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Time Magazine released their TIME 100, a list of global icons –100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our world. Angelina Jolie was listed under "Heroes & Pioneers" and an article by Deputy Secretary-General of the U.N. Mark Malloch Brown was posted…
Recently, I took my 13-year-old daughter Maddy to a New York City event honoring Angelina Jolie. Every parent will relate to the fact that Maddy often finds the world of celebrity magazines more interesting than the world of her father—which in my case centers on the United Nations and its work fighting poverty. That night Angelina brought those two worlds together. Maddy was awed by how Angelina used her celebrity to lift all of us beyond the glamour of a Manhattan ballroom and make us confront the grim realities of poverty in the farthest corners of the globe.
That ability to transcend worlds has something to do with Angelina’s movie-star charisma—but it also says something about her diligence and grit. Angelina, 30, spends a great deal of time in the developing world, visiting refugee camps, speaking and listening to the men, women and children she is working to help. Those people, Angelina explained, "have seen so much, they’ve felt so much pain—lost more than anyone could bear, and yet they contain joy of life and appreciation for small things we often forget." It was a further indication of Angelina’s humanity that she stopped to listen and talk to Maddy as the city’s power brokers hovered impatiently, awaiting their brush with celebrity.
Angelina’s commitment as goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has pushed her to speak out about root causes—economic failure and lack of justice. She urged me relentlessly to meet her last year during a stopover at an airport where our paths happened to be crossing, so that I could brief her ahead of her appearance at a big international meeting. It is typical of her. The subject was the Millennium Development Goals—a set of objectives agreed upon by the world’s governments. They range from eradicating poverty to reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. As always, she wanted to be prepared—not just to share impressions of poverty but to be able to speak seriously to the issues. Angelina went on to make a film for MTV on a village in Kenya, where a pilot project is under way to fight poverty, hunger and disease.
That blending of the activist and the performer, not on the set but in the African bush, reflects her determination to stick with a subject, immerse herself in it, make it part of her life—and then bring her public with her. It is celebrity advocacy at its most effective, most intelligent and most sincere. For that, she has my enduring respect and gratitude—and Maddy’s. (More pictures in the gallery!)
(L) Brad grabs onto Maddox after arriving at Namibia’s Swakopmund
Airport this past Friday. (C) Looks like Brad’s got a new bracelet!
(R) Angelina holds her precious Zahara snuggled in her arms.
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# 400 | Original jpf Here, here, JPF. You tell ‘em! I concur 2000%!
# 523 | guli -congratz to her, great advise for your daughter, you are a great mom.
Hi guli, I was late today too, kids dance school, and congratulations to your daugther, hope she makes the next one.
What is going on in here today? All of the sudden people aren’t calling Angelina bad names having to do with the Pitt divorce - now they are accusing her of applying for sainthood? I just don’t get it. # 520 | Original Curious Ah, Original curious I don’t think we ever will. I just read a post by a very ignorant person who states it’s a good thing she knows the causes AJ supports, so she’ll know to avoid them. Honestly, there a millions of people yearning for an education and here is someone who has obviously wasted hers. These are the kinds of people we have to deal with….so sad.# 523 | guli That is a nice sentiment. I am always amazed that as soon as someone (like AJ) tries do do a little, (although in her case I regard it as a lot) they are criticised by many because they haven’t done absolutely everything! How warped is that!# 521 | pp | She doesn’t fit their mold of what an actress should be. You know how people like things a certain way, well here she comes ******** up the whole image and they resent that. # 524 | Estelle lol…you too? Thank Goodness.
Many of us would rather have more articulate and informed spokespeople. # 421 | ditto edu-Jolie ++++++++++++++++Then get off your ass and DO something! At least AJ is DOING something. She may not be the most articulate person to speak to the issue, but she cares deeply and she wants to make a difference. She said herself in her USA today ad that she’s not an expert, she’s an actress! Instead of sitting here and complaining about wanting a better spokesperson, you should be out finding one. The bible says the Lord helps those that help themselves. So quit your bellyaching and go help find someone you DO find to be an acceptable representative.
