Angelina Jolie is a well-known actress, the partner of Brad Pitt and also for her interest and keenness in humanitarian work. She said she started to be aware of humanitarian problems during the period of filming of Tomb Raider in Cambodia. She has seen the poverty-stricken Cambodia and has then enquired for more information from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

In a couple of months later, she has visited to a number of refugee camps from all around the world to see for herself how bad are the conditions and situations in these international trouble spots. She admitted she was very shocked at the situations during her first field trip consisting of 18 days to Tanzania and Sierra Leone.

Later then, she returned to Cambodia for two weeks and has donated $1 million to Afghan refugees in after a meeting. All of her expenses during a mission are covered by her own, and she does not mind sharing and working alongside with other UNHCR volunteers during all of her missions, even if the conditions and environments are bad.

She was named a Goodwill Ambassador in 2001 for her work and interest in humanitarian work. Angelina Jolie puts her most of her efforts in field missions, internally displaces persons and visiting refugees in places all around the world. She even has made visits to the worse severe humanitarian crisis in the world in Tham Hin refugee camp of Thailand and Colombian refugees in Ecuador. Later on, she visited a number of UNHCR facilities in Kosovo.

Another visit was to Kakuma refugee camp mainly consisted of Sudanese refugees in Kenya. Other refugee sites she went to was Namibia during her filming of Beyond Borders, Tanzania, sri Lanka, Russia, North Caucasus, Iraq and Egypt. Her extensive visits to these refugee camps are recognized all around the world. She even went to visit detained asylum seekers from different facilities in Arizona and also a facility for unaccompanied children in Phoenix.

Her extensive visits to various parts of the world involving in humanitarian problems have increased her experience in this area. Angelina Jolie’s interest in helping people suffering from humanitarian problems has already risen to the political level and she has met senators and congressmen for a number of times. She is a regular attendee of World Refugee Day in Washington and was a guest speaker at World Economic Forum.

Angelina Jolie is actively promoting humanitarian problems and helps to the public. Her status as a well-known celebrity has increased the effectiveness of the promotions using the media. She has even published articles, starred in MTV and established a Jolie/Pitt Foundation for donations to Global Action for Children and Doctors without Borders.

She is widely recognized for her effort in her humanitarian work and has received several awards such as the Citizen of the World Award, Global Humanitarian Award and Freedom Award. Other than visiting those parts herself, she has donated generous sum of money to help those in need.

Born on the 4th of June 1975 in England, Angelina Jolie is an American film actress. She was born with the name Angelina Jolie Voight, but she sought legal actions to change her name into Angelina Jolie. She started into filming industry since she was young. She is the daughter of actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand. Her interest in acting is influenced by her mother who often took her to movies and not by her father as was previously suggested. Her parents are divorced and she then lived with her mother.

She was enrolled in Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute when she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 11. Angelina Jolie trained in this institute for two years and has appeared in a few stage productions. Although she has a few problems during her teenage years, such as low self-esteem and stopping her acting classes, she survived the hard times. Later on Angelina Jolie returned to attending her acting classes and graduated from high school.

At 14, she started her career as a fashion model with Finesse Model Management and had made several appearances in music videos. Apart from these, she has also starred in five student films by her brother when he attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Her first appearance in the big screen started in the film Lookin’ to Get Out in 1982 along with her father Jon Voight.

However, she only started her career in acting in 1993 with the film Cyborg 2. Three years later, she managed to land on a leading role in a major film Hackers. She has won three Golden Globe Awards, one Academy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 199, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the drama Girl, Interrupted. She has also taken part in two critically acclaimed biography films George Wallace and Gia. In George Wallace, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy.

Her acting career is at rise when she is played the major role in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001 as Lara Croft. Angelina Jolie’s international fame started from this film and she is well-known as the actress with the highest pay in Hollywood. Her biggest commercial success is in the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005 where she was Mrs. Smith.

Her acting role in this film kicked off her relationship with Brad Pitt who was playing the role of Mr. Smith. She married a British actor Jonny Lee Miller in 1996, but is divorced in 1999. Later in 2000, she married an American actor Billy Bob Thornton and divorced three years later.

It was one of the major entertainment news when the media speculates her relationship with Brad Pitt. After some time, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt announced their relationship in 2006 along with the news that she is pregnant with his child. She has adopted Maddox and Zahara, and has a biological daughter Shiloh. She is currently pregnant with two twins.

