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beverlyhills wrote:

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tx...guli..watch puppeteer make some serious gossip up
to compensate..so predictable.

"Brad Leaves Angie & his Loving Family for Dry Prune"

oh wait..that was written like 50 times

Turkey Baster...hahaha..another frikin looser.

keep1 wrote:

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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/business/10flier.html?_r=1


New York Times
hed: November 9, 2009

Frequent Flier

In Africa, the Flight Is Just a Trip's First Leg

AFRICA fascinates me. The land itself is magnificent, as are its people. Despite the hardships they have endured, they are hopeful about a brighter future.

Flying into Africa is usually not a big deal. But getting from a major city to a final destination can be difficult since it usually involves some combination of charter flights, 4-wheel-drive vehicles and, maybe, a short trek by foot.

I'm chairman of the United States African Development Foundation now, but as head of the United States Association, which works with the United Nations refugee agency, I went to Tanzania in October of 2000 to evaluate the conditions of a camp near Kasulu, which housed thousands of Burundi refugees.

First, you have to fly the entire width of Tanzania, then take a charter to Kasulu, and then drive a few hours to the camp.

I've taken many a charter and am always in awe of the bush pilots. This pilot somehow managed to fly only a few feet above the treetops. I've never been on a flight this low. I could make out the individual leaves on the trees we were passing over.

I think the pilot wanted to show off the countryside.

But that's what is so difficult about Africa. It's hard to grasp that such a beautiful place is home to such horrific suffering.

The conditions in the camp were tough. Among many other things, these people needed soap. There was a shipment of soap in the major port of Dar es Salaam. But that's a full day's travel from the camp, and it was going to cost a significant amount of money to get the soap to the camp.

Fortunately, someone by the name of Angelina Jolie stepped up and paid the expenses. This was one of Ms. Jolie's first visits to Africa. Now Ms. Jolie is a good-will ambassador for the United Nation's high commissioner for refugees.

I called her a few weeks later to thank her for her efforts. At the time, I didn't really know exactly who Angelina Jolie was. I get kidded about that a lot.

I've seen a lot of horrible human suffering, but I've also seen incredible strength. In September 1999, a few days after the end of bombing in Kosovo, I flew into neighboring Macedonia with Father Ted Hesburgh, the former president of Notre Dame.

I was in a very small plane, with slinglike contraptions that were used as seats. The plane was filled with refugees, and I was next to a woman with two young children. She was so incredibly nervous that every few minutes she looked into a bag that she was carrying to check for her identity papers. She couldn't stop herself.

Once we landed, Father Hesburgh and I drove to an area of Kosovo where the Italian army was charged with keeping the peace. As we made our way, we saw what seemed like thousands of people walking up a hill. It was one of the first public gatherings since the bombings stopped.

The car was stopped, and as I looked out the window I saw a priest. I rolled down the window and said to him, "You know, I'm traveling with America's most famous priest." He smiled and asked who that was. I told him it was Father Hesburgh from Notre Dame. The priest's eyes got really wide and he asked if Father Hesburgh would join them. He said yes.

It was humbling to see hundreds of Kosovars and soldiers join together in this way.

All of the people I have met who have been touched by war have this kind of strength. It makes complaining about flight delays on my business trips seem a little silly.

By Jack Leslie, as told to Joan Raymond. E-mail: joan.raymond@nytimes.com

"Truths take a long road .... "