Asif Ali Zardari is the president of Pakistan. Two weeks ago, a fifth of the country was underwater due to catastrophic flooding.

Says the Telegraph:

Mr Zardari is known as one of the country’s richest businessmen having amassed a fortune while his wife Benazir Bhutto was prime minister during the 1990s, earning the nickname Mr Ten Per Cent for his alleged taste in kickbacks.

President Zardari has pledged five million rupees or $58,000 of his own money to help victims of the flooding in his own country.

Angelina Jolie has donated $100,000 …

In a daring move this week, Star Magazine is striking back. The front cover reads, “Angie & Brad: The Photos That Will TEAR THEM APART!” They have obtained very, very racy 1999 photos of her that can’t be denied. Since the story is true, I don’t think Brad and Angelina can fight this one. Still, the story/pictures are old news. It’s just a mean spirited maneuver by Star. In fact there is also a well circulated video of Angelina during that time period. I’m willing to bet Star has had access to those pictures for a very long time but were saving them for a rainy day. I think Star is speaking on behave of all tabloids and sending a message to Brangelina that “we don’t like you two” and stop dictating how we do our ‘job’.

You must remember that Angelina has always, always been up front and honest about her past.

From London’s The Sunday Times 2008 (and 2003)

There’s also much that has surfaced to embarrass her from her past: but denying it doesn’t seem to be her game. She was once caught on video, wide-eyed and mumbling incoherently in what was described as a “drugs den”, about how weary she was of talking about sadomasochism, a practice she seemed to be suggesting came from deep inside her heart. It was filmed in 1999, when she was 23. She wasn’t seen taking drugs, but has freely admitted to doing so when she was younger, telling The Sunday Times in 2003: “I have done just about every drug possible: cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, LSD. The worst effect, oddly enough, was pot, which made me feel out of control.” She has also spoken in early interviews about being keen to try anything sexually, and has made no secret of her lesbian relationships. It’s seedy stuff and also fascinating. Can someone so open to experiences, dark or not, still want to flourish at the brittle heights of supposedly squeaky-clean American society? Apparently so, and without regret. “The people in my circle know not to bring anything to my attention unless it’s something they feel I really have to address,” she says. “So it is very possible to be totally unaware of everything they’re saying about me,” she giggles. “Thank God.”

From a recent Parade Magazine interview:

“I used to cut myself or jump out of airplanes, trying to find something new to push up against because sometimes everything else felt too easy. I was searching for something deeper, something more,” she explains. “I tried everything. I always felt caged, closed in, like I was punching at things that weren’t there. I always had too much energy for the room I was in.”

“I went through a period when I felt my film characters were having more fun than I was,” she continues. “It might partly explain why I ended up tattooed or doing certain extreme things in my life.”

Here’s the most interesting one that I found from a 2008 Good Morning America interview for The Good Shepherd.

Jolie has said she’s been “self-destructive” in the past — she has admitted to using drugs and cutting herself. She says that she’s not so itchy for freedom anymore. “My life’s a lot more peaceful than it used to be,” she said. “So I’m happy to have that private time but I’m also happy to be up there with Brad and a bunch of screaming kids, and that’s fun.” The “silly, self-destructive things” she used to do, she says, weren’t genuinely wild. “I was just confused and searching,” Jolie said. Now, she says, traveling the world with her family is truly wild and adventurous. “I have to be a lot braver today than I had to when I was 20,” she said.

So, what’s Angelina’s next move? I think she should call a major news conference and a) confirm the validity of the pictures, b) remind people of how she has always been honest about her past, c) admonish Star and all other tabloids for their constant trash, d) tell the world to deal with it, move on with their lives, and see her for the person she is today, and finally e) redirect people’s focus on things that really matter like world refugees and feeding/caring for 3rd world children.

Watch out Elizabeth Taylor, Angie’s is about to bump you off your throne. Angelina has signed on to play Cleopatra in a film based off the book, Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra. Will Brad be playing Marc Anthony? I seriously doubt it but it sure is fun to speculate about it.

Now, next up to the plate is Andrew Morton. His book, Angelina: An Unauthorized Biography is due out August 3rd. Mr. Morton is well know for other celebrity biographies, some official and some not. His subjects have included Princess Diana, Monica Lewinsky, and Tom Cruise. Do you think he’ll have a bunch of Brangelina lies like Ian Halperin or will he do justice to Ms. Jolie?

More than 170,000 Somalis have been forced from their homes across the country since the beginning of the year. Scores have been killed or injured in recent weeks amid some of the bloodiest fighting to date.

“I am deeply troubled by the complete and utter disregard for human life in Somalia,” said Jolie. “Another tragedy is unfolding in Somalia as street battles rage on in Mogadishu causing incredible suffering, massive displacement and loss of life.”

While thousands have fled Mogadishu, many others stay behind, displaced and without any means to leave the city.

“I fear for their lives,” said Jolie. “I appeal to those who carry on fighting not to shell and target civilian neighbourhoods.”

UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador added her voice to recent calls by High Commissioner Antònio Guterres for more international attention and help for the needy and vulnerable population in Somalia. Continued fighting and general insecurity make it extremely difficult for aid agencies to access and assist the displaced population.

Somalia is one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today with half the population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. There are more than 1.4 million Somalis displaced inside the country and some 570,000 live as refugees in the region.

I think we should do some “investigative journalism” on Ian Halperin.

According to Wikipedia:
Ian Halperin is a Canadian investigative journalist and writer from Montreal, Quebec, whose 2009 book, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, went to number one on the New York Times bestseller list on July 24, 2009. He is the author or coauthor of nine books, including Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale, Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story and Hollywood Undercover. He coauthored Who Killed Kurt Cobain? and Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain with Max Wallace. Ian has contributed to 60 Minutes II and is a regular correspondent for Court TV.

Wow. Impressive credentials! I can’t wait to see how he nails Brad and Angelina next month. Let’s go over to Amazon and find out more about that Michael Jackson New York Times bestseller of his. Currently, Ian’s book has 98 one star ratings out of 168 reviews. Ouch! Well over 50% think his Jackson book is pure garbage.

Here’s a sample from 2 of the Amazon reviews on Ian’s Michael Jackson book.
One:
Having followed Ian’s other explosive celebrity scoops and books over the past several years I sort of knew what to expect with this one. Ian is the one who exclusively revealed on his blog that Angelina Jolie has sex daily with men, women, dogs, plants, and suggestively even her own children. He claims that Brad Pitt impregnated a mysterious Sudanese model who then traveled to Cannes this year to confront him, but then never said another word about it. He claimed multiple times that David Carradine was murdered, when in fact the forensic experts confirmed that Carradine died of accidental erotic asphyxiation. One of his biggest things is to “out” celebrities and in his mind most all of Hollywood is gay. Unfortunately, none of Ian’s exclusives have ever been substantiated by any factual evidence, and most read more like fabricated tales than concrete accounts.

Late last year Ian first alleged (as he does in his book) that Michael Jackson was suffering from a potpourri of deadly diseases including but not limited to Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, severe emphysema, 95% blind in his left eye, near mute, lung and liver diseases and in dire need of a transplant, serious back and leg pain, virtually bedridden and unable to get out, amongst other outlandish illnesses which seemed to grow each week. After these claims were roundly denied by Michael Jackson, Ian aggressively promised to bring out medical records and evidence to support these claims, he never did so but instead challenged Michael to take a medical exam to prove he didn’t have such illnesses. In fact, a mandatory five hour medical exam was conducted several months ago as required by the insurance carriers of the concert series in London (which Ian never mentioned until the day Michael made the announcement himself). The certified doctors responsible for this 50-point exam, including one from New York, confirmed that other than a slight hay fever (cold) he was in great health and the only other illnesses he had was his well known skin condition Vitiligo and Lupus. After Michael Jackson passed away, forensic experts and those conducting the autopsy again made note that he did NOT die due to natural causes or lingering illnesses and that we’d have to wait for a toxicology report. It is suspected that a single anesthetic was administered by an inexperienced doctor which led to his shocking death, not all of the reasons Ian has proclaimed.

Two:
Celebrity biographers are an interesting breed. It’s important to keep questioning their motives as you read along. Some do it for wealth, some do it for fame, some do it to glorify or defame their subject. Very rarely do you find someone committing their life’s work to the raw truth in these type of profiles. Not when sensationalism sells. Halperin’s latest work should be considered professional fan fiction.

Bingo. Mr. Halperin dishes lies for the money and December is going to be a cash cow for him. Tabloid work in book form is Mr. Halperin’s specialty. So, all you Brangelina haters out there, enjoy your Brangelina fiction present this Christmas.

I know many things have happened to our star couple since I last posted. These include Cannes and endless breakup rumors. Once again, People Magazine, the best source over the years for true Brad and Angelina information, has put the brakes on the breakup rumors and other “stories”. Their latest issue debunks Pitt/Aniston meeting, new adoption plans, Cannes bickering, and hate between Angelina and Brad’s mom Jane.

So, once again, all is bliss. There is no need to diss.

Instead of chasing the latest empty rumors, it’s better to focus on the important issues in Brad and Angelina’s lives that are constantly there and will always be there. I’m talking about Brad and Angelina’s charity. The latest “juicy” news is they donated $1 million to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, MO. To honor Brad’s mom, the hospital is matching the funds to expand their children’s cancer treatment unit and will rename it, The Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center.

Here’s a run down of the main humanitarian projects that are dear to Brad and Angelina’s hearts:

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation … currently the main hub for their work.

UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) … Angelina’s part

Make it Right Foundation
… Brad’s housing project to rebuild New Orleans Lower 9th Ward that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Not On Our Watch
… This is one that Brad is a founder of along with some other A-list celebrities. Their mission is to “focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world.”

Did I miss any? I’m sure I did. After all, there are so many of them.

Finally, this Saturday, June 20th is World Refuge Day. Just like last year, Angelina has a special message for us: