Tsunami: A Concert of Hope

So Madonna is not a very good live singer. I know, big shocker.

1-800-HELP NOW--that's the American Red Cross phone number. So if you call, it's not just a middleman organization that is getting your money.

Holy crap, Brad Pitt, Jane Seymour, Leo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon are answering phones? Maybe I'll call just for that. What, what's that? That's the whole point of having famous operators? No way!

I kind of thought this would be a concert, like Live Aid. But it's totally a telethon. That's sort of disappointing. It's pretty awesome that so many celebrities joined the effort, though. Way to go, celebs!

Maroon 5 is a little annoying. I know, big news.

Norah Jones, however, is awesome. I love anything that she does. And now she takes the stage with just a guitar, a backup vocalist, and a violin player. Sweet. Hurrah, acoustic music is not dead along with MTV Unplugged.

Shut up, Chris Matthews. I've never really seen you before, only Darrell Hammond's impression of you, and apparently you really are that much of an ass. Who cares where the money comes from? Isn't the point of this whole thing to join together as a global community, where things like nationality and politics don't matter? (Obviously I know that would never actually be the case, because our wonderful government always has some kind of agenda, but this is the idealistic picture the media want us to buy.)

Good job, Red Cross President. I have seen firsthand the work the Red Cross does, and she's right, they will get the stuff out, whatever it takes.

"You can't give, and remain the same," says Robert DeNiro. I can't tell you how true that is. If you know me in person, you already knew that, and hopefully have participated in giving yourself. Volunteering changes you even more than just opening your wallet. Please, do some work in your community. Global change begins with a single person!

Sorry, Mary J Blige, but you can't sing.

I like that they are showing before and after satellite photos.

No way, Sarah McLachlan? And singing a song from 1998, too! Although I suppose singing "Train Wreck" would not exactly be appropriate for this occasion.

That's cool that Jay Leno is having the famous folk sign everyday things to sell to high donators. (Erm, people who donate a lot of money, not people donating while high on things.) First a coffee mug, now a phone. I wonder what next?

Speaking of high peope, hi, Robert Downey Jr! You are adorable! Hope you are doing well with rehab and acting and stuff.

I think Goldie Hawn was hypnotized before her speech.

Josh Groban really has an amazing voice. It's gotten lost in the "adult contemporary" genre, but really, he's fantastic. I still remember when he was "debuted" on Ally McBeal.

Quentin Tarantino keeps waving at the camera like a starstruck geek.

A village population going from 3800 to 142? Wow. That is serious decimation.

Ooh, Don Cheadle!

I love John Mayer's music, but man, is he goofy-looking when performs.

Is that Nelly? Whoever it is, he's totally ripping off Usher's look. Not to mention doing something weird to a very good song (True by Spandau Ballet, right?) that's already been ripped off by PM Dawn in the early 90s. Was he saying "NBC" at the beginning? The whole thing wasn't too bad, actually, it was a pretty mellow interpretation.

Hey, no one told me I'd have to hear COUNTRY. Mute button!

Johnny Depp and Lucy Liu, too. The phone lines are so jammed that it's giving me a dial tone instead of ringing. Hi, Tim Robbins!

PLEASE DONATE. If not now, then soon. Just donate. Jay Leno just brought up something very important: what if every person watching donated just a dollar out of the change in their pocket? What a difference that would make! People think it's hard to "make a difference," but when millions of citizens come together like this, a tidal wave of giving is created. Anyone can give a dollar, most of us can afford $25 or $50, and every bit will count. Please, click to the link on the right. If you don't trust me, type in redcross.org and get to it.