Angelina Jolie is a celebrity with a very high profile, famous her acting and also well-known for her tattoos. Her numerous amount of tattoos have attracted a lot of attention from the media. This has also been one of the major topics during interviews with any magazines or other interviewers. The filmmakers are forced to be creative while using Angelina Jolie as part of their film as they have to cover up her tattoos especially when she has to bare her skin. Although she is not against film nudity, this has been one of the headaches to the filmmakers.

Currently, apart from being the most well-known celebrity in Hollywood and the most photographed women in the world, she is also known as the one celebrity with the most tattoos. Currently, she has 13 tattoos as known. Some of the tattoos are quotes such as Tennessee Williams “A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages”, strength of will in Arabic, “quod me nutrit me destruit” which means what nourishes me destroys me, a Yantra prayer written in ancient Khmer and Pali scripts for Maddox, her first adopted son.

There are also four sets of geographical coordinates on the upper left arm. All these coordinates are indicators of the birthplaces of her children. The top row is the longitudinal and latitudinal location of Cambodia where Maddox, her eldest adopted son was born. Second is the coordinates of Ethiopia which is the place where Zahara was born. The third row belongs to her biological daughter, Shiloh, and she was born in Namibia. The last row represents Pax Thien’s place of birth, Vietnam.

When she first appeared on the red carpet in Cannes to promote her movie A Mighty Heart, cameramen have taken photographs of her covering her upper left arm using Brad Pitt’s arm. However the media managed to grab hold of the photos which showed bruises due to the side effect from new tattooing of the four coordinates.

Apart from these, she has either covered or removed using lasers of the tattoos such as Billy Bob, a window on the lower back and a Chinese character for death. The window used to represent freedom for she explained that she used to look out from her window wishing to be outside. Now, she does not need that window anymore since she is outside.

Angelina Jolie’s tattoos include a discreet M on the palm of the hand to honour her mother who has passed away recently. Her new tattoos of the coordinates of her children’s’ birthplaces are placed on the previous places where she had her ex-husband’s name which has been removed by laser.

Other tattoos that she has include a large black cross on the left hip, the letter H on the left wrist which represents her brother James Haven, a large Asian tiger, a dragon and the Roman numeral 13

In her movies, her tattoos are not visible due to the fact that they have been covered up by make-ups. It was even rumoured that digital enhancers were used to erase some of the visible tattoos even after application of make-ups.

Everyone knows who Angelina Jolie is. She is the famous Hollywood actress and a humanitarian volunteer for the UN. She has two worlds of her own; her celebrity world of making movies and attending premiers, and also refugee camps from all over the world. She commented that working with people who have suffered losses but yet still grateful for life is the way of finding her true self.

She realized her interest in helping refugees while filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in a poverty part of Cambodia. She returned later to this country to visit refugee camps as an UN ambassador. She uses her fame as an internationally well-known Hollywood actress to encourage helps from people. She is actively involved in humanitarian programs and has donated a generous sum of money to help these refugees in need.

In an interview, Angelina Jolie revealed that she was not expecting to become a mother. Currently, she is the mother of three adopted children, a biological daughter and about to give birth to twins. When she was in Cambodia, she went to a refugee camp and set her eyes upon a child in an orphanage. This child, Maddox was then adopted as her son when he was 7 months. From here, she has taken the responsibility as a mother.

She admitted that she has to make big changes in her life with a new member around. Although her marriage with Billy Thornton was at the edge, she found happiness within her son. They are divorced later on. She even brought Maddox along during her visits to refugee camps. Later on she adopted two more sons and has her own biological daughter with Brad Pitt, Shiloh.

Her second adopted son is Zahara from Ethiopia and he was brought back in 2005. In 2006, she has given birth to her own daughter Shiloh. She realized that she loves a big family, which is the same intention shared by her partner Brad Pitt. Before meeting him, she admitted that she did not plan to have her own child, which is most probably the factor that influences her to adopt Maddox and Zahara.

Angelina Jolie’s relationship with Brad Pitt has made her realize that there is no threat with a biological child with Brad Pitt. After Shiloh’s birth, she adopted a toddler Pax from an orphanage in Vietnam. She recalled her funny moments with Pax when she first brought him home. She revealed that her intention for adopting Pax was for the sake of Maddox so that there is connection between the adopted children.

In the interview, she also mentioned that Brad Pitt is a good and responsible father who is loved by the children. Both of them loves children and can bond with the children. Brad Pitt has been a supportive partner to Angelina Jolie in terms of her humanitarian work, family and also their career.

