Rare Earth is an American rock band affiliated with Motown's Rare Earth record label (named after the band), which prospered from 1970–1972. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first big hit-making act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members.

• Crazy Ken Band

Assumed office April 17, 2012 High Commissioner Preceded by Office established Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight, June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. She has received an, two, and three, and has been cited as Hollywood's highest-paid actress. Jolie made her screen debut as a child alongside her father, in (1982). Her film career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production (1993), followed by her first leading role in a major film, (1995). She starred in the critically acclaimed biographical cable films (1997) and (1998), and won an for her performance in the drama (1999).

Jolie's starring role as the video game heroine in (2001) established her as a leading Hollywood actress. She continued her successful action-star career with (2005), (2008), and (2010), and received critical acclaim for her performances in the dramas (2007) and (2008), which earned her a nomination for an. Her biggest commercial success came with the fantasy picture (2014). In the 2010s, Jolie expanded her career into directing, screenwriting, and producing, with (2011), (2014), (2015), and (2017). In addition to her film career, Jolie is noted for her humanitarian efforts, for which she has received a and an honorary damehood of the (DCMG), among other honors.

She promotes various causes, including conservation, education, and women's rights, and is most noted for her advocacy on behalf of refugees as a for the (UNHCR). As a public figure, Jolie has been cited as one of the most influential and powerful people in the American entertainment industry. For a number of years, she was cited as the world's most beautiful woman by various media outlets, and her personal life is the subject of wide publicity. Divorced from actors and, she separated from her third husband, actor, in September 2016. They have six children together, three of whom were adopted internationally. Contents. Early life and family Born in Los Angeles, California, Jolie is the daughter of actors and.

She is the sister of actor, and the niece of singer-songwriter and geologist and volcanologist. Her godparents are actors and. On her father's side, Jolie is of German and Slovak descent, and on her mother's side, she is of primarily French Canadian, Dutch, and German ancestry. Like her mother, Jolie has stated that she is part, although her only known ancestors were 17th-century. At the in April 1988, where his children accompanied him After her parents' separation in 1976, Jolie and her brother lived with their mother, who had abandoned her acting ambitions to focus on raising her children.

Her mother raised her Catholic, but did not require her to go to church. As a child, she often watched films with her mother and it was this, rather than her father's successful career, that inspired her interest in acting, though at age five she had a bit part in Voight's (1982). When Jolie was six years old, Bertrand and her live-in partner, filmmaker, moved the family to; they returned to Los Angeles five years later. Jolie then decided she wanted to act and enrolled at the, where she trained for two years and appeared in several stage productions.

Jolie first attended, where she felt isolated among the children of some of the area's affluent families because her mother survived on a more modest income. She was teased by other students, who targeted her for being extremely thin and for wearing glasses and braces. Her early attempts at modeling, at her mother's insistence, proved unsuccessful.

She then transferred to Moreno High School, an, where she became a 'punk outsider,' wearing all-black clothing, going out, and experimenting with with her live-in boyfriend. She dropped out of her acting classes and aspired to become a funeral director, taking at-home courses to study embalming. At age 16, after the relationship had ended, Jolie graduated from high school and rented her own apartment, before returning to theater studies, though in 2004 she referred to this period with the observation, 'I am still at heart—and always will be—just a punk kid with tattoos.'

As a teenager, Jolie found it difficult to emotionally connect with other people, and as a result she, later commenting, 'For some reason, the ritual of having cut myself and feeling the pain, maybe feeling alive, feeling some kind of release, it was somehow therapeutic to me.' She also struggled with and an, and began experimenting with drugs; by age 20, she had used 'just about every drug possible,' particularly. Jolie suffered episodes of depression and twice planned to commit suicide—at age 19 and again at 22, when she attempted to hire a hitman to kill her. When she was 24, she experienced a and was admitted for to 's psychiatric ward. Two years later, after adopting her first child, Jolie found stability in her life, later stating, 'I knew once I committed to Maddox, I would never be self-destructive again.' Jolie has had a lifelong dysfunctional relationship with her father, which began when Voight left the family when his daughter was less than a year old.

She has said that from then on their time together was sporadic and usually carried out in front of the press. They reconciled when they appeared together in (2001), but their relationship again deteriorated. Jolie petitioned the court to legally remove her surname 'Voight' in favor of her middle name, which she had long used as a stage name; the name change was granted on September 12, 2002. Voight then went public with their estrangement during an appearance on, in which he claimed Jolie had 'serious mental problems.' At that point, her mother and brother also broke off contact with Voight. They did not speak for six-and-a-half years, but began rebuilding their relationship in the wake of Bertrand's death from ovarian cancer on January 27, 2007, before going public with their reconciliation three years later. Career 1991–1997: Early work Jolie committed to acting professionally at the age of 16, but initially found it difficult to pass auditions, often being told that her demeanor was 'too dark.'

She appeared in five of her brother's student films, made while he attended the, as well as in several music videos, namely 's 'Stand by My Woman' (1991), 's 'Alta Marea' (1991), 's 'It's About Time' (1993), and 's ' (1993). She began to learn from her father, as she noticed his method of observing people to become like them. Their relationship during this time was less strained, with Jolie realizing that they were both 'drama queens.' Jolie began her professional film career in 1993, when she played her first leading role in the straight-to-video science-fiction sequel, as a near-human robot designed for corporate espionage and assassination. She was so disappointed with the film that she did not audition again for a year.

Following a supporting role in the independent film (1995), she starred in her first Hollywood picture, (1995). Critic wrote, 'Kate stands out. That's because she scowls even more sourly than her co-stars and is that rare female hacker who sits intently at her keyboard in a see-through top.' Hackers failed to make a profit at the box office, but developed a cult following after its video release.

After starring in the modern-day adaptation (1996), Jolie appeared in the road movie (1996), of which said, 'Jolie, an actress whom the camera truly adores, reveals a comic flair and the kind of blatant sexuality that makes it entirely credible that 's character would drop everything just for the chance of being with her.' In (1996) she played a drifter who unites four teenage girls against a teacher who has sexually harassed them. Jack Mathews of the wrote of her performance, 'It took a lot of hogwash to develop this character, but Jolie, Jon Voight's knockout daughter, has the presence to overcome the stereotype. Though the story is narrated by Maddy, Legs is the subject and the catalyst.' In 1997, Jolie starred with in the thriller, set in the Los Angeles underworld.

The film was not well received by critics; critic noted that Jolie 'finds a certain warmth in a kind of role that is usually hard and aggressive; she seems too nice to be a mobster's girlfriend, and maybe she is.' Her next work, as a frontierswoman in the miniseries (1997), was even less successful; writing for, Robert Strauss dismissed her as 'horrid, a fourth-rate ' who relies on 'gnashed teeth and overly pouted lips.' Jolie also starred in the music video for the 's ' as a stripper who leaves mid-performance to wander New York City. 1998–2000: Breakthrough Jolie's career prospects began to improve after she won a for her performance in 's (1997), about the life of the segregationist Alabama Governor and presidential candidate, played. Jolie portrayed Wallace's second wife, a performance Lee Winfrey of The Philadelphia Inquirer considered a highlight of the film.

George Wallace was very well received by critics and won, among other awards, the. Jolie also received a nomination for an for her performance. Jolie's first breakthrough came when she portrayed supermodel in 's (1998). The film chronicles the destruction of Carangi's life and career as a result of her addiction to heroin, and her decline and death from AIDS in the mid-1980s. Vanessa Vance of Reel.com retrospectively noted, 'Jolie gained wide recognition for her role as the titular Gia, and it's easy to see why. Jolie is fierce in her portrayal—filling the part with nerve, charm, and desperation—and her role in this film is quite possibly the most beautiful train wreck ever filmed.'

For the second consecutive year, Jolie won a and was nominated for an. She also won her first. In accordance with 's, Jolie preferred to stay in character in between scenes during many of her early films, and as a result had gained a reputation for being difficult to deal with. While shooting Gia, she told her husband, that she would not be able to phone him: 'I'd tell him: 'I'm alone; I'm dying; I'm gay; I'm not going to see you for weeks.' ' After Gia, she briefly gave up acting, because she felt that she had 'nothing else to give.' She separated from Miller and moved to New York, where she took night classes at to study directing and screenwriting. Encouraged by her Golden Globe Award win for George Wallace and the positive critical reception of Gia, Jolie resumed her career.

Following the previously filmed gangster film (1998), Jolie returned to the screen in (1998), part of an ensemble cast that included, and. The film received predominantly positive reviews, and Jolie was praised in particular; critic Peter Stack wrote, 'Jolie, working through an overwritten part, is a sensation as the desperate club crawler learning truths about what she's willing to gamble.'

She won the Breakthrough Performance Award from the. In 1999, Jolie starred in the comedy-drama, alongside, and. The film met with mixed reception from critics, and Jolie's character—Thornton's seductive wife—was particularly criticized; writing for, dismissed her as 'a completely ludicrous writer's creation of a free-spirited woman who weeps over hibiscus plants that die, wears lots of turquoise rings and gets real lonely when Russell spends entire nights away from home.' Jolie then co-starred with in (1999), playing a police officer who reluctantly helps Washington's detective track down a serial killer.