OK…phenomenal ladies…I have to go to class…see you later…and try to stay at one thread…right now we have 2 ( thank goodness)…I can catch up with 2…hold the fort.
# 429 | suann Let me get this straight - You’re not a fan but you spend time surfing the net to AJ blogs, reading them in their entirety and then returning here to grace us with your informed observations? I’m going to give you some advice, dear, that I hope you take to heart - get a pet or three or four. That’ll help fill the void you obviously have in your life that’s currently filled with the need to feel superior to Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt fans. And it’ll give you something constructive to do besides wasting our time. Bye bye, now.
# 434 | suann You’re cracking me up, chick. You call AJ a "freak", but I don’t think you realize that the behavior you’ve admitted to is freakish in itself. Ergo, you too are a freak. Ms. Pot meet Ms. Kettle.
I might be totally blowing smoke out my … , but reading some earlier posts about how happy/transformed AJ appeared in her interview (unfortunately I have yet to see it!) made me start thinking .. (dangeous I know!)I have a tall, very good-looking, straight daughter with a HUGE bust (even I’m green with envy, as she didn’t inherit it from me!). Unfortunately, she despairs of ever meeting a decent guy - the nice guys dodn’t approach her (maybe too intimidated?) but she gets sleazes approach her by the bucketload! and her experiences with men because of these attributes have led her to almost totally distrust men’s motives. I keep reassuring her that there are decent guys out there. I imagine when she finally finds one that she will be delerious with joy!I’m not suggesting my daughter is anywhere near AJs league, but it made me start thinking that maybe AJs joy now is somehow similar - she has had to put up with so much crap and labels that try to belittle her as nothing more than a sex object/***** etc, that to finally be with a decent guy like BP, who shares so many of her goals & concerns, must be absolutely liberating! The really sad thing about this is that my daughter also cops nearly as much crap from other women - eg. very hurtful, snide remarks from total strangers walking past in the street! AJ has also copped so much crap from other women - it is more because of their own inseurities about themselves, than anything to do with the object of their jealousy/hatred. How sad that women can’t honour and support each other!After all that both A & B have been through in their personal lives, I’m just so happy for them that they’ve found each other! It is beautiful!
# 525 | angelah |, Rizos, Estelle —Thanks for your kind thoughts :) I completely agree angelah!!! But it is not easy as a parent to watch your kid try and go through the disappointments. Now, I am lucky since she is my third and last one, so I learned alot from the my boys now in college. We only live once and we should make the best of it, thanks to you all fans I feel so much better!!! OK so who is going to keep the on going imaginary MAMS saga going, crap AG is at work, well where is moi Jade or C—-2. Folks you really don’t want me to continue this, I hated every literature class that was a pre-req , "I was hard cold math" or chemistry all the way :)I know Estelle, honey the ball is on your court (see my mind is still on basketball ). Either you take it on or pass it to one of our fans with a funny bone :)
# 450 | MedullaAs funny as I found this article, come on Medulla….Life & Style magazine? Sheesh. It’s even worse than In Touch Weekly! They’ve made up so many bad stories about Angie & Brad that there’s no way I can even pretend to do anything but laugh at this story. Sheesh. Now if People said it…then maybe, just maybe it would be true.
# 536 | Passing Through | I know, I spent almost a half day deleting my"favorites" folder . Cause at first i didn’t know who was legit or not:)Hey, I always love your posts, but now can you take on the saga of AJ/BP n bed she giggeling and etc…., just kidding….
# 512 | COLD HARD MATH CHM…you do not want to get me started on that scumbag Kobe Bryant. I can’t believe his wife took his lying ass back, let alone got pregnant again.Anywho…that’s neither here nor there. Maybe Jared will put up a Kobe blog for anyone who cares his life. That way I don’t have to read anything about him by accident…because I’d rather slit my wrists that go to a Kobe blog!