Angelina Jolie is currently heavily pregnant with twins and the addition of two more members to the family will enlighten not only her and Brad Pitt, but also her four children.

As a Goodwill Ambassador of the UNHCR, Angelina Jolie has always been promoting to help sufferers of humanitarian crisis from all around the world and is an active volunteer of UNHCR. She has written an article to be published in The World in 2008 publishes annually by The Economist. This article focuses on her experiences and progresses on the world issues in hope to bring war criminals to justice.

In her article, she explained some her recent encounters with refugees in Chad which is located just across the border with Sudan which made her realized something. While sitting around with a group of refugees who have experienced the worse experiences that one can imagine, she asked what they need. The list of requirements was generated which includes better medical facilities and how to improve their lives there.

However, a young boy replied that they want a trial during that discussion which is still deep in her heart. This need seems too far to be reached but this statement has showed that only powerful force sufficient to stop the violence and retribution that are results from many conflicts. The courtroom seems as a dream to them.

She realized that only through accountability people who are suffering in Darfur and other refugee places in the world will be able to gain justice. Angelina Jolie believed that in the year of 2008, accountability can start the process of seeking justice for these people. It is through accountability that the behavior of some of the worst criminals in the world can be changed and the process of correcting the wrong-doings in the past will be able to start.

There are places of the world where these actions have started to take effect. For example, the international tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yogolsavia have started convicting the heads of state and generals for crimes and genocide against humanity. On the other hand, the joint UN-Cambodia court has begun calling for witnesses to testify against former Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes and war crimes against humanity.

Other trials include charging of two Congolese leaders with crime against humanity in Hague for over a decade by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and also the sentence of three former leaders of a pro-government militia to jail for war crimes back in the 1990s by the UN-backed special court for Sierra Leone.

The power that ICC has is powerful enough to intimidate people although it is still new. Angelina Jolie recalled her memory on that particular incident in Congo. Her group was discussing prospects for peace agreement with the rebel leaders. It was not looking good and the situation went worse after sometime. Her colleague asked the name of one of the rebels, and accidently let it pass that he was going to hand the name over to the ICC. The man recoiled and this has shown the power that ICC has.

Angelina Jolie hoped that in the article, the examples included will be able to lead to more justice in the future by accountability. She believed that peace can only be obtained through justice and the refugees will be able to go home when justice is done.

?Common Errors in Home Theater Selection

Everyone wants a home theater, but not everyone conducts enough due diligence on the subject before entering the marketplace. As a result, they end up with systems that don’t do what they need them to do. Sometimes they end up with systems that are far too powerful than what they really need. A well-informed and researched consumer can avoid all of this. This article will discuss a few common errors in home theater selection in hopes of providing others with the information they need to avoid problems.

One common error is putting together a system that lacks adequate amplification. This is particularly common among those who purchase less expensive systems and then attempt to use them in larger spaces. Often, bargain systems utilize smaller amplifiers that are not able to power speakers adequately to handle larger rooms. An absence of amplification is a common problem for new home theater buyers.

Fortunately, it is one that is easy to avoid. One must simply look not only for a low price tag but for adequate power, as well. Usually the sole cause of this difficulty is the attempt to save a few bucks. Ask a sales associate or a knowledgeable friend about how much power you should really have and take their advice. That small increase in upfront cost will represent a savings over an otherwise inevitable upgrade.

Often, speakers fail to adequately perform once they are brought home. What sounded great in the showroom sounds muddled and weak in the living room. Was the buyer a victim of a bait and switch? Probably not. Far more likely is the prospect that the consumer failed to position his speakers optimally upon setting them up at home.

One must fight the urge to set up speakers based on their aesthetic sense. Speakers are about sound and should be arranged to optimally provide sound for the home theater. Consult the manufacturer’s directions and/or utilize a trial and error strategy to optimally place the speakers. The results of simple shifts in elevation, angle and distance can be remarkable.

Another frequently encountered problem is that of space. Greedy by nature, people often try to fit larger screens in their homes than can really be handled. Usually, the consumer will measure the space to determine what size of screen he or she needs and will buy based on that calculation.

However, that size does not reflect the screen’s casing or the actual footprint of the unit. People frequently underestimate the amount of floor space that will be required and often end up purchasing a screen that is far too big for their available space. A large screen is wonderful in the abstract, but it is nothing less than annoying when one is sitting only a few feet from it and can count every pixel! Take into account the amount of floor space and don’t forget to compensate for the size of the screen’s casing when making a purchase.