The film grossed $151.5 million worldwide, but was critically unsuccessful. Terry Lawson of the concluded, 'Jolie, while always delicious to look at, is simply and woefully miscast.' 'Jolie is emerging as one of the great wild spirits of current movies, a loose cannon who somehow has deadly aim.' — critic on Jolie's performance in (1999) Jolie next took the supporting role of a mental patient in (1999), an adaptation of 's. While played the main character in what was hoped to be a comeback for her, the film instead marked Jolie's final breakthrough in Hollywood. She won her third, her second, and an. For, noted, 'Jolie is excellent as the flamboyant, irresponsible girl who turns out to be far more instrumental than the doctors in Susanna's rehabilitation.'

In 2000, Jolie appeared in her first summer blockbuster, which became her highest-grossing film to that point, earning $237.2 million internationally. She had a minor role as the mechanic ex-girlfriend of a car thief played by; The Washington Post writer criticized that 'all she does in this movie is stand around, cooling down, modeling those fleshy, pulsating muscle-tubes that nest so provocatively around her teeth.' Jolie later explained that the film had been a welcome relief after her emotionally demanding role in Girl, Interrupted. 2001–2004: Mainstream recognition Although highly regarded for her acting abilities, Jolie had rarely found films that appealed to a wide audience, but Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) made her an international superstar. An adaptation of the popular videogames, the film required her to learn an English accent and undergo extensive martial arts training to play the archaeologist-adventurer. Although the film generated mostly negative reviews, Jolie was generally praised for her physical performance; 's John Anderson commented, 'Jolie makes the title character a virtual icon of female competence and coolth.'

The film was an international hit, earning $274.7 million worldwide, and launched her global reputation as a female action star. Jolie at the Cologne premiere of in December 2004 Jolie next starred opposite as his mail-order bride in (2001), the first of a string of films that were poorly received by critics and audiences alike. The New York Times critic questioned Jolie's decision to follow her Oscar-winning performance with 'soft-core nonsense.' The romantic comedy (2002), though equally unsuccessful, marked an unusual choice for Jolie. 's considered her ambitious newscaster character a rare attempt at playing a conventional women's role, noting that her performance 'doesn't get off the ground until a scene where she goes punk and leads a group of striking bus workers in singing '. Despite her lack of box office success, Jolie remained in demand as an actress; in 2002, she established herself among Hollywood's highest-paid actresses, earning $10–$15 million per film for the next five years.

Jolie reprised her role as Lara Croft in (2003), which was not as lucrative as the original, earning $156.5 million at the international box office. She also starred in the music video for 's ', which was used to promote the sequel. Her next film was (2003), in which she portrayed a socialite who joins an aid worker played. Though unsuccessful with audiences, the film stands as the first of several passion projects Jolie has made to bring attention to humanitarian causes. Beyond Borders was a critical failure; of the Los Angeles Times acknowledged Jolie's ability to 'bring electricity and believability to roles,' but wrote that 'the limbo of a hybrid character, a badly written cardboard person in a fly-infested, blood-and-guts world, completely defeats her.' The year 2004 saw the release of four films featuring Jolie.

She first starred in the thriller as an FBI profiler summoned to help Montreal law enforcement hunt down a serial killer. The film received mixed reviews; The Hollywood Reporter critic Kirk Honeycutt concluded, 'Jolie plays a role that definitely feels like something she has already done, but she does add an unmistakable dash of excitement and glamour.' Jolie made a brief appearance as a fighter pilot in, a science fiction adventure shot entirely with actors in front of a, and voiced her first family film, the animation.

Her supporting role as Queen in 's, about the life of, was met with mixed reception, particularly concerning her Slavic accent. Commercially, the film failed in North America, which Stone attributed to disapproval of the depiction of Alexander's bisexuality, but it succeeded internationally, for a total revenue of $167.3 million. 2005–2010: Commercial success In 2005, Jolie returned to major box office success with the action-comedy, in which she starred opposite as a bored married couple who find out that they are both secret assassins. The film received mixed reviews, but was generally lauded for the chemistry between the two leads; critic Colin Covert noted, 'While the story feels haphazard, the movie gets by on gregarious charm, galloping energy and the stars' thermonuclear screen chemistry.' With box office takings of $478.2 million worldwide, Mr.

Smith was the seventh-highest grossing picture of the year and remained Jolie's highest-grossing live-action film for the next decade. Jolie with her husband, at the premiere of in May 2007 Following a supporting role as the neglected wife of a CIA officer in 's (2006), Jolie starred as in the documentary-style drama (2007).

Based on Pearl's, the film chronicles the kidnapping and murder of her husband, reporter, in Pakistan. Although the biracial Pearl had personally chosen Jolie for the role, the casting drew racial criticism and accusations of. The resulting performance was widely praised; Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter described it as 'well-measured and moving,' played 'with respect and a firm grasp on a difficult accent.' She received nominations for a and a. Jolie also played a shape-shifting seductress, in the epic (2007), created through. The film was critically and commercially well received, taking in revenues of $196.4 million worldwide.

