Idol

I watched Idol Gives Back last night. It was good, and very entertaining. But something always picks at me when I watch HUGE celebrities "raise" money from ordinary folk, and Rob the comedian put it very simply, "Some of you at home may be thinking that Bono has so much money he could solve Africa's problems himself..." or something to that affect, and yes that is what I am always thinking. Not that celebrities do not give, they do, they give large. But in perspective, really, how much is it? Even Oprah giving 10 million to her Angel Network for building homes, is huge, huge! But his woman is worth about 200 MILLION. And she makes about 60 million PER YEAR. And it's not just celebrities. Let's talk about all of the billionaires in Dubai as we speak, or the billionaires throughout the world I don't care what they do. If each billionaire gave only 10% of what they are worth, seems to me we could solve Africa's problems 10 times over. When I see a celebrity on a talk show with their thousand dollar shoes and their fifteen hundred dollar sunglasses, talking about "you" out there giving all that you can for the needy it just drives me crazy. Now, not to harp on an old subject, but I have first hand experience of the idiocy and absolute spoiled brat behaviour of some celebrities. And many of them not even that famous!!! One celebrity (and it was not a huge A lister, either but no slouch none-the-less) actually had a full blown hissy fit because his RENTAL CAR WAS THE WRONG COLOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And they sit on Oprah and get bathed in the glorious light of their do-gooding, while the PA's of whatever talk show they are on are killing themselves trying to find the exact right kind of room temperature bottled water. In some ways there should be a tax, a WORLD TAX, that goes to a governing body that distributes life saving medicine, vaccines, mosquito nets, food, etc. If each and every person on this planet gave .5 % of what they earned... that's 0.5 % of what they earned every year, I wonder how much money that would be? A "World Tax". Hmmm, that's actually not a bad idea. The only problem I could see with that would be the inevitable corruption that would no doubt infiltrate every facet of the organization in charge.

Anyway, I think I am just sick to death of seeing celebrities doing their PR on the backs of Africans. And that was before I adopted a little African beauty! I like when a celebrity does not have to do the song and dance and the LOOK AT ME when they give or give back. Which is why I cannot stand the show "The Big Give". This personifies that philosophy. I am giving!!! Look at me!!!! Aren't I great???!!! One of my favourite books of all time is "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" and in there he reminds us to do something nice for someone and DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT. How many times have you done something really great for someone and you are dying to share that with someone. As soon as you do, though, don't you feel that good thing, whatever it was, diminish a bit? That's because, that good deed that you did for someone else, just became all about you. This is why some people choose to donate anonymously. No brew-haha, just the quiet dignity of changing someones life. Since I read that book, I really try not to do that, but I still slip up now and then. It's hard. Damn ego. Even my blog is full of my own ego. Oooohhh read what I am writing! Aren't I clever! Can you tell that I watched Oprah yesterday all about "A New Earth?". I actually picked it up again last night and decided to give it another try. I'll let you know how that all goes.

On a lighter note, Ellie was playing with her friend yesterday outside, and when she came in she said she was playing "orphanage." Her stuffed seal puppet toy was her baby, and his parents had died, and she had adopted him. She then asked for my sling and carried him around in it being a very doting adoptive mom. Even at night we had to put "Oliver" to bed, and then after he "went to sleep" in his own bed, then she said, "Now he can move into my bed and sleep with me." Tell me that is not one of the sweetest things! I've heard of kids playing "adoption" or "orphanage" but thought Ellie might be too old to do it. I am so glad she did.

Have a great day everyone! I can say that I successfully completed my housework yesterday, and even had time for some knitting. Isn't it funny the games we play with ourselves? I worked my patute off because I knew once my work was done I could knit. Today is the same thing, but it is all about paperwork and paying bills. yuck.