Errors like these take place daily as people buy home theaters. Fortunately, all of these miscues are easily avoidable with a little bit of care and attention. Take a few moments to make purchases wisely and conduct sufficient research before entering the store and you can avoid many common problems altogether.

Why allow yourself to suffer with the wrong system simply due to a lack of effort on the front end? A home theater can be a significant purchase and one should embark on that purchase only after having truly determined what they need. Additionally, once the purchase is made, the consumer should take great care in determining how the system can be best installed.

Following these simple guidelines can prevent many home theater frustrations.

?Diagnosing Common Home Theater Sound Problems

Sometimes a person thinks they have assembled the perfect home theater system only to find themselves dissatisfied with the performance. In some cases, this is attributable to making poor purchases. This article will review some common causes of disappointment and will look at how such problems can be avoided by choosing products that better meet an end user’s actual needs.

Sound problems are incredibly frustrating because one of the most important aspects of the home theater experience is the element of sound. A great sound system will really bring a movie to life and can absolutely destroy a great movie when it is flat and weak. Many would argue that home theater sound is at least as important, if not more so, than home theater video.

Sometimes the problems are severe and necessitate replacement of one or more component parts of the home theater system. In other cases, the problem can be simply corrected by making only minor adjustments to the system. The observations and recommendations supplied here are not comprehensive in nature and do not attempt to solve all sound problems encountered by a home theater owner. However, they do provide some helpful advice for anyone struggling with inadequate audio performance.

Sound problems are frequently encountered. Often, one will note that although sound is present, it doesn’t sound sufficiently rich or varied. In many cases, the owner will immediately assume there is a need for a better set of speakers and will immediately make a purchase of a new surround sound speaker collection.

Although intuitive (the sound does come from the speakers, after all), this is usually a mistake. The problem in many cases is not the speakers at all. The problem is either in the connections from the amplifier or amplifier/receiver and the speakers or may be with the amplifier itself.

One should first check to see if the speakers are correctly connected on both ends of the system. If they are, one should spend some time determining if the speakers are at fault or if it is an amplification problem. You see, many home theater systems feature relatively low-powered amplifiers. These smaller amps, commonly encountered in cheaper “all-in-one” systems are often unable to sufficiently power speakers to produce the kind of sound one might want. This inadequacy can often be found in larger spaces when the sound fails to “fill the room.”

To test to see what the real source of the problem is, one can hook up the same speakers to a different stereo of amplifier and compare their performance. Generally there is more power output from a traditional stereo and it can be amazing how much better a set of speakers will sound when adequately powered. However, one’s first instincts could be correct if the speakers continue to under-perform when used with different amplifiers in different settings.

Another potential cause of poor sound is poor cabling. The cheaper cables sometimes provided with home theater purchases can occasionally be inadequate for the production of optimal sound. Cheap speaker wire can bring with it enough resistance to decrease the quality of sound, as well. If one is experiencing a sound-related problem of any sort, they should always consider that the problem may not be with a component, but with the connections between the components.Home theater sound problems can be avoided in many cases by following a few general principles. First, make sure everything is correctly connected after purchase. Second, be sure you have invested in an amplifier that will adequately power your speakers and produce enough sound to fill the space in which you will be placing the home theater. Third, always check cabling carefully and strive to use only high quality cables with your home theater system.

If one takes these relatively simple precautions a great deal of frustration can be avoided. If your home theater’s sound isn’t where you need it to be, use those hints as a blueprint as you analyze your system. If it really is time to look for new components, consider those directives as you make your next purchase.

?Do-it-Yourself Home Theater Installation

All of us enjoy the satisfaction of handling things ourselves. That innate human instinct has created an ever-growing do-it-yourself (DIY) movement in all areas. Homeowners are excited to perform their own remodeling projects. Those who have never before even grown a fern are planning on handling their own landscaping. Stereo and television novices are planning to install their home theater systems.

The DIY movement is partly human nature and part financial. People like the idea of keeping their hard-earned money instead of paying it to specialists to complete jobs they feel they could personally handle. Regardless of the motivations, however, it is indisputable that more and more people are ready to embark on DIY projects.

Is home theater installation a good DIY project or a recipe for disaster? The answer to that question will depend both on the experience level of the installer and on the exact nature of the home theater system in question.

