920's-1930's
x 11.5" height
Item #: 768
Price: $895


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Alexander and Susan Maris' The Pursuit of Fidelity (a Retrospective)
- Rachael Cloughton
- 5 August 2010
A journey back in time in search of truth, faithfulness and accuracy
'I am in pursuit of fidelity and if I find it in no dearer time would I rather live,' reads the passage written above two lovers on a 15th century tapestry in the Burrell Collection. The tapestry, reproduced on a wooden board on the gallery wall at Stills, opens Alexander and Susan Maris' retrospective. The lovers' pursuit aligns with the artists', who claim to seek truth, faithfulness and accuracy through their artwork. However, as the inauthentic representation of the tapestry suggests, these goals are difficult to attain.
Alexander and Susan Maris seek fidelity through photography, sculpture, drawing and film. Assembled in the gallery like a scientific archive, it is the formal, museum-like presentation of work in cabinets and cases that suggests the potential to attain 'truth' exists, despite the inherently poetic nature of the work contesting otherwise. Collections of black and white photographs dominate the show. Early shots taken from the back of a moving motorbike create an imaginary landscape, while 'Arbos', a series of gelatine prints of sprawling bark, are so haunted by the legacy of Joseph Beuys' trip to Rannoch Moor that they become a mythical, rather than objective, enquiry. The largest series, 'The Pursuit of Fidelity', is romanticised to the brink of cliché, documenting the artists' engulfed by nature upon their travels, much like a work by the 19th century German romantic landscape painter Caspar David Friedrich.
Their investigations leave a lasting impression of ambiguity: myth collides with fact, fiction replaces accuracy and history is continually unfaithful. The only 'truth' that resonates is the subjective, illusory nature of art, and as such its failure to ever achieve fidelity.
Stills, 622 6200, until 24 Oct, free.


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Hoop Dreams is a documentary directed by Steve James in 1994. It follows two boys, William Gates and Arthur Agee, as they enter high school and pursue their dreams of becoming professional basketball players. They live in a pretty terrible neighborhood in Chicago, and they are discovered playing in parks by a man who offers them the opportunity to come to a wealthier, suburban school to play basketball. They go to St. Joesph's, a school that charges tuition fees and is located far away from the boys, forcing them to commute and jump through hoops to graduate. There is a point in the film where Arthur cannot graduate from Marshall high school because St. Joesph's will not release his transcript until his parents pay $1,300. This was all incurred because he was recruited - not to pay tuition, but to play basketball. It is so sickening and unfair to watch. So much of the film is sad and unfair. It's hard to see people suffering in such poverty, and to feel so helpless watching it.
I just couldn't stop watching it. I had to see what happened to these boys and their families. The documentary was so long and unusual, but it gave off a real feeling of intimacy. I felt like I knew these families, like I was there with them through all of these ups and downs. My mom watched it with me and Anthony, and we all felt like we watched these boys grow up, like it was home movies, almost. We all felt a lot of frustration about their situations. Who failed them here? The schools? The lack of role models? We talked a lot about irritations we have with our own experiences in schools, of feeling so unprepared for real life, like we didn't learn any skills. We sort of felt like we could relate to some parts of their situations - not knowing how important what you do in high school actually is to your real life, not knowing what to do with our life, period, that sort of thing.
Ebert writes a lot about the production of this film in his essay, all of which is really interesting to me. He writes about how this film started out, saying, "When the filmmakers began, they planned to make a 30-minute film about eighth-graders being recruited from inner-city playgrounds to play for suburban schools. Their film eventually encompassed six years, involved 250 hours of footage, and found a reversal of fortunes they could not possibly have anticipated: (The Great Movies, 220). When I first read this, I couldn't understand how the film grew to be this size and scope. After watching it, I cannot imagine it any other way. I could see how the filmmakers fell in love with these boys, just like me and my family did while watching it.
He also brings up an issue that happened before the film was released, writing, "Coach Pingatore and the school were parties to a suit to prevent the film from being released theatrically. The school comes off looking pragmatic and cold, but then ''Hoop Dreams'' reflects a reality that is true all over America, and not just at St. Joseph's" (The Great Movies, 222). I had no idea, but I can understand why they might have wanted to stop this film from being released. I'm glad Ebert included this bit of information, since I didn't see it anywhere else. It also seemed to confirm the reality that the film presented, in a way.
I didn't think I would like this movie, but I'm so glad it was on Ebert's list, otherwise I never, ever would have watched it. It was really fun to watch it with Anthony and my mom as well, to see them just as engrossed in it as I was. I was so surly thinking of watching this documentary, but I'm so glad that I am doing this project which forced me to sit down and watch it, since I loved it and was so moved by it.
The movie is streaming on Netflix, and it's really worth watching. You have to give it a chance, even if you are like me and very blah about sports. If you watch it, I'm so curious what you think!
Have any of you seen Hoop Dreams? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Ebert's Great Movie essay on Hoop Dreams


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American Tower Corporation
116 Huntington Ave. 11th Floor
Boston, MA 02116
Cleary Gottlieb
One Liberty Plaza
New York, NY 10006
Deloitte & Touche LLP
200 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA 02116-5022
American Tower was formed in 1995 as a unit of American Radio Systems and was spun off in 1998 when that company merged with CBS Corporation. American Tower was recognized by Harvard Business Review as one of the 100 best-performing companies in the world. The Boston Globe ranked American Tower #4 on its 2013 Globe 100 list, an annual list of the top companies in Massachusetts. American Tower's tallest tower in the U.S. is a guyed tower in Alvin, Texas that stands 1,996 feet above ground level. In Salida, Colorado a self-support tower reaches the height of 12,002 feet above sea level making it the highest point in American Tower's U.S. portfolio. California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin have all passed legislation that streamlines collocation making the process easier than ever. At American Tower, we recycle our tower bulbs. 99% of the bulb materials can be reclaimed and reused. American Tower cares about the environment. When birds nest on our towers, our Bird Watch team monitors nest activity and site access to ensure protected birds, their active nests and our customers, contractors and employees are safe.
Solutions designed to get and keep your wireless communications network on air
Propose your land for a tower
Your land may have potential
Get more from your tower
Let your property work for you
Call 877-ATC-SITE (877-282-7483) |
Legal | Privacy | Media Relations | Vendor Relations | Site Map
© 2004 – 2018 by ATC IP LLC. All rights reserved.


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Fashion & Lifestyle Blog
Travel In Style
An inspirational and emotional tea blog.
Exploring creativity and beauty across different media. Scholarly and journalistic. Lushly illustrated. Passionately global.
A blog of Japanese girl traveling around the world
Changing the narrative. Telling my African story.
travel and adventure
travelin' sistah of color motivated to share with the world!
It's the little things that make life blissful!
On living abroad and other dreams come true
Travel Blogger | Dubai | Abu Dhabi
This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.
a blog that gives reverence to travel and food!
Just another WordPress.com site
"To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world" – Freya Stark
Chronicling an ever-changing city through faded and forgotten artifacts