By 2008, Jolie was considered the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, earning $15–$20 million per film. While other actresses had been forced to take salary cuts in recent years, Jolie's perceived box office appeal allowed her to command as much as $20 million plus a percentage.

She starred alongside and in the action film (2008), which proved an international success, earning $341.4 million worldwide. The film received predominantly favorable reviews; writing for The New York Times, noted that Jolie was 'perfectly cast as a super-scary, seemingly amoral assassin,' adding that 'she cuts the kind of disciplinarian figure who can bring boys of all ages to their knees or at least into their theater seats.' Jolie in character as on the set of in October 2007 Jolie next took the lead role in 's drama (2008). Based in part on the, the film centers on, who is reunited with her kidnapped son in 1928 Los Angeles, only to realize the boy is an imposter. Critic noted, 'Jolie really shines in the calm before the storm, the scenes when one patronizing male authority figure after another belittles her at their peril.'

She received nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a, and an. Jolie also voiced the DreamWorks animation (2008), the first work in a, later reprising her voice role in the sequels (2011) and (2016). After her mother's death in 2007, Jolie began appearing in fewer films, later explaining that her motivation to be an actress had stemmed from her mother's acting ambitions. Her first film in two years was the thriller (2010), in which she starred as a CIA agent who goes on the run after she is accused of being a KGB. Originally written as a male character with attached to star, agent Salt underwent a gender change after a executive suggested Jolie for the role. With revenues of $293.5 million, Salt became an international success. The film received generally positive reviews, with Jolie's performance in particular earning praise; critic William Thomas remarked, 'When it comes to selling incredible, crazy, death-defying antics, Jolie has few peers in the action business.'

Jolie starred opposite in the thriller (2010). The film was a critical failure, though Roger Ebert defended Jolie's performance, stating that she 'does her darndest' and 'plays her femme fatale with flat-out, drop-dead sexuality.' Despite the poor critical reception and a slow start at the North American box office, the film went on to gross a respectable $278.3 million worldwide, cementing Jolie's appeal to international audiences. She received a nomination for her performance, which gave rise to speculation that it had been given merely to ensure her high-profile presence at the awards ceremony. 2011–present: Professional expansion. Jolie at the After directing the documentary (2007), which was distributed through the, Jolie made her feature directorial debut with (2011), a love story between a Serb soldier and a Bosniak prisoner, set during the 1992–95. She conceived the film to rekindle attention for the survivors, after twice visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina in her role as a.

To ensure authenticity, she cast only actors from the former —including stars and —and incorporated their wartime experiences into her screenplay. Upon release, the film received mixed reviews; Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, 'Jolie deserves significant credit for creating such a powerfully oppressive atmosphere and staging the ghastly events so credibly, even if it is these very strengths that will make people not want to watch what's onscreen.' The film was nominated for a, and Jolie was named an honorary citizen of for raising awareness of the war. After a three-and-a-half-year absence from the screen, Jolie starred in (2014), a live-action re-imagining of 's 1959 animation. Critical reception was mixed, but Jolie's performance in the was singled out for praise; The Hollywood Reporter critic Sherri Linden found her to be the 'heart and soul' of the film, adding that she 'doesn't chew the estimable scenery in Maleficent—she infuses it, wielding a magnetic and effortless power.'

In its opening weekend, Maleficent earned nearly $70 million at the North American box office and over $100 million in other markets, marking Jolie's appeal to audiences of all demographics in both action and fantasy films, genres usually dominated by male actors. The film went on to gross $757.8 million worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year and Jolie's highest-grossing film ever. Jolie next completed her second directorial venture, (2014), about World War II hero (1917–2014), a former Olympic track star who survived a plane crash over sea and spent two years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. She also served as producer under her Jolie Pas banner.

Unbroken is based on 's, the film was scripted by the and starred. After a positive early reception, Unbroken was considered a likely Best Picture and Best Director contender, but it ultimately received mixed reviews and little award recognition, though it was named one of the best films of the year by the National Board of Review and the. In a typical review, Variety 's Justin Chang noted the film's 'impeccable craftsmanship and sober restraint', but deemed it 'an extraordinary story told in dutiful, unexceptional terms.' Financially, Unbroken far outperformed industry expectations in its opening weekend, eventually earning over $163 million worldwide.

Jolie's next directorial effort was the marital drama (2015), in which she starred opposite her husband, Brad Pitt, marking their first collaboration since 2005's Mr. Based on her screenplay, the film was a deeply personal project for Jolie, who drew inspiration from her own mother's life. Critics, however, dismissed it as a 'vanity project,' as part of an overall poor reception. Writing for The Washington Post, Stephanie Merry noted its dearth of genuine emotion, stating, ' By the Sea is dazzlingly gorgeous, as are its stars. But peeling back layer upon layer of exquisite ennui reveals nothing but emptiness, sprinkled with stilted sentiments.' Despite starring two of Hollywood's leading actors, the film received only a limited release.

