I wish Bob Geldof and those involved in the Live 8 initiative nothing but success and truly hope that their efforts are able to make some sort of impact. And while I disagree with the fact that they have cuddled up to G8 leaders thinking it best to make inroads by playing within the system, I agree that global poverty is an issue that must be addressed. Unfortunately, our entire way of life must be called into question to realistically do so.

Matthew Good wrote a thought-provoking op-ed piece about his skepticism on the overall effectiveness of today’s Live 8 concerts that really does strike a chord with looking beyond the obvious, that the issue of poverty in Africa is more than just attempting to create funding for those impoverished in that country. It stretches beyond that and into how we live our own life, how the comforts that we’ve grown to deem necessary is at the expense of the exploitation of developing countries. Check out his thoughts here.

Though at this very moment as I’m writing this, Pink Floyd is performing live in London on the television that I’ve been glued to for the past five some odd hours. Oddly enough, I had not planned on catching more than a few minutes of these Live 8 concerts today, but realizing how massive this event is (and not having anything to do today, luckily!), I just couldn’t put it down. A million people in Philadelphia, unbelievable amounts of bands I’d die to see playing in London (Coldplay, U2, Keane, Pink Floyd, Snow Patrol, Richard Ashcroft, Scissor Sisters, Joss Stone, Dido, Madonna, Sting… it goes on and on), Green Day being presented as from Oakland, California (go bay area!) in Berlin, it’s just a neat feeling that, even though I’m not physically at any of these shows, I feel as though I’m part of something huge. I guess the optimistic side of me thinks that something as massive as this will make a difference when the G8 meets.

Nevertheless, politics aside, how often do you see Coldplay backing up Richard Ashcroft singing The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”? Or Pink Floyd reuniting after twenty some odd years? Or Paul McCartney with U2? Hell, I even felt it when Jay-Z and Linkin Park performed together, something I’d never typically say.

No real point to this post, but I just needed to put down the neat experience that Live 8 has culled from me. It will definitely interest me the outcome of this show, whether or not it affects the G8’s decision to put down more money to help those impoverished, and whether that money will even do any good in the long run. I’d hate to agree with Mr. Good but I share some of his doubts.

If anything, though, at least today’ll leave us with one of the greatest concert experiences ever. That’s why I wish I were in London today Well, Sir Paul McCartney’s playing live at this very moment, so I’ll leave it at that.