# 534 | pp Oh boy, You just decribed me. I think this is the reason I like AJ. People look at the outward appearance and automatically jump to conclusions. I pride myself on my ability to "gel" into any type of setting but my first few years in a US university were the hardest. People automatically hear an accent and think stupid, then when they see the grades, the figure she’s got to be F***ing the Prof. Of course it didn’t help that I was well liked by my profs but In my defense, all the schools I’d gone to before coming to the US, you had to be respectful to the profs…the first time I saw a student exchange words with their prof, my jaw almost dropped. Apart from the the profs liking me, majority of my friends were guys (I have four brothers, so I am comfortable with them), I was one of the guys…so you can imagine all the snide comments passed my way. It got to the point where I actually moved back home…. a decison I regret now. You don’t don’t run away from it, you face it head on. Now I see a few of the girls from school and they actually tell me "You know I hated you in college" and I’m like "Wow, that’s really a nice thing to say" Then they try explain why but never can put it in words…"you were always so…." or "And the way you look…." and "The guys…." So my thing is this "you didn’t know me, yet you hated me. You didn’t try to find out what kind of person I am, yet you detested me" What sense does that make? At Work, before anyone found out the boss was related to me (No, not Nepotism)….Jesus H. Christ, they had me pegged as his young Lo-vah honestly. The man is old enough to be my father…he is actually my dad’s older cousin! "Well you can’t really blame us" They said. How do they figure? Aaah, I should stop now because I am getting all riled up besides *whispers* I don’t wanna get in trouble….lol. A lot of us identify with this woman in some ways, I guess that’s why we understand what others can’t…or won’t.
#93 in the past month there has been lots of negative press about Jolie. True or untrue the point is there has been negativity. The UN can’t tarnish their image with smut written about one of their reps. Hence the recommendation to the top 100 list. They need to save their own ass…what negative press. you roam the streets of paris as a family and that’s a negative press. you went to davos to participate for the world cause and that’s negative press. somehow, all these "negative press" you mean were downright ridiculous and I don’t need to be a fan to figure that out, those who are blind sided to think it were are not the thinking kind. see the difference?!
http://people.aol.com/people/packages/0,19939,1184666,00.html Hey guys, need to hit the hay :) Please vote for our gal and guy which will be the fans votes….. for next issue of People The 100 issue is the editors choice, and we got that one ,but this one is up to us !we have a say, our gal is doing fine but not guy, he is lagging behind by 2 % You folks can fix that, right!!!!
Hey, I always love your posts, but now can you take on the saga of AJ/BP n bed she giggeling and etc…., just kidding…. # 537 | guli+++++++++Hmm….my interpretation of AJ & BP in bed reading….okay, here’s my scenario….Angelina starts laughing hysterically and can’t stop. She falls off the bed once, picks herself back up, composes herself and gets back in bed. She’s trying very hard to concentrate on her reading when suddenly she has another spurt of giggles and just can’t stop laughing. Brad’s trying to concentrate on his OC13 script because he has to memorize it now as he’s going to be too busy changing diapers in June & July. Brad’s been ignoring her hysterical laughter for nearly 20 minutes when he’s finally had enough. He turns to Angie and says, "Okay, I give….What are you laughing at NOW?!" Angie says, "God, Brad, have you seen the new Life & Style? Jennifer says she wants to have Vince’s baby! Or, get this…she wants to adopt! Where on earth could she have gotten an idea like that?"!
He turns to Angie and says, "Okay, I give….What are you laughing at NOW?!" Angie says, "God, Brad, have you seen the new Life & Style? Jennifer says she wants to have Vince’s baby! Or, get this…she wants to adopt! Where on earth could she have gotten an idea like that?"! # 542 | Passing Throughlmao….you are sooooo bad!!! Yep, that’s sure to knock anyone off their bed.
