... and when I heard that it was for awareness, that sealed the deal!
I must confess to being somewhat confused by the Live 8 concerts. It all reminds me of the New Awareness Awards on The Simpsons Behind the Laughter episode. Not that I am against awareness or helping eradicate poverty in Africa, etc. But to my basically uninformed mind it may take more than an effort to ”double aid, cancel debt and rework unfair trade laws to lift African nations out of poverty.” In my more curmudgeonly moments I think of all I’ve read about corruption in many African governments and wonder if the money raised 20 years ago by Live Aid would have been better spent assassinating (OK - that’s not very humanitarian - let’s say kidnapping and imprisoning) those corrupt government officials who pillage their own nations. I guess I’m just a little irritable today. Bit of a headache after last night’s birthday party for pater/27th anniversary celebration. And worry about three of the kids as they head up to the family “farm” in the UP for two days of vacation is bouncing around the back of my mind. So I’ll admit to being curmudgeonly.

If the Live 8 folks had been asking for pledges I would gladly contribute. To buy the pole Beyond Knowles needed for her Philadelphia performance which was essentially a pole-dance sans pole. And that has what to do with awareness, justice and poverty?