If one has spent tens of thousands of dollars on a home theater system and wants to establish a unit with speakers embedded in the wall that is absolutely wireless, they should probably consider hiring a professional. Few of us, however, are looking for anything quite that extreme.

If one has simply dropped a few hundred dollars on an all-in-one home theater and wants to hire a professional, they should certainly think again. These low-end systems are particularly built for ease of installation and can be handled by anyone. Again, however, most of us don’t fall into this category either.

The largest number of us fall somewhere between the two extremes. Perhaps we have purchased separate components and a nice five-speaker surround sound set, but have stopped short of making a huge investment that would obviously warrant professional help. Those of us in the middle can generally handle our own home theater installation.There are few basic guiding principles to home theater installation for novices that must, at all costs, be followed.

First, and most importantly, the novice should read all documentation and instructions. He or she should study the schematics. It is important to have a clear mental understanding of how to hook things up and why they are hooked up this way. Don’t just dive in immediately, read the supporting materials provided by the manufacturer. Often, installers will be surprised by some of the informational gems they find in these resources.

Second, use the right tools for the job. Home theater installations that are accomplished via the use a steak knife and a butter knife generally lack longevity. Take the time to use the right tools for the tasks that are in front of you. Don’t compromise quality in your work for convenience.

Finally, stop if it isn’t working. It is possible to do permanent damage to components during installation if it is not performed correctly. Generally, damage of this sort is not covered by warranties. Don’t risk your investment by experimenting when something goes wrong. Consult the documentation and troubleshoot likely problems. If nothing seems to work, put the project down and call in a pro.

Most of us can handle our home theater installation needs. All we need to do is remember a few basic guidelines and we are likely to emerge from the process with a fully operable home entertainment center that will make movie watching at home a real joy.

?Five Reasons NOT to Buy a Home Theater

Everyone is talking about home theaters. They are, perhaps, the hottest area of the consumer electronics market, as people clamor for a way to duplicate the big screen experience within the confines of their own home. Every day, home theaters are advancing in quality and decreasing in price, leading more and more people to make an investment in a home theater system.

However, a home theater may not be a good idea for everyone. In fact, for some people home theater ownership is a downright horrible idea. Who should avoid home theaters? Look at some of these characteristics and you will begin to understand why some may not want to buy a home theater. If you fall into any of these categories, you may want to think twice before buying a home theater system.

First, those who enjoy wasting money should probably give up on the idea of a home theater completely. Instead of spending a small fortune for a ticket, a small soda and some stale popcorn, one can watch an awesome movie at home on the cheap with a home theater system. Those who would prefer to squander their resources at the theaters repeatedly should probably keep trudging back to the cinema instead of enjoying high quality video and sound at home.

Second, those with a masochistic streak should probably stick with old school movie watching and resist the urge to enter the home theater market. At home, there are no long lines just to get into the living room and generally, one can get to and from the refrigerator for refreshment within a matter of moments. Home theaters do not force one to test the limits of their bladder, either. Instead of having to wait and wait so as not to miss a moment of the action, the home theater user can simply pause the film. Those who appreciate the punishments of the cinema experience are probably not going to be interested in a home theater.

Third, those who do not actually enjoy watching and listening to movies should also avoid home theaters. Instead, they can hit the movie house, and experience a new release right next to the guy who will not stop talking on his cell phone and right in front of the arguing couple. Mr. Loudmouth will be in the back, offering his commentary and there will be at least one former NBA superstar blocking a significant portion of the screen. Those who prefer their movies chock-full of annoyances should really avoid a home theater investment.

Finally, anyone who would not like something fun to do with friends and family can give up on the notion of a home theater. If you prefer a dull home life and do not want to surround yourself with some truly interesting entertaining options, you should avoid investing in a home theater system. They provide a great movie or television watching experience along with an amazing sound system. That just might not be what some people want.

OK, all of that may have been a little tongue-in-cheek, but it makes a good point or two. There are many reasons why most of us would absolutely relish ownership of a great home theater system. We all love the movies, and we all recognize just how frustrating the movie going experience can be. The home theater system provides a way of seizing all of that entertainment value while allowing us to avoid the increasingly annoying downside we experience at our local multiplex.

There are some people for whom a home theater system may not make much sense, but those folks really are few and far between. The bulk of us would love to add an entertaining centerpiece to our home lives, and home theater systems provide a way of doing just that. With the prices of systems plummeting and great new products in the home theater system area entering the market all of the time, now is a great moment to seize the opportunity, too.