Hello Bamz+1 FAM!! As always I so enjoy reading so many GREAT posts.I have to totally agree with the Professor that we do indeed have an unique and conscious group here , keeps moi coming back as much as I have time for. It was women like yourselves who were the Mothers of Peace that led to the declaration of Mothers Day in 1912. This is what our Mother’s Day in America stemmed from and the true meaning of it’s importance. In 1870 Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic, took on a new issue and a new cause. Distressed by her experience of the realities of war, determined that peace was one of the two most important causes of the world (the other being equality in its many forms) and seeing war arise again in the world in the Franco-Prussian War, she called in 1870, for women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms. She wanted women to come together across national lines, to recognize what we hold in common above what divides us, and commit to finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts. She issued a Declaration, hoping to gather together women in a congress of action. Angelina Jolie, even though I might not think she may know it, but to me anyway is hauntingly similar to this woman that preceded us. One woman who’s simple "knowing" and "experience" showed her the realities of war and disease, worked with the orphans, the widows of slain soldiers, and saw a lack of education amongst the children. As women here, we have listened…..we cross those national lines, recognize what we hold in common above what divides us and support each-other to take our heritage, our history and our knowledge and help another continent do the same. I am happy to know all of you. And to Angelina Jolie who has led me to wake up more and take a deeper look into these issues. I have written letters to my senators, governors and a post card to president Bush. I went to a rally yesterday to support others on the situation in Dafur, I have donated money to the UNHCR . If you would like to do the same I share one my favorite sites with you all. I call you all now " Mothers of Peace for Africa." http://www.africaaction.org/index.phpBookmark it. :)BTW….what saga…guli….? so many ya know. Got to run to get my daughter a poster board for school. Will be back soon.BAMZ+10……. for evah!!:)
# 542 | Passing Through | Not fair, I was supposed to go to bed :) OK, here it goes. "Honey if you are going to be on Oceans 13 I think I’ll join you ,I love it he is my best buddy ~~~but stay away from my best friend …George" "why", " cause he is as attactive as I am" "Honey, let’s go to bed", "OK, right, so if I start to giggle again, it is George Clooneys’s fault RIGHT :)))) Not as long as as he is not 200 K miles away from us :)Guys, you can’t turn scientists in to humourests, someone take over and Good night to my friends!!! Tomorrow :)
#539 - AG you have my sympathy, & also my respect that you were/are strong enough to cope with it! But it is tough!Thankfully my daughter is also a very strong person, but that doesn’t mean she’s not also vulnerable. When she was younger (now 21) she got to the point where she dreaded going shopping in the city because she knew how much crap she was going to have to deal with. Fortunately she has now learned to shrug it off (I’m the one that gets all hot under the collar & have been known to let rip at a few!!!)And she has had that very same reaction you’ve experienced from girls she has later got to know!I guess we’re all capable of making assumptions about people from their appearance - but from experiencing what my daughter goes through, it can be as mush a burden as a blessing! And I guess AJ has certainly experienced that!
# 486 Wake UpI agree! Many on this blog have specifically claimed that they now have a new cause to support, and that a new country has become their focus. Are these obsessed fans so entrenched in the world of Angelina that they’ve never heard of these causes or countries before? Do they only take interest in a topic or cause after AJ introduces them to it? Would they have written so much on this blog about Darfur, such a vital topic highlighted by MANY groups for some time, if AJ hadn’t spoken about it? How pitiful and sad that these people have to hang on AJ’s every word in order to take direction in world issues. I think it’s great AJ is supporting these causes. But these fans need to realize these are not new issues, many have and continue to be at the forefront and make a difference (like many jewish leaders), and that AJ’s involvment did not just suddenyl created a march in DC, a change in world leaders views, etc etc. This attitude of the die-hard fans shows such narrowness in thinking and makes me wonder if they ever read a paper, watch the news or non-AJ interviews.
lmao….you are sooooo bad!!! # 543 | African Girl ++++++++++++++AG…I know you’re going to find this hard to believe…BUT….for some reason people tell me that all the time! Go figure.
# 547 | passing thru 2 You know…I don’t give a rat’s behind what you have to say - pro or con, but couldn’t you at least find another name to use? I’m sick of people stealing my name! How hard is it to come up with something? Or, just leave the name blank!
#538 He is a ****** scumbag. I posted that because it seemed like Vanessa and Angie became pregnant right about the same time…….ROCK ON BAMZ+1
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