As Jolie preferred to dedicate herself to her humanitarian work, her cinematic output remained infrequent. (2017), a drama set during Cambodia's era, again enabled her to combine both interests. In addition to directing the film, she co-wrote the screenplay with her longtime friend, whose about the regime's child labor camps served as its source material. Intended primarily for a Cambodian audience, the film was produced directly for, which allowed for the use of an exclusively Khmer cast and script. Jolie is next contracted to reprise the role of Maleficent in Disney's sequel,. Humanitarian work UNHCR ambassadorship. 'We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering.

I honestly want to help. I don't believe I feel differently from other people.

I think we all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. All of us would like to believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us.' —Jolie on her motives for joining in 2001 Jolie first witnessed the effects of a humanitarian crisis while filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) in war-torn Cambodia, an experience she later credited with having brought her a greater understanding of the world.

Upon her return home, Jolie contacted the (UNHCR) for information on international trouble spots. To learn more about the conditions in these areas, she began visiting refugee camps around the world. In February 2001, she went on her first field visit, an 18-day mission to Sierra Leone and Tanzania; she later expressed her shock at what she had witnessed. In the following months, Jolie returned to Cambodia for two weeks and met with, where she donated $1 million in response to an international UNHCR emergency appeal, the largest donation UNHCR had ever received from a private individual. She covered all costs related to her missions and shared the same rudimentary working and living conditions as UNHCR field staff on all of her visits.

Jolie was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador at UNHCR headquarters in on August 27, 2001. Secretary of State and Jolie at a celebration of in June 2005 Over the next decade, she went on more than 40 field missions, meeting with refugees and in over 30 countries. In 2002, when asked what she hoped to accomplish, she stated, 'Awareness of the plight of these people. I think they should be commended for what they have survived, not looked down upon.' To that end, her 2001–02 field visits were chronicled in her book, which was published in October 2003 in conjunction with the release of her humanitarian drama Beyond Borders. Jolie aimed to visit what she termed 'forgotten emergencies,' crises that media attention had shifted away from.

She became noted for travelling to war zones, such as Sudan's region during the, the Syrian-Iraqi border during the, where she met privately with U.S. Troops and other multi-national forces, and the Afghan capital during the, where three aid workers were murdered in the midst of her first visit. To aid her travels, she began taking flying lessons in 2004 with the aim of ferrying aid workers and food supplies around the world; she now holds a private pilot license with instrument rating and owns a and single-engine aircraft. On April 17, 2012, after more than a decade of service as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie was promoted to the rank of to High Commissioner, the first to take on such a position within the organization. In her expanded role, she was given authority to represent Guterres and UNHCR at the diplomatic level, with a focus on major refugee crises.

In the months following her promotion, she made her first visit as Special Envoy—her third over all—to Ecuador, where she met with Colombian refugees, and she accompanied Guterres on a week-long tour of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iraq, to assess the situation of refugees from neighboring Syria. Since then, Jolie has gone on over a dozen field missions around the world to meet with refugees and undertake advocacy on their behalf. Conservation and community development. Jolie at the 's annual meeting in January 2005 In an effort to connect her Cambodian-born son with his heritage, Jolie purchased a house in his country of birth in 2003. The traditional home sat on 39 hectares in the northwestern province, adjacent to in the, which had become infiltrated with poachers who threatened endangered species. She purchased the park's 60,000 hectares and turned the area into a wildlife reserve named for her son, the Maddox Jolie Project. In recognition of her conservation efforts, King awarded her Cambodian citizenship on July 31, 2005.

In November 2006, Jolie expanded the scope of the project—renamed the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP)—to create Asia's first, in accordance with. She was inspired by a meeting with the founder of, noted economist, at the in, where she was an invited speaker in 2005 and 2006. Together they filmed a 2005 MTV special, The Diary of Angelina Jolie & Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa, which followed them on a trip to a Millennium Village in western Kenya. By mid-2007, some 6,000 villagers and 72 employees—some of them former poachers employed as rangers—lived and worked at MJP, in ten villages previously isolated from one another. The compound includes schools, roads, and a soy milk factory, all funded by Jolie.

Her home functions as the MJP field headquarters. After filming Beyond Borders (2003) in Namibia, Jolie became patron of the, a wildlife orphanage and medical center in the. She first visited the Harnas farm during production of the film, which features vultures rescued by the foundation.

In December 2010, Jolie and her partner, Brad Pitt, established the Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation to support conservation work by the, a nature reserve also located in the Kalahari. In name of their Namibian-born daughter, they have funded large-animal conservation projects as well as a free health clinic, housing, and a school for the community at Naankuse. Jolie and Pitt support other causes through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, established in September 2006.

