I don't really have much to say, except, yeah, I was one of those misguided, apathetic assholes who actually attended the Philly event. To my friends and me, the entire concept was completely ridiculous, but our policy went something like, "if they're going to hold the event, why not take advantage?" Maybe the organizers secretly intend to create an association between "Piss-drunk at Over-hyped Concert" and "Defeating Poverty," because all the clueless teenagers would start having delusions that Saving Africa *can* closely resemble a ginormous beer-guzzling neo-hippie fest. Far out, dude.

Hahah, I just remembered my friend spent 75% of the day yelling, "Save Africa! Smoke a joint!"

Anyway, here are some pictures. Nice ones. I think.
http://www.supdogg.com/photo/Live8/le01.jpg

http://www.supdogg.com/photo/Live8/le02.jpg

Oh this one is so corny.
http://www.supdogg.com/photo/Live8/le03.jpg

I think the US concert got the shaft... London was where it was at!!! Coldplay... nuff said! :)

Philly was the big winner.....Michael Jackson didn't show. :D

For all you Live8 sycophants...
 

http://music.channel.aol.com/live_8_...philly_toronto

On July 2, the world's biggest musicians converged at global concerts aimed at ending world poverty. AOL Music captured every note, and it's the only place you can relive every performance on-demand!
Click an artist name to see all of the songs played, then watch each performance as many times as you like.
Also, watch highlights on-demand.

on africa's problems:

I do coke so I can work longer so I can make more money so I can do more coke so I can work longer so I can make more money so I can do more coke.......

The selflessness of these bands is inspiring. To hold all of these concerts to bully our governments into raising our taxes to send money to the coffers of so many needy dictators and despots! It just brings a tear to my eye. And the grab bags they gave each band were only valued at $12k each. The sacrifice! The nobility!

You should care about Africa. If for no other reason than your own military defense. An AIDs ravaged and politically crumbling war torn continent , that's not good for you, either.

a well planned firebombing campaign could solve their AIDS problem. :bolt:

oh don't get me wrong, Africa clearly needs help. I just don't think it should be government mandated. and I don't like pampered celebrities guilt-tripping others who are far less equipped than they are to help with the problem.

Um, the majority of the "power" a celebrity has isn't money, it's their ability to reach a wide audience. What they are doing is what they are best equipped to do.

aw hell, it is our fault they are in this mess anyway. we were effing them on national tv in the '80's. if we hadn't raised all that money and sent all of that food over there then more of them would have died then and there would be less over-population, disease, and war.

we sure suck for causing these problems.

i am, of course, employing dark humor here. but from another perspective, admittedly a callous and uncaring one, it would seem that by continually providing food and medicine to a group of people that can't support themselves, can't take precautions against more disease, and continually breed we are only fanning the flames.

will eliminating their debt get stop their wars? will it get them to quit reproducing? will they suddenly say "hey, we now know what causes AIDS"? or will it just make a group of people who happen to be in their country but aren't living in poverty and disease more rich?

describe to me a REAL solution for the problems they have.

EDIT: ok, warch pulled her comment, but that is who i was talking to here.

give a man a fish, he eats for a day - teach him to fish and he eats for life. granted his 20 kids from five different wives (who may be relatives that he raped) will all have to fight over the fish.........and I don't know how good fishing is in Africa...........but you get my point.
either that, or what lookout said back in #23.

In all seriousness (I'm not sure how serious I was up until now), Africa needs to get its own houses in order before any kind of aid will do much good. We see people lining up at the feed bags with their bowls and sacks and think we've done some great thing. But their land is barren from drought and shitty farming practices, the local warlord stifles any possibility of commerce by killing all the potential trading partners over some political slight, and then of course there's the disease.

AIDS is rampant there not because "we" haven't found a cure, but because there is rampant unsafe sex and misinformation. Many times, African people suffering from AIDS (particularly those in the bush) don't even seek real medical treatment that would prolong their lives. They listen to the village medicine guy who says it's some kind of curse, waves a dead chicken over them, and sends them back out thinking they're cured. Most refuse to wear condoms and refuse to be monogamous. How can you stop AIDS under those conditions?

You can't just throw money at things and make them go away. (Except me -- if you throw money at me I'll go away)

:mg:

i don't know how much of that is reality vs stereotype, but i get your point. i know that i've read an article or two about the spread of AIDS in relation to the widespread frequency of rape.

IMO, we can paint it to look however we want, but money isn't the issue there. corruption and the absence of rule of law are at the core of the problem.