Child immigration and education Jolie has pushed for legislation to aid child immigrants and other vulnerable children in both the U.S. And developing nations, including the 'Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2005.' She began lobbying humanitarian interests in the U.S.

Capital from 2003 onwards, explaining, 'As much as I would love to never have to visit Washington, that's the way to move the ball.' Since October 2008, she has co-chaired Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a network of leading U.S. Law firms that provide free legal aid to unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings across the U.S. Founded in a collaboration between Jolie and the, by 2013, KIND had become the principal provider of pro bono lawyers for immigrant children. Jolie had previously, from 2005 to 2007, funded the launch of a similar initiative, the ' National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. Jolie on the cover of, in 2015, in which she discusses child marriage Jolie has also advocated for children's education.

Since its founding at the 's annual meeting in September 2007, she has co-chaired the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which provides policy and funding to education programs for children in conflict-affected regions. In its first year, the partnership supported education projects for Iraqi refugee children, youth affected by the, and girls in rural Afghanistan, among other affected groups. The partnership has worked closely with the ' Center for Universal Education—founded by the partnership's co-chair, noted economist —to establish education policies, which resulted in recommendations made to UN agencies, development agencies, and the. Since April 2013, all proceeds from Jolie's high-end jewelry collection, Style of Jolie, have benefited the partnership's work. Jolie additionally launched the Malala Fund, a grant system established by Pakistani education activist, at the; she personally contributed over $200,000 to the cause.

Jolie has funded a school and boarding facility for girls at Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya, which opened in 2005, and two primary schools for girls in the returnee settlements Tangi and Qalai Gudar in eastern Afghanistan, which opened in March 2010 and November 2012 respectively. In addition to the facilities at the Millennium Village she established in Cambodia, Jolie had built at least ten other schools in the country by 2005. In February 2006, she opened the Maddox Chivan Children's Center, a medical and educational facility for children affected by HIV, in the Cambodian capital. In, Ethiopia, the birthplace of her eldest daughter, she funds a sister facility, the Zahara Children's Center, which is expected to open in 2015 and will treat and educate children suffering from HIV or tuberculosis.

Both centers are run by the Global Health Committee. Human rights and women's rights. 'I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.'

—Jolie on her reasons for speaking out about her mastectomy After completing each operation, Jolie discussed her mastectomy and oophorectomy in published by The New York Times, with the aim of helping other women make informed health choices. She detailed her diagnosis, surgeries, and personal experiences, and described her decision to undergo preventive surgery as a proactive measure for the sake of her six children. Jolie further wrote, 'On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.'

Jolie's announcement of her mastectomy attracted widespread publicity and discussion on BRCA mutations and genetic testing. Her decision was met with praise from various public figures, while health campaigners welcomed her raising awareness of the options available to at-risk women. Dubbed 'The Angelina Effect' by a cover story, Jolie's influence led to a 'global and long-lasting' increase in BRCA gene testing: the number of referrals tripled in Australia and doubled in the UK, parts of Canada, and India, as well as significantly increased in other European countries and the U.S. Researchers in Canada and the UK found that despite the large increase, the percentage of mutation carriers remained the same, meaning Jolie's message had reached those most at risk. In her first op-ed, Jolie had advocated wider accessibility of BRCA gene testing and acknowledged the high costs, which were greatly reduced after the U.S. Supreme Court, in a June 2013 ruling, invalidated BRCA gene patents held. In the media Public image As the daughter of actor Jon Voight, Jolie appeared in the media from an early age.

After embarking on her own career, she earned a reputation as a 'wild child', which contributed to her early success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Celebrity profiles routinely covered her fascination with blood and knives, experiences with drugs, and her sex life, particularly her bisexuality and interest in.

In 2000, when asked about her outspokenness, she stated, 'I say things that other people might go through. That's what artists should do—throw things out there and not be perfect and not have answers for anything and see if people understand.' Another contributing factor of her controversial image were tabloid rumors of incest that started when Jolie, upon winning her, kissed her brother on the lips and said, 'I'm so in love with my brother right now.' She dismissed the rumors, saying, 'It was disappointing that something so beautiful and pure could be turned into a circus,' and explained that, as children of divorce, she and James relied on one another for emotional support. Jolie at the in May 2007 Jolie's reputation began to change positively after she, at age 26, became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, later commenting, 'In my early 20s I was fighting with myself.

Crazy Ken Band

Now I take that punk in me to Washington, and I fight for something important.' Owing to her extensive activism, her —the industry's measure of celebrities' likability—nearly doubled to 25 between 2000 and 2006. Her recognizability grew accordingly; by 2006, she was familiar to 81% of Americans, compared to 31% in 2000.

She became noted for her ability to positively influence her public image through the media, without employing a publicist or an agent. Her Q Score remained above average even when, in 2005, she was accused of ending Brad Pitt's marriage to Jennifer Aniston, at which point her public persona became an unlikely combination of alleged homewrecker, mother, and humanitarian. A decade later, Jolie was found to be the most admired woman in the world in global surveys conducted by in 2015 and 2016. Jolie's general influence and wealth are extensively documented.

In a 2006 global industry survey by in 42 international markets, Jolie, together with Pitt, was found to be the favorite celebrity endorser for brands and products worldwide. Jolie was the face of and from 2006 to 2008, and a decade later became a spokesmodel for. Her 2011 endorsement deal with, reportedly worth $10 million, was a record for a single advertising campaign.

Jolie was among the, a list of the most influential people in the world as published by Time, in 2006 and 2008. She was named the world's most powerful celebrity in 's issue in 2009, and, though ranked lower overall, was listed as the most powerful actress from 2006 to 2008 and 2011 to 2013. Forbes additionally cited her as Hollywood's highest-paid actress in 2009, 2011, and 2013, with estimated annual earnings of $27 million, $30 million, and $33 million respectively.

Jolie at the New York premiere of in June 2007; several of her tattoos are visible Jolie's public image is strongly tied to her perceived beauty and sex appeal. Many media outlets, including, People, and, have cited her as the world's most beautiful woman, while others such as, and Empire have named her the sexiest woman alive; both titles have often been based on public polls in which Jolie places far ahead of other celebrity women.

Her most recognizable physical features are her many tattoos, eyes, and in particular her full lips, which The New York Times considered as defining a feature as 's chin or ' eyes. Among her estimated 20 tattoos are the Latin proverb quod me nutrit me destruit ('what nourishes me destroys me'), the quote ', four, a twelve-inch tiger, and geographical coordinates indicating the birthplaces of her husband and children. Over time, she has covered or several of her tattoos, including 'Billy Bob', the name of her second husband. Professionally, Jolie's status as a sex symbol has been considered both an asset and a hindrance. Some of her most commercially successful films, including Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Beowulf (2007), overtly relied at least in part on her sex appeal, with Empire stating that her 'pneumatic figure', 'feline eyes', and 'bee-stung lips' have greatly contributed to her appeal to cinema audiences. Conversely, Salon writer Allen Barra agreed with critics who suggested that Jolie's 'dark and intense sexuality' has limited her in the types of roles she can be cast in, rendering her unconvincing in many conventional women's roles, while Clint Eastwood, who directed her Oscar-nominated performance in Changeling (2008), opined that having 'the most beautiful face on the planet' sometimes harmed her dramatic credibility with audiences.

Beyond her career, Jolie's appearance has been credited with influencing popular culture at large. In 2002, founder observed that many women of all sexual orientations had publicly expressed their attraction to Jolie, which she considered a new development in American culture, adding that 'there are many beautiful women in Hollywood, and few generate the same kind of overwhelming interest across genders and sexual orientations that she does'. Jolie's physical attributes became highly sought-after among western women seeking cosmetic surgery; by 2007, she was considered 'the gold standard of beauty', with her full lips remaining the most imitated celebrity feature well into the 2010s. After a 2011 repeat survey by found that Jolie most represented the American, compared to model in 1991, writer Elizabeth Angell credited society with having 'branched out beyond the Barbie-doll ideal and embraced something quite different'. In 2013, of Time agreed that Jolie has for many years symbolized the feminine ideal, and opined that her frank discussion of her double mastectomy redefined beauty.

NOTE: Your browser is not recognized and the Dusty Groove website may not function properly. The following might help you find what you're looking for:. Enable cookies and Javascript on your device. If you are using a mobile device, visit the site from a desktop machine. If you are using an old version of your operating system or browser, upgrade to the current supported version.

You can try using the. You may try to continue using the Dusty Groove website, and if you have any trouble placing your order online we suggest you make a list of the items you wish to buy order by phone at Monday through Friday, 10am–4pm, Central Time. (, ) (, ) A sweet collection of funk from this ultra-cool Japanese combo – all hand-picked, and served up in a special mix by DJ Muro! Crazy Ken Band have an odd name, but a warmly soulful take on funk that began in the pre-Daptone years, and which maybe shares more with the funk revival modes on the London scene at the start of the 90s – especially as the group have some of the warmer currents of Incognito or Brand New Heavies!

But there's also a harder funk approach on some numbers – really sharp instrumentation that works equally well with blasting horns or warmer modern soul grooves – almost always topped with lead lyrics in Japanese. Most of their work was only issued overseas, so this collection's a great place to start with their music, especially with Muro in the lead! CD features 25 titles, most listed in Japanese – but with tracks that include 'Brand New Honda', 'El Diablo', 'Midnight Cruiser', 'Lady Mustang', and 'Punch Punch Punch'. © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. We realize that there are many different interpretations of the standard grades used for pre-owned vinyl record albums & CD, so we thought we'd offer you the ones that we are working with, so you have an idea what we mean when we give the grade for a non-new item on our pages. Used Vinyl Grades Below are stated conditions for a used vinyl records at Dusty Groove.

Grading for the cover should be assumed to be near (within a '+' or '-') the grading for the vinyl. If there is significant divergence from the condition of the vinyl, or specific flaws, these will be noted in the comments section of the item. However, please be aware that since the emphasis of this site is towards the music listener, our main concern is with the vinyl of any used item we sell.

Additionally, all of our records are graded visually; considering the volume of used vinyl we handle, it is impossible for us to listen to each record. If we spot any significant flaws, we make every attempt to listen through them and note how they play.

The following grading conditions apply to the vinyl component of an album or single. Sealed This is what it says, that the record is still held fast in shrink-wrap.

We tend to be pretty suspicious about these things, so if the shrink-wrap doesn't look original, or if the record seems to have undergone some damage over time, we'll probably take it out of the wrapper to ensure that it's in good shape — which is why we don't have more of these. In some cases the shrink-wrap may be torn in spots, but if it's not possible the record has been taken out and played, the record will still qualify as 'Sealed'. Near Mint - (minus). Black vinyl that may show a slight amount of dust or dirt. Should still be very shiny under a light, even with slight amount of dust on surface. One or two small marks that would make an otherwise near perfect record slightly less so.

These marks cannot be too deep, and should only be surface marks that won't affect play, but might detract from the looks. May have some flaws and discoloration in the vinyl, but only those that would be intrinsic to the pressing. These should disappear when the record is tilted under the light, and will only show up when looking straight at the record. (Buddah and ABC pressings from the 70's are a good example of this.). May have some slight marks from aging of the paper sleeve on the vinyl.

Possible minor surface noise when played. Very Good + (plus). Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint. Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted. Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.

This is the kind of record that will play 'near mint', but which will have some signs of use (although not major ones). May have slight surface noise when played. Very Good. Vinyl can have some dirt, but nothing major. May not shine under light, but should still be pretty clean, and not too dirty.

May have a number of marks (5 to 10 at most), and obvious signs of play, but never a big cluster of them, or any major mark that would be very deep. Most marks should still not click under a fingernail. May not look near perfect, but should play fairly well, with slight surface noise, and the occasional click in part of a song, but never throughout a whole song or more. This is clearly a copy that was played by someone a number of times, but which could also be a good 'play copy' for someone new.

Very Good - (minus). Vinyl may be dirty, and can lack a fair amount of luster. Vinyl can have a number of marks, either in clusters or smaller amounts, but deeper. This is the kind of record that you'd buy to play, but not because it looked that great. Still, the flaws should be mostly cosmetic, with nothing too deep that would ruin the overall record. Examples include a record that has been kept for a while in a cover without the paper sleeve, or heavily played by a previous owner and has some marks across the surface.

The record should play okay, though probably with surface noise. Good + (plus). Vinyl may be dirty, or have one outstanding flaw, such as a light residue, which could be difficult to clean.

May have marks on all parts, too many to qualify as Very Good-, or several deeper marks, but the record should still be ok for play without skips. In general, this is a record that was played a fair amount, and handled without care. A typical example may be a record which has been heavily played by a DJ, and carries marks from slip cueing. Depending on the quality of the vinyl, may play with surface noise throughout. Fair This is a grade we rarely use, as we try not to sell records in very bad condition, though in some rare cases we will list a record in such bad shape that it does not conform to the standards above. A 'Fair' record will have enough marks or significant flaws that it does not even qualify as 'Good', but is a copy you might consider for playing, if you're willing to put up with noise and/or flaws. An example might be a recording with surface noise so heavy that it is equal to the volume of the music.

For records listed as 'Fair', we will describe the extent of the condition in the comments. Used CD Grade We have only one grade for non-new CDs at Dusty Groove — 'Used CD'. This grade is somewhat all-encompassing, but we choose it because we try to offer Used CDs in the best shape possible. All of our Used CDs are guaranteed to play without skipping or flaws. If you purchase a Used CD from Dusty Groove, you have 1 week to play it to determine that it plays correctly — and if it does not, then you may return it for a full refund. With our Used CDs, you can expect the disc to be free of all but the lightest of surface marks — clean, and not dirty at all. You can also expect the case to be clean (we often change the cases ourselves — putting fresh cases on Used CDs we handle) — and you can expect the booklet to be in good shape, unless noted otherwise.

We will list any specific details/defects underneath the item — so look for notes on cutout marks in the case, stamps on the barcode, or details like